Anime and manga fans looking to broaden their cultural horizons need look no further than the Honolulu Academy of Arts for the next few weeks.

In conjunction with the exhibit “;Hokusai's Summit: Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji,”; the academy's Doris Duke Theatre has been running a program called “;Six Cinematic Views of Japan,”; spotlighting the best in Japanese film. And as it happens, the next few weeks will be spotlighting movies with ties to the world of anime and manga.

First up is one that will be familiar to those who frequent the local film festival circuit: the first film in the “;20th Century Boys”; trilogy, “;Beginning of the End.”; It's a live-action adaptation of Naoki Urasawa's manga about a game among several boys in 1969 becoming terrifying apocalyptic reality at the turn of the century. For those who haven't seen it—or perhaps want to see it again—screen times are 1, 4 and 7:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday, Dec. 1, 2, 4 and 6, and at 1 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3.

The other feature is a collection of short animated films by Osamu Tezuka. The artist celebrated as the “;God of Manga”; and best known for series like “;Astro Boy”; and “;Black Jack”; also was a renowned animator, and while his most famous creations aren't part of this showcase, these shorts are representative of Tezuka's development throughout his career.

Featured are the anti-war piece “;Tales of the Street Corner”; (1962); the experimental “;Jumping”; (1984) and “;Broken Down Film”; (1985); and “;Legend of the Forest”; (1987). Yes, these shorts are available as part of a DVD, “;The Astonishing Works of Tezuka Osamu,”; but there's nothing like the big-screen experience. The Tezuka shorts screen at 1, 4 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8 through 10.

Tickets are $8 general admission; $7 military, seniors and students with valid IDs; $5 for Academy members; and $4 for children 12 and under. Visit http://www.hsblinks.com/1d2 to buy tickets online, or get them at the theater 30 minutes before each showing. Or you can go to http://www.honoluluacademy.org for more information.

And since you'll be in the neighborhood anyway, why not visit the academy's Hokusai exhibit? A bit of trivia: Katsushika Hokusai was also the artist who popularized the term “;manga,”; or “;whimsical sketches,”; using it to describe his work in a series of sketchbooks released between 1814 and 1878. “;Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji”; might not be a part of his “;manga”; sketchbooks, but hey, this is Hokusai artwork we're talking about here. It's an irresistible opportunity, really.

'nemu*nemu' Pups hit the Road

Audra Furuichi and Scott Yoshinaga, co-creators of the online comic “;nemu*nemu,”; will be bringing their assortment of pins, books, shirts and other merchandise to the Hawaii United Okinawa Association Winter Craft Fair this weekend at the Hawaii Okinawa Center, 94-587 Ukee St., in Waipio Gentry. Look for them at table 508 in the main hall. The fair runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit http://www.nemu-nemu.com.

Meeting roll call

» Oahu Anime Explorer: 6 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday at HMC Academy, 555 N. King St. The group also will be collecting $12 payments for its Christmas party to be held Dec. 12 at Kaneohe Hongwanji (with a post-party karaoke celebration at GS Studios in Waikiki). Visit http://www.oahuanimeexplorer.com.