I'd like to compare the meanings of:

  1. 田中{たなか}さんを尊敬{そんけい}している。
  2. 田中さんのことを尊敬している。

Are the following statements true?

-#2 has a much broader meaning, right? Like, I respect Tanaka as a man, a husband, a father, a translator, a software developer, etc. All inclusively, I respect pretty much everything about Tanaka. Very deep and genuine meaning. Because it is so inclusive, any surrounding context will not change the meaning.

-#1 sounds very flat. A garden variety "I respect Tanaka." Something that you are supposed to say to be polite.

But then, can I say something like:  
"マンガのことが好きです。"

I not only like to read manga, I also appreciate manga for how it reflects the
societal norms of Japan, how it helps non-natives and native speakers become
able to read Japanese, etc.
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2014-08-05T01:46:51.513
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2014-08-05T01:46:51.513
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question
set-phrases
difference between "田中さんのこと" and just "田中さん"?