Fans of the Japanese pop culture are finding connection and love through a common interest. Bookstore owners say the trend has had staying power, and more people are taking Japanese language classes.

Yusuke Murata once shared during an interview how one villain from One Punch Man was especially difficult for him to draw.

You can turn to many places in fiction to indulge this fantasy — particularly anime, where the limit on these sorts of gestures truly knows no bounds. They go big and bold (we’re talking saving the ...