The Palgrave Handbook of Music and Sound in Japanese Animation

This handbook fills a substantial gap in the international academic literature on animation at large, on music studies, and on the aural dimensions of Japanese animation more specifically. It offers a unique contribution at the intersection between music and popular culture studies on the one hand, and research on Japanese animated productions (often called ‘anime’) as popular art forms and formats of entertainment, on the other. The book is designed as a reference work consisting of an organic sequence of theory-grounded essays on the development of music, sounds, and voices in Japanese animation for cinema and television since the 1930s. Each chapter deals with a phase of this history, focusing on composers and performers, films, series, and genres used in the soundtracks for animations made in Japan. The chapters also offer valuable interviews with prominent figures of music in Japanese animation, as well as chapter boxes clarifying specific aspects.

“This book is an indispensable point of reference for the studies on the music and sound of Japanese animation and their role in world culture. Due to the vastness of the topics covered, the completeness of the references, and the expertises of the contributors, the volume allows wide-ranging and at the same time in-depth dives into the various elements that make up the soul and reasons for the success of an enormous production that is in itself difficult to master. The editor, Marco Pellitteri, one of the leading European experts of Japanese animation, pulls the strings of a true concert of authors’ voices which—together—generate a profound and discoursively harmonious narrative on the aural dimensions of animation made in Japan.” —Prof. Fausto Colombo, Pro-Rector, Head of Department of Communication and Performing Arts, Cattolica del Sacro Cuore University. Author of La cultura sottile (‘The thin culture’) and Il potere socievole (‘The sociable power’)


“Marco Pellitteri and an international team of scholars have produced the first extended history of how sound impacts on anime and beyond. The Handbook generates thought-provoking analyses of music, the voice, and sound in Japanese animation. Particular highlights can be found in the global approach, which allows this Handbook to think about the aural worlds of anime globally; and work by Japanese scholars affords a window onto long-standing discussions of sound’s significance to Japanese animation. By placing a global frame around the worlds of Japanese animation music and sound, The Palgrave Handbook of Music and Sound in Japanese Animation demonstrates why animation music and sound matter to all of us.” —Prof. Rayna Denison, Head of Department for Film and Television, University of Bristol. Author of Anime: A Critical Introduction and Studio Ghibli: An Industrial History



“This ambitious book aims to deliver a thoroughand contemporary examination of the intricate interplay of sound, voice, and music within the realm of Japanese animation. Helmed by Marco Pellitteri, a pre-eminent authority in the field of anime studies, this extraordinary volume seamlessly blends cutting-edge historical insights and empirical research. It equips readers with a robust array of methodological and theoretical tools essential for comprehending the enduring allure of the anime phenomenon.” —Prof. Nissim Otmazgin, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Author of Regionalizing Culture and co-author of The Anime Boom in the United States


“This is an essential handbook on sound in Japanese animation, which offers valuable resources for researchers and fans alike, and opens exciting avenues for future research on the topic. Want to read about anime’s music, songs, voice acting, and interviews with key players in the industry? This book is for you.” —Prof.Marc Steinberg, Director of the Platform Lab, Concordia University. Author of Anime’s Media Mix and co-editor of Media Theory in Japan


“This handbook is truly long-awaited, as there has never been such an ambitious and full-fledged introductory reference on music and sound in Japanese animation. It gives us a first unified overview of the music, songs, voice acting, sound effects, and the music industry that surround Japanese animation. The interviews with prominent anime music and song composers, anime song singers, and anime directors are also extremely valuable. It will be a must-read basic reference for anyone interested in this field.” —Prof. Akiko Sugawa-Shimada, Yokohama National University. Guest editor of Mechademia Second Arc, 15:2, “2.5d culture” and Co-editor of Animation bunka 55 no keywords (‘55 keywords of animation culture’), and Giburi Animation no bunkagaku (‘Cultural studies on the animation of Studio Ghibli’)


“This handbook provides a comprehensive window into the sonic culture of Japanese animation, ranging from songs and thematic music to soundscapes, voice acting, and more. What makes this a particularly rich resource is the inclusion of voices from both academics and non-academics. Alongside scholarly discourse, interviews with key practitioners bring the subject matter to life through first-hand experiences and colourful anecdotes. This text will be essential reading for anyone studying or otherwise interested in this vibrant audio-visual field.” —Assoc. Prof. Jonathan Weinel, University of Greenwich. Author of Inner Sound: Altered States of Consciousness in Electronic Music and Audio-Visual Media and Explosions in the Mind: Composing Psychedelic Sounds and Visualisations​

Marco Pellitteri is associate professor of Media and Communication at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, China. He is the author of several monographs, among which The Dragon and the Dazzle (2010), Mazinga Nostalgia (1999; 4th revised edition 2018), and I manga. Introduzione al fumetto giapponese (‘Manga: An introduction to Japanese comics’, 2021); with H.-w. Wong, he is the editor of Japanese Animation in Asia: Transnational Industry, Audiences, and Success (2021).