I also have some vague ideas for stories, but as you say, my ignorance of the cultural nuances has put me off.

I loved the series, I think I'll just enjoy it as is for the time being, I can live with plot holes and unexplained phenomena ;) I don't want to water down the impression by going back to source material, like the book--which in translation at least, seems to be just way too long serialized pedestrian writing.