Potential Topic for Class Presentation: The Influence of European Cultures in Anime and Manga Settings

In the few Anime and Manga that I have delved into I have noticed a trend that I would like to explore. That trend is the influence of European cultures such as the British and German cultures on settings, costuming, and character behavior. I would like to explore why do several Japanese anime have a love for Victorian attire and gothic architecture, and why do so many story lines reflect that of the European romantic novels. A few examples that reflect this topic would be the series:Pandora Hearts; Vampire Knight;Soul Eater;Black Butler; Ouran Host High School; and several more.