Forum - View topicBooks that help you understand Anime
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Nani?
 Posts: 632 |
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On the thread about the Wolf reign box set review, we came up with some books that help you understand what you see.
I thought it would be good to share books that help you understand the Anime you watch, either on a particular series or what you see in Japanese Anime/Society in general. The most useful book I've for understanding what you see has been Dogs and Demons by Alex Kerr. The writer has some biases but they are the bias of westerner who saw Kyoto circa 1950 as a child and has seen Shoji screened houses replaced by 7-11, has seen the differences in how children act as educational policies changed over time, and about the power and corruption of the Japanese bueracracy, construction companies etc. What you get from this book is a finer understanding of what you see, for example, all the electric wires, the highways in Intial D, the abandoned rural houses in R.O.D., the office politcs in GTO or Salaryman Kintaro or the importance of places like Mt. Koya or Ise in X. Very recomended. As for the "Wolf's Rain reading list", I decided to bring it over here. It was started with:
Then my additions were: In Absence of the Sacred By Gerry Mander (real name). It's about the mentality of Native American traditionalists and what it implies about our own culture. I recomended the section in particular, where this New York Jew (the author, born in the 30's) sees his semi rural home be turned into chain stores and TV is introduced. The Hopi Survival Guide By Thomas Mails. Prophecies that have a real resemblence to the "Book of Moon", also abot a group who are trying to hold the world together, literally, with spiritual values. The Elder Edda (Forgot name of Iclandic "author") Collection of pre Christian Norse stories. I'm sure any resemblance between Ragnorok and the end in Wolf's Rain is purely coincidental (not). Svaha by Chares De Lint, set a couple centuries in the future, in an Asian (and in the case of the setting, Japanese) dominated North America where most of the land is wasteland and few isolated cities and Enclaves are surrounded by a devastasted wasteland. A few referances are dated but otherwise it's very good. I would like to find a really good book on Japanese Religion, folklore etc. Lets share. All the best, Nani? |
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HitokiriShadow
 Posts: 6251 |
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I've read two books on anime, both of which are very interesting reads and I recommend reading both of them.
The first is Anime: from Akira to Princess Mononoke by Susan J. Napier. It looks at various anime and themes from a symbolic and psychological point of view. Some topics include "The Monstrous Adolescent" which talks about transforming adolescents in anime, specifically looking at Akira and Ranma 1/2, a chapter that looks at Barefoot Gen and Grave of the Fireflies and "victim's history," and an entire chapter on Miyazaki and an additional chapter just on Princess Mononoke. Oh, and there is also a chapter specifically on pornographic anime. I have the first edition (2001), but another updated edition has come out recently that, I think, inludes new stuff like Howl's Moving Castle The other book I recommend is Anime Explosion! The What? Why? and Wow! of Japanese Animation by Patrick Drazen. The cover may turn some people off, but I highly recomend reading this. This book looks things from a more cultural perspecive than the previous book. This book delves into a wide variety of topics like nudity in anime, religion in anime, and war and anti-war themes. Oh, and a chapter on pornographic anime. The second half of the book looks at specific anime. It discusses Utena, Giant Robo, Sailor Moon, Evangelion, and Hayao Miyazaki films among a few others. This portion of the book is full of spoilers, so you shouldn't read about a series that you haven't seen yet and plan on seeing at some point. I felt that the Utena section was very helpful to me as I was very confused by that series. This book would has some info on Japanse religion and folklore in relation to anime as well, so this may be of interest to you. |
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-gecko-
 Posts: 285 Location: Near Seattle, WA |
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I couldn't have said it better! I also highly recommend Anime Explosion! I gained alot of insights on Japanese culture as it is portrayed in anime the greatest of which, for me, was how they view death and after death. I would also recommend Anime Companion by Gilles Poitras. It's basically a lexicon of day to day Japanese items and happenings that you will see in anime and may or may not quite get. Examples are that annoying chirping/clicking you often hear in an outside environement and why kissing is such a big deal in anime! I also picked up his Anime Essentials book, but have just started reading that one. |
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DemonEyesLeo
 Posts: 844 Location: Japan |
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I second the Anime: From Akira to Princess Mononoke. I read it and I thought it was very good. It looked at certain anime titles in ways I never thought of before. It was a bit dry in some places but it was still a very good read.
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Nani?
Posts: 632 |
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You know, it doesen't have to be an Anime Book (Though those are good) but it can also be a books that make you go "hmmm, were they reading that when they made that. I mean, I've read all those or looked through most of those books (your right, thier good).
What about books that in general. I mean we see a lot of interesting ideas in anime so maybe a book say with backgrounds on Mayan longcount ala Rahxephon or vampire information you know they used for Hellsing or art that inspired the look of Last Exile. Thing is, there is a lot of that type of stuff out there. All the Best, Nani? |
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pumpkinpie
 Posts: 6 Location: PA- US |
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I'll have to check out the Anime book; it sound's good.
Another obvious one is Princess Mononoke. The message is pretty clear and there are volumes of books that talk about humans and nature (as if there's a difference) living harmoniously. One of my favorites is Dharma Gaia. It's a collection of essays and quotes by Bhuddists, Native Americans, and contemporary ecologists. Anything by the Dalai Lama (Ethics For a New Millenium comes to mind) would talk about it as well. I'm pretty new to Anime and am quite pleased with the quality of writing alot of these series and movies have. Thanks to Nani? for starting the topic here! edit- I just finished Sacred Elements by David Suzuki. Applies to Princess Mononoke like Ishmael goes with Wolf's Rain. Very good. I wish they'd make a P.Mononoke series. I'd like to see the themes developed more. |
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jaybug39
 Posts: 552 Location: Oregon, Is it FOOTBALL yet? |
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http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=4889961151[/img]
Japanese in Manga land: Learning the Basics is the title of the book. I just ordered it myself, so I hope it is a real help, to me. Sorry, first time adding a link, if I messed it up. |
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Alex K.
Posts: 247 |
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Manga: Sixty Years of Japanese Comics by Paul Gravett
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1856693910/qid=1142827689/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/104-1752745-6411968?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Oh, and to jaybug39, you can edit your post, you know. 
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d.yaro
Posts: 528 |
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Okay...I'm going to stray a touch off base here. One of my "tateyomi" subjects during Xmas shopping time was Miyazaki's story book of "Monomoke-Hime" (in Japanese only). It was covered in an issue of Protoculture Addicts many moons ago. His original story bore little semblance to the movie. The impression I had of it was a Japanese fairy tale with elements in it which I associate with the Sengoku Jidai...though on second thought I think the story setting was roughly in the same time period as that depicted in the movie. One book some folks might find interesting in order to get some understanding of classical and modern Japanese heroes is "The Nobility of Failure" by Ivan Morris. It's a bit dry but I found a number of chapters to be compelling reading. He covers Japanese hereos from the legendary Yamato Takeru, to Kusunoki Masashige on up to Saigo Takamori (the real "Last Samurai") and the Kamikaze (Tokko) pilots of WWII. Speaking of Kusunoki, if you're brave enough then try tackling the "Taiheiki". I suppose what I'm alluding to here are the elements which I believe make up the archetype of a Japanese hero. I.e.: Steadfast dedication to a cause, unrelenting will power and the willingness to stand tall in the face of insurmountable odds against success. |
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