Forum - View topicAnime in the Classroom
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Char_Aznable
 Posts: 33 Location: Philadelphia |
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Hey guys, I work in the Language Program of a university in Philadelphia. One of our Japanese professors is considering developing a class based around Japanese cinema and anime. That got me thinking - which anime are worthy of being studied in a college classroom setting? These would probably be films or series that reflect on Japan's culture, language, or people.
Akira? Ghost in the Shell? Maybe I'm thinking too old school. Anything Miyazaki would probably work, and maybe some of Satoshi Kon's work. I've never seen/read Grave of the Fireflies or Barefoot Gen, but I hear they're pretty powerful. Any recommendations? I was shocked when the 60-year-old professor suggested Battle Royale. 
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SharinganEye
 Posts: 402 Location: Les Etats-Unis d'Amérique |
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Dare I say NGE?
Probably the classics or the intellectual types. What you mentioned already are good candidates and old school has nothing to do with quality. Though it might be fun to analyze the more otaku-centric ones and how they create memes and just what makes people gravitate towards those titles. Is this more of a critical film analysis class or a cultural impact class? |
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Char_Aznable
Posts: 33 Location: Philadelphia |
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The emphasis would more likely be on the cultural impact, and just why anime is such a huge part of Japan's identity (or, at least, its perceived identity). "Anime class" also seems like a good way to draw students to the Language Program and increase enrollment. Japanese is the most popular language here out of the "non-traditional" languages, woo hoo!
NGE could work well, although I can barely understand half of it, let alone explain its significance to someone else. How about the Haruhi Suzumiya thing with crowds of people dancing in the street? |
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SharinganEye
Posts: 402 Location: Les Etats-Unis d'Amérique |
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Astro Boy would be standard I'd think. Then probably exploring into the relatively solid, established depth that anime has over other animated series from other countries, i.e. titles like Monster or Mushishi. The existence of mature, sophisticated works in animated forms without the general stigma of the medium. You might also want to look at titles like One Piece and the difference in its reception as a series for "all-ages" versus the assumption of "kids' cartoon" over here as a general basis for the differences in attitudes and social stigma on broadcast television. Also, the difference in reception between say, The Simpsons and Tom and Jerry could be compared to One Piece. Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu is another good title to look into due to its rapid proliferation over the internet and all the memes it inspired. Otaku-centric/niche titles might provide insight into deeper parts of the Japanese subculture and its semi-unique social problems like hikikomori. Industry shakers like Akira and Eva are always good bets, as is thinking titles like Ghost in the Shell and Lain. Violent titles with merits like Berserk are worth looking into, to show its necessity or detriment. There's too many pool of titles for me to keep blabbing about, but I hope I provided some substance. |
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18547 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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Amongst Miyazai films, Spirited Away would probably be your best fit for examining Japanese beliefs and cultural elements. Amongst Satoshi Kon's work, Millenium Actress is probably the best-suited to reflecting on Japanese culture, language, and people. Grave of the Fireflies (which looks at war orphans during WW II) and Barefoot Gen (which looks at a boy who survives the bombing of Hiroshima) are both acclaimed titles that look at the impact of WWII on the Japanese home front. Either would be a superior choice for such a class, and both are readily available on DVD in the States. They are too heavy to use as a combo and tend to overlap somewhat in themes, so I'd suggest only using one of them but recommending the other as a "to explore this subject more" option. GotF is a far better technical work, tells a better story, and is available dubbed, while the subbed-only BG is a tremendously more graphic piece that focuses more on the details of the bombing and its aftermath - and, I'd argue, it's the more gut-wrenching view of the two. If you go with that one then the follow-up Barefoot Gen 2, which comes on the same DVD, is also a must, as it delves into post-war Japanese attitudes on orphans and the long-term impact of radiation poisoning. Another title that might be an excellent choice for examining Japanese language and culture is the series Ai Yori Aoshi, though probably only a single volume of that should be used as a sampling. It represents the romantic comedy genre well, provides a nice contrast between modern and traditional views on roles for young Japanese women, and delves heavily into cultural elements such as arranged marriages and traditional Japanese dress. It also provides a good look at typical examples of Japanese college and housing. The careful use of honorifics in the series (even in the dub!) could also be a good discussion point. A series like Gasaraki might be another excellent one to sample, as it is heavily seeped in Japanese tradition and mysticism (especially the Noh dance) while also employing mecha and examining issues like the role of the JSDF in Japanese society. The question SharinganEye posed is also a fair one. If you're looking for titles worthy of critical analysis, you have to start with NGE but also consider works like Boogiepop Phantom and Serial Experiment Lain. EDIT: I wrote all of the above while the previous two posts were going up, so it only deals with Char's initial statements. If you're going to focus on the "cultural impact" of anime then a title you'd certainly want to look at would be Genshiken. Although it's meant for otaku, I cannot think of a better example of how anime/manga (and fandom in general) impacts life and lifestyles in Japan, or one which philosophizes more on the role that anime and manga play in Japanese life. You'd also need to do a study of the history of anime and its current popularity, such as how close to 100 new anime series premiered on Japanese TV last year or how anime accounts for nearly 40% of all worldwide production of animation. One extremely well-written book I would recommend for a class like this is "Anime Explosion! The What? Why? and How? of Japanese Animation" by Patrick Drazen. It provides an insightful, well-researched look at the history, nature, conventions, and impact of anime, as well going into an in-depth analysis on several significant titles. Although it does date to 2003, it's college-level fare that should be just as interesting and informative to established fans as it is to newcomwers. Last edited by Key on Fri Aug 24, 2007 9:36 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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jetz
 Posts: 2148 Location: Manila, Philippines |
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In my philosophy class we were discussing feminism and my teacher, a huge anime fan, started talking about Vandread.
