Description
Book SynopsisWith the popularity of Pokemon still far from waning, Japanese animation, known as anime to its fans, has a firm hold on American pop culture.
Trade Review'This is a riveting and inspiring book. One that I have thoroughly enjoyed reading and from which I have learned a great deal. As a source of concrete information about Japanese animation it is invaluable...On publication it will be the only in-depth, sophisticated study of Japanese animation available in the English language.' - Sharon Kinsella, Research Fellow in Japanese Studies, Cambridge University
'This book...is informative, well-written, insightful, and yet entertaining - an unusual combination. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it...Napier's study...is both generous and critically insightful, based on a thorough knowledge of most of the important genres of anime. I think that this tone of enthusiasm for the material, combined with scholarly rigor, will make the book appealing to a wide audience.' - Sharalyn Orbaugh, Associate Professor of Asian Studies, University of British Columbia
'...Anime from Akira to Princess Mononoke...provides an essential toe-dip into the tsunami of Eastern films that have influenced modern blockbusters such as The Matrix series.' - The Times
Table of ContentsPART ONE: INTRODUCTION Chapter 1: Why Animé? Chapter 2: Animé and Global/Local Identity PART TWO: BODY, METAMORPHOSIS, IDENTITY Chapter 3: Akira and Ranma ½: The Monstrous Adolescent Chapter 4: Controlling Bodies: The Body in Pornographic Animé Chapter 5: Ghosts and Machines: The Technological Body Chapter 6: Doll Parts: Technology and the Body in Ghost in the Shell PART THREE: MAGICAL GIRLS AND FANTASY WORLDS Chapter 7: The Enchantment of Estrangement: The Shojo in the World of Miyazaki Hayao Chapter 8: Carnival and Conservatism in Romantic Comedy PART FOUR: REMAKING MASTER NARRATIVES: ANIMÉ CONFRONTS HISTORY Chapter 9: No More Words: Barefoot Gen, Grave of Fireflies, and "Victim's History" Chapter 10: Princess Mononoke: Fantasy, the Feminine, and the Myth of "Progress" Chapter 11: Waiting for the End of the World: Apocalyptic Identity Chapter 12: Elegies Chapter 13: Conclusion: A Fragmented Mirror Appendix: The Fifth Look: Western Audiences and Japanese Animation