Unfortunately however, several times throughout the book Hart slips into western styled drawing and design. The legs take on the gargantuan-shoe-and-tiny-knee look and the characters can be tacky and out of fashion. (As far as I'm aware, cheerleaders don't frequent Japanese high schools) Anime Mania is a good start for the intermediate artist who's looking to start their own Japanese styled comic. But as useful as it is, it still isn't as good as the 'how to draw' books produced from Japan itself. Rather, this provides an interesting and useful exploration of Japanese art style through western eyes, a valuable, if flawed, tool to any aspiring westerner merely trying to expand their range of styles and influences.