If you have a language-related job then I guess Azumanga Daioh would be good. That anime has a lot of Japanese puns. I'm not that familiar with the Japanese language but I got most of the jokes. 
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SharinganEye
Posts: 402 Location: Les Etats-Unis d'Amérique |
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I think Yakitate!! Japan wins in the puns department.
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frentymon
Forums Superstar
 Posts: 2362 Location: San Francisco |
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On the subject of hikikomori, what about Welcome to the NHK!? It depicts the daily life of a typical hikikomori, and I think, based on my limited knowledge on the subject, that it's a pretty accurate portrayal of what a hikikomori's life is like. Also, I was thinking maybe Great Teacher Onizuka, as it addresses (probably with a bit of exaggeration) many of the apparently problems with modern Japanese schools and schooling. |
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CrazyIdiots
 Posts: 18 |
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I think Azumanga Daioh is a good one too. Especially with the Osaka related (Osaka region, not the character) jokes. |
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abunai
Old Regular
 Posts: 5463 Location: 露命 |
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I hate to break this to you, but the lead character of Welcome to the NHK! bears about as much resemblance to actual hikikomori as Charlie Chaplin's Great Dictator Hynkel bears to Adolf Hitler. It's a fictional and highly distorted characterization, and gives little impression of the actual circumstances of a shut-in. Sure, it's funny and penetrating, but hardly accurate. If you want an anime that gives a far more balanced view of hikikomori life (once you subtract the fantastic elements in the plot), then have a look at Rozen Maiden. The character Jun is a classic case. - abunai |
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Viga_of_stars
 Posts: 1240 Location: Washington D.C. in the Anime Atelier |
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I think a good anime to look at the pop culture aspects of female youth could be Super GALS It focuses on the Kogal movement.
Like mentioned in the GTO recommendation it shows things in japanese school life. Also things that are common in youth japanese culture. Plus the fashion is to die for. An example of japanese fashion too. |
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Alestal
 Posts: 605 Location: Dallas, Texas |
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I'd have to say, Millinuem Actress because of its symbolism and gorgeous art, Death Note because its writing is amazing, and Record Of Lodoss Wars because It's a classic and standard in fantasy/adventure animation.
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nikandros
Posts: 58 |
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You can also use it to show the vast difference in the education system between America and Japan. Bring in a show that clearly views the American high school and how an average day goes, then show an episode of Azumanga that shows a more typical day. That would allow the class to see that the school systems are run differently. As an education system is vital to cultural identity. You learn a lot about your own culture by what they educate you with, and how. So to understand Japan as a nation, one must understand how they are raised and educated first, otherwise you are taking a wild stab at it. All adult Japanese men and women were children once. All Adult Americans were at one point children as well. School is one point that unifies people. We can all reminisce about our school days with anyone who has graduated as experiences are generally similar if you have a public education. So a good way to compare on one level the difference between the cultures is to view how children are brought up, and how they are educated. |
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PhntmDrk
 Posts: 6 |
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i think Case Closed would be a good one becuase they mention all kinds of cultural and language type things in order to help solve cases, i think it'd work out well
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ryokoalways
Posts: 562 |
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There are a lot of genres that could be explored. Any number of slice-of-life anime/movie would be good really. A starting point, in my opinion, is Honey and Clover, because it's contemporary, and it's about college as well, so it's something to relate to and talk about.
Really, it's going to come down to what aspect you want the class to focus on, because unfortunately for a classroom setting, the series are usually 25 episodes. |
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