Cultural Symbols in the Philippines: Japanese TV Network Produces Anime

An article in the Philippine Inquirer talks about how Japanese TV network TV Asahi plans to launch an anime in the Philippines, "Barangay 143." The anime centers on the sport of basketball, which is the most popular sport in the Philippines. Japanese anime shows are usually launched in Japan in Japanese, and these programs are either subtitled or dubbed over into vernacular language in other countries. "Barangay 143" would be an anomaly in that it would be produced directly in the Philippines.

The article has several implications that can be further studied. Foremost is the influence of other countries in Philippine culture. Basketball being the most celebrated sport in the country is the historical effect of American presence in the country (through imperialism, continued military presence). Another interesting observation is the marketing of Japanese television programming targeted specifically to Filipinos; the word "barangay" is Tagalog and the program likely would not be popular to those outside of the Philippines. This could tell us something about the cultural significance of "outside" entertainment in the Philippines, influencing things like beauty standards and cultural symbols.