Anime from 'Akira' to 'Princess Mononoke': experiencing contemporary Japanese animation

With the popularity of Pokémon still far from waning, Japanese animation, known as anime to its fans, has a firm hold on American pop culture. However, anime is much more than children's cartoons. It runs the gamut from historical epics to sci-fi sexual thrillers. Often dismissed as fanciful entertainment, anime is actually quite adept at portraying important social and cultural issues such as alienation, gender inequality, and teenage angst. This book investigates the ways that anime presents these issues in an in-depth and sophisticated manner, uncovering the identity conflicts, fears over rapid technological advancement, and other key themes present in much of Japanese animation. With the popularity of Pokémon far from waning, Japanese animation, known as anime to its fans, has a firm hold on American pop culture. However, anime is much more than children's cartoons, running the gamut from historical epics to sci-fi sexual thrillers. Often dismissed as fanciful entertainment, anime is actually quite adept at portraying important social and cultural issues. From teenage alienation in Akira, perhaps the most famous anime film in the United States, to the problems of industrialization and modernity in one of Miyazaki Hayao's masterpieces, Princess Mononoke, anime tackles tough questions that confront individuals and society as a whole.

In this knowing and insightful introduction to anime as a cultural phenomenon, Susan J. Napier goes inside the world of anime to explore how it reflects and colors both Japanese society and our growing global culture. Topics include the apocalyptic visions in Akira, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, and Neon Genesis Evagelion; gender identity in Ranma 1/2; questions of history and memory in Grave of the Fireflies and Barefoot Gen; feminism in the films of Miyazaki Hayao; and more. Napier also provides an even-handed look at anime's darker side: its frequent displays of pornography and sexual violence in such films as Twin Dolls and La Blue Girl.

Front Matter....Pages I-VIII Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Why Anime?....Pages 3-14 Anime and Local/Global Identity....Pages 15-34 Front Matter....Pages 35-38 Akira and Ranma 1/2: The Monstrous Adolescent....Pages 39-62 Controlling Bodies: The Body in Pornographic Anime....Pages 63-83 Ghosts and Machines: The Technological Body....Pages 85-102 Doll Parts: Technology and the Body in Ghost in the Shell....Pages 103-116 Front Matter....Pages 117-120 The Enchantment of Estrangement: The Shōjo in the World of Miyazaki Hayao....Pages 121-138 Carnival and Conservatism in Romantic Comedy....Pages 139-156 Front Matter....Pages 157-160 No More Words: Barefoot Gen, Grave of the Fireflies, and “Victim’s History”....Pages 161-173 Princess Mononoke: Fantasy, the Feminine, and the Myth of “Progress”....Pages 175-192 Waiting for the End of the World: Apocalyptic Identity....Pages 193-218 Elegies....Pages 219-234 Conclusion....Pages 235-238 Back Matter....Pages 239-311 With the popularity of Pokemon still far from waning, Japanese animation, known as anime to its fans, has a firm hold on American pop culture. However, anime is much more than children's cartoons. It runs the gamut from historical epics to sci-fi sexual thrillers. Often dismissed as fanciful entertainment, anime is actually quite adept at portraying important social and cultural issues like alienation, gender inequality, and teenage angst. This book investigates the ways that anime presents these issues in an in-depth and sophisticated manner, uncovering the identity conflicts, fears over rapid technological advancement, and other key themes present in much of Japanese animation. Why anime? Anime and local/global identity Akira and Ranma 1/2 : the monstrous adolescent Controlling bodies : the body in pornographic anime Ghosts and machines : the technological body Doll parts : technology and the body in Ghost in the shell The enchantment of estrangement : the shōjo in the world of Miyazaki Hayao Carnival and conservatism in romantic comedy No more words : Barefoot Gen, Grave of the fireflies, and "victim's history" Princess Mononoke : fantasy, the feminine, and the myth of "progress" Waiting for the end of the world : apocalyptic identity Elegies Conclusion : A fragmented mirror Appendix : The fifth look : Western audiences and Japanese animation. Japanese animation runs the gamut from historical epics to sci-fi sexual thrillers, and deals with important social and cultural issues like alienation and gender inequality. This book examines how animé presents these issues THERE ARE MANY ANSWERS to the question that titles this chapter, as the rest of this introduction will demonstrate, but for now it is worth exploring the question itself.