THE fruit doesn’t fall very far from the tree. Just like his shoe designer father, the famous Datuk Jimmy Choo who made his name abroad, Danny, 40, is crafting his own path as a successful entrepreneur and anime blogger.

Born and raised in England, Danny is best known for his passion and contributions to Japanese pop culture. The founder of media production company Mirai Inc. and producer/director of Culture Japan, a popular TV series in English (airing on Astro’s Animax Asia channel 715),  revels in Japanese culture. His blog www.dannychoo.com is a well visited website.

Recently, Danny was in Kuala Lumpur to grace Pavilion’s Culture Japan Night at Tokyo Street, a celebration of our love affair with Japanese pop culture. He even had a meet-and-greet session with his fans.

“I am delighted to be back in Malaysia and I intend to return more often,”  says Danny, who now lives in Tokyo, Japan. He last visited Malaysia in 2010.

He is the creator and producer of Mirai Suenaga (the mascot character featured in Culture Japan).  This female anime character has made appearances in various anime titles such as King Records’ Mayo Chiki, Kadokawa’s Twin Angel and the Nitroplus game Sonicomi.

Culture Japan (now in Season 2) talks about Japanese pop culture as well as the many traditional aspects.

“I am extremely happy that the current season has gained much popularity when it started to trend on Twitter Japan after each episode, and from the feedback on Facebook, Twitter and visitors at the recent Anime Festival Asia in Malaysia, Culture Japan is a popular show.” says Danny, who also hosts the TV series which touches on topics such as the preparation of Japanese dishes, anime culture, tradition, fashion, places to visit in Japan as well as the country’s advanced technology.

“This show brings Japanese culture to the world. The show is produced in a way that both viewers in and outside Japan can enjoy. The challenge is in creating a show that introduces Japanese culture, but at the same time making it interesting enough for the Japanese to watch too,” he says.

Danny hopes to see the show aired here on terrestrial channels. Plans are under way and the deal should be inked soon.

However, for its Malaysian screening, he had to make edits due to broadcasting regulations. For example, he said, a body part of Mirai needed to have a censor mark.

“Instead of blurring that particular area, we made a censor mark that follows her around. So, it’s quite funny to watch and this is the first time I had to censor a TV show. I have to say that it is the funniest bit of the show,” he says, adding the TV series  will continue for another season.

Danny is also excited to be working on new TV show Japan Mode. The show, also in English, will air across Asia in September. Unlike Culture Japan, Japan Mode is a lifestyle show which features fashion, music and travel.
“The target audience is 65 per cent female,” he says, adding that there are plans to make the show available here as well.

Danny’s effort in showcasing Japanese pop culture to the world got the Japanese government to take notice.

“A few years ago, the government showed its recognition for my work and I have been working with it on various projects to showcase Japanese culture.”

How did his obsession with everything Japanese start?

Danny, who speaks fluent English, Japanese, Mandarin, Cantonese and Korean, said that he discovered Japanese culture when he was a teen in the UK, via video games and Japanese animation.

“I didn’t do well in school and I was bullied. I was dragged through gravel and had gangs beat me up and set my stuff on fire. I didn’t have a good time in school and I had really lousy grades.

“I grew up during an age without the Internet, and my only gateway to Japan was a bookshop in London called the Japan Centre. So, I’d go there and buy Japanese magazines where I discovered more of Japan.

“Learning about everything Japanese woke me up. I find the Japanese content to be extremely rich, not just in its anime, but the traditional aspects of the culture. And it is through consuming the content that I decided to learn Japanese and work and live in Japan.”

Danny plans to concentrate on the Asian market, even though he has followers from other parts of the world.

“I find it easier to visit Malaysia more often. The logistics of marketing my products is easier too. “I plan to host more events here,” said Danny, who has previously worked as a computer engineer at Japan Airlines, a website manager for Amazon and CGM product manager at Microsoft.

Danny is coming out with more products. Working together with figure maker Good Smile Company earlier this year, he has released a set of Japanese learning products — a set of cards featuring the Japanese character Moekana, which is a worldwide hit. The Moekana cards also feature illustrations of Mirai Suenaga.  Other products include anime figurines, and a shoe line by this year.

Danny, who used to work for his father, still has some shoemaking skills.

“I’ve been consulting with the former chief editor of Vogue, Elle and Marie Claire in Japan, Yashiko Ikoma, and she has advised me to come out with a high-end collection and an affordable one.”

The shoe line will be based on Japanese animation.

“The designs may not appeal to the mainstream. It is more for those who appreciate fashion and a particular anime title, as well as Japanese culture,” he says, adding that his father has no involvement in it, even though he has always been supportive of Danny’s career.

Ultimately, Danny wants to create a store with a mix Japanese culture, fashion and music.