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.

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About the Author
Susan J. Napier is Professor of Japanese Studies at Tufts University, USA. She is the author of four books, including The Fantastic in Japanese Literature: The Subversion of Modernity and Anime from Akira to Howl's Moving Castle .

Reviews

'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

Book Information
ISBN 9780312238636
Author S. Napier
Format Paperback
Page Count 311
Imprint Palgrave Macmillan
Publisher Palgrave USA
Weight(grams) 454g