Anime from Akira to Princess Mononoke

1. Front Matter

   Pages I-VIII

   PDF

2. Introdcution

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

      PDF

   2. Why Anime?

      • Susan J. Napier

      Pages 3-14

   3. Anime and Local/Global Identity

      • Susan J. Napier

      Pages 15-34

3. Body, Metamorphosis, Identity

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 35-38

      PDF

   2. Akira and Ranma 1/2: The Monstrous Adolescent

      • Susan J. Napier

      Pages 39-62

   3. Controlling Bodies: The Body in Pornographic Anime

      • Susan J. Napier

      Pages 63-83

   4. Ghosts and Machines: The Technological Body

      • Susan J. Napier

      Pages 85-102

   5. Doll Parts: Technology and the Body in Ghost in the Shell

      • Susan J. Napier

      Pages 103-116

4. Magical Girls And Fantasy Worlds

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 117-120

      PDF

   2. The Enchantment of Estrangement: The Shōjo in the World of Miyazaki Hayao

      • Susan J. Napier

      Pages 121-138

   3. Carnival and Conservatism in Romantic Comedy

      • Susan J. Napier

      Pages 139-156

5. Remaking Master Narratives: Anime Confronts History

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 157-160

      PDF

   2. No More Words: Barefoot Gen, Grave of the Fireflies, and “Victim’s History”

      • Susan J. Napier

      Pages 161-173

   3. Princess Mononoke: Fantasy, the Feminine, and the Myth of “Progress”

      • Susan J. Napier

      Pages 175-192

   4. Waiting for the End of the World: Apocalyptic Identity

      • Susan J. Napier

      Pages 193-218

   5. Elegies

      • Susan J. Napier

      Pages 219-234

   6. Conclusion

      • Susan J. Napier

      Pages 235-238

6. Back Matter

   Pages 239-311

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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.

• children
• conflict
• culture
• gender
• identity
• quality
• technology

'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

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 .

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