The Presence of Western Culture in Anime and Manga

So I have recently wondered why is it that Anime and Manga is allowed to be set in European countries? Not only that, why can Anime and Manga characters wear Western inspired clothes? The term cultural appropriation has been rising up over the last few years as we see multiple Asian characters being performed by white actors and we have seen multiple famous people appropriate African hair styles and clothes. But what about Korean singers who use the classical European statues and mythologies as a background element? Or what about all those European based Anime? Why do we overlook these elements?

I certainly do not expect to be given the right answer, nor do I believe anime is appropriating a culture. Anime is an art form that allows for ultimate and endless expression. In today's age, it is impossible for cultures to not bleed into each other as a part of globalization. Since anime is an art form that can open the doors to more than just Japanese culture, why not borrow a bit from Europe? Since Europe and the U.S.A have colonized a good portion of the world in the past, these elements incorporated into manga and anime can be seen as a study and appreciation of the culture, or as a commentary on the Western lifestyle. For example, if we take a look at Kuroshitsuji or Black Butler the show is solely based in a gothic, Victorian lifestyle. My wonder has always been, is using the Victorian style of dressing and architecture a part of appreciating it? Or is it a commentary on the horrors, and wrongful lifestyle that Europeans lived on. In the same vein, we have the Lolita street fashion that has become distinctly Japanese. While I am not going to go into the history of the Lolita fashion, is easy to say that its elements are taken explicitly from the Victorian era. The Lolita style of dressing has bled into animes left to right, in fact, there are way too many to mention. But why do we see this as a Japanese style when in reality, it is taken directly from the British way of producing ruffles, puffy sleeves, and big skirts. Is this cultural appropriation?

I definitely do not have the answer, since this subject is so new and tricky to tackle. Needless to say, many of our favorite animes and mangas are inspired by Western cultures, and this would not have happened without globalization.