Anime Themes and Theory

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This course will explore the development and expansion of Japanese animation during a period between the late 1980s and the early 2010s. From cyberpunk dystopia to nostalgic rural fantasylands, we will examine the primary themes in the works of anime auteurs, including, Miyazaki Hayao, Takahata Isao, Otomo Katsuhiro, and Oshii Mamoru, among others. A core component of this course will be to engage in the theoretical approaches that have arisen around the study of anime in the United States--so students should be prepared to discuss race, technology, gender, ethics, and social history in the contexts of Japanese animation. No Japanese language is required.