>>11125600I was going to follow up with another wall of text describing France's point of view this time, but I just don't feel like it anymore. Just look up Japonism, a sub-branch of the impressionist movement that was popularized by the French painter Claude Monet, among others. It includes elements from Japanese art such as ukiyo-e. Monet's Japanese bridge is probably the best example of this, alongside the painting of his wife wearing a kimono.
Also, France is the largest market for manga in the west, if I remember correctly, probably as a result of its long history with comic books. And anime has been airing in France since the 70s, so many French boomers are well acquainted with works like Mazinger Z and Captain Harlock.
Lastly, French film critics were instrumental in popularizing Japanese directors like Kurosawa and Kitano.
