Background country of your stories

[GinnyClyde]

I noticed a lot of comics and novels here where the stories take place in Japan or Korea or even China. Is it because there are a lot of readers from those countries? It seems so popular here. I am mapping out a story for the upcoming writer contest and wondering if I need to base my characters and story in one of the Asian countries. Since, I know little about the actual countries and cultures, I feel hesitant. I am sure actual people don't behave like they do on animes lol
Still, would you guys read a fantasy story that takes place in an urban American city/town?

[Jenny-Toons]

Still, would you guys read a fantasy story that takes place in an urban American city/town?

Yep! Absolutely! I'm only developing one comic that takes place in Asia (Yokohama, Japan). But with the rest of my comics, they all take place either in Chicago, Illinois (where I was born and live to this day) or small fictional towns in Maine and Indiana (settings I am familiar with).

I'm working in horror/thriller, and I have a love for working with this genre in urban settings -- which are the type I'm familiar with.

I don't think it's a bad thing to place your work in a setting you're familiar with, especially if that setting is not always shown (ex: public school setting in Chicago as opposed to the public school setting in Japan).

That said, I also don't think it's a bad thing to set your work in Asia or any place you've never been to or have a lot of knowledge on. Just, when it comes to things like that, it's nice to do some good research and not always fall back on the stereotypes and cliches you'd see in, say, animes.

[Merle]

I´d totally read that!
Not to generalise, but I think a lot of the stories you see might be based on a general fascination with Manga/Anime of a some creators, and I know some who place their stories in those countries for that same reason. And it is, if you dig into it, it is a very intersting culture with a lot of unusual folklore!
I don´t think a lot of readers/creators are actually from those asian countries, though, on Tappastic. (apart from the importet premium comics) Might be wrong.
But yeah, I would like to see an urban American story! It´s just as excotic in a way to Europeans (like me lol); and I personally base a lot of my stories in my home country or the various countries I´ve been to/lived in, it´s a lot of fun to try and capture how you feel about what you´ve expereinced, and canalize it into a story.

So, do what you like doing best.

[GinnyClyde]

Thank you for that!
I love animes and my k-dramas but I am always scared to write something wrong about the culture. Though it makes me easy to move forward with planning my story in the US ^_^

[GinnyClyde]

That's great!
My story has elements of suspense and supernatural entities.
Hopefully, readers won't mind the rural Pennsylvania setting ^_^

[spooktacularprize]

I think that people are right in that manga/anime interest is part of what causes so many stories in East Asian countries here on Tapas for those that aren't from those countries. As it was said, some of the Premium comics are by people who are actually from them.

Our stories take place almost mostly in the United States (Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Florida), but we have one or two that take places in fantasy countries or worlds. One takes place in a combination of the U.S. and Mexico, while another takes place in a semi-medieval high fantasy-ish setting with other elements. Yet another takes place all over the world.

I would be super interested in a fantasy in Penn because I'm familiar with that location and have lived there.

If your story is good, the location really won't make a difference to whether readers like it. At least, not the vast majority!

[GinnyClyde]

That's great! My current series is in a fictitious American city somewhere between New York and New Jersey. Hehe ^_^
But glad to know people won't hate it.

[amortelito]

To be honest many comics use Japan and Korea as a base because they are inspired by manga, doramas, or simply admire that culture. Or the creator chose a half asian character living their country.
I personally use manga style but my inspiration is middle ages. Byzantine empire, Ottomans, greek-latin cultures. I adoreeeee latin culture.

[starknights]

I don't have a set country background for my comic, but it set in modern times. It takes place in Polaris City (all the landmarks and etc have names based off space-y things) but it uses inspiration from many countries

[punkarsenic]

Still, would you guys read a fantasy story that takes place in an urban American city/town?

yes my dude! plenty of people are totally into that stuff

i think if you dont know much abt a countrys culture and the like, basing a story there isnt the best idea - unless you want to do the research! but then, thats a lot of effort, what about the story needs to be set in that country to work?

[Luminosophy]

Ngl this is the entire reason I wanted to make my own comic way back when I was 14, lol.

Everything on TV, anime or not, was always based in Japan and America and I wanted to use my home country (the part I lived in is non existent to the wider world and even other Aussies don't seem to think much of our existence) as an untapped resource. Not so much as urban fantasy like you're doing, but I took the physical environment as a setting because it's very different to what's known.

I don't have anything inherently against settings like Japan, I just find it's a genre oversaturation problem and it can be very awkward when the creator didn't live or grow up there. Usually they don't spend much effort reading about the culture so it just defaults to whatever anime taught them about Japan. (Insert Hayao Miyazaki's criticsm of anime.) Essentially the setting is just Japan because "it's cool and where anime lives."

So yeah, in short I wouldn't be against reading a fantasy that is set in places other than Asia.

[lunaartemisasama]

Almost all my stories are a mix of the capital city of a latin country, even the historical one.
Except one that will probably take place in Canada, in a fictional city in Canada that would probably be a Miami kind of if they had a real winter lol. I am still unsure about the setting.

[ihaveatoaster]

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[nelaukface]

comic im doing takes place in 80s us. those were iiiiinnnnteresting times...

[spadesart]

Still, would you guys read a fantasy story that takes place in an urban American city/town?

im a huge fan of urban fantasy. the setting of my own fantasy comic is very americanized too.

[GinnyClyde]

Yay!
My characters are American too lol

[GinnyClyde]

I feel that way too.
There is no way to really understand a culture and their reasoning without actually being there or experiencing it first hand. I guess I will write my story without worrying too much now.

[Devika]

Still, would you guys read a fantasy story that takes place in an urban American city/town?

Urban fantasy is a whole genre on its own, so I think it's safe to say that you'd find an audience for that!

I personally try to stick to settings I'm familiar with or know a lot about, which in my case is central and northern europe (where I've lived most of my time) and the tokyo area and medieval japan (university studies & exchange year).

[insomniascrawl]

Yes, I write one like that, I mean at the end of the day if the characterization is good and the plot is good, it's all good. If it fits your pet, go for it! And the readers will too.

[joannekwan]

All my currently publishing series take place in some fictionalized version of the US, because, well I'm from there. And the US has so many different pockets of landscapes both culturally and physically, you can get a wide variety of settings without leaving the country.

And YES, people do not behave like they do in anime. God, it's one reason I've not watched much or read much manga in recent years.