Adapting the Past in Japanese Media

4.0 credits

Adaptations surround us. In films, books, comics, TV, blogs, and radio shows, their popularity seem undeniable. What makes certain stories more adaptable than others? Why do we enjoy revisiting the same narratives over and over again? What motivates artists to craft adaptations of certain works? Is there such a thing as an original work? Are all works adaptations of a sort? In this course, we will focus on the way past narratives have been reclaimed, redefined, and transformed through the process of adaptation in Japanese media. Through this point of entry, students will be able to engage with stories that may or may not be familiar to them, and explore a variety of Japanese media such as novels, short stories, films, or manga. By becoming familiar with stories and their retellings through time and space, students will be able to grasp the historical and cultural events and trends that shaped and reframed these narratives. Starting with excerpts from early works such as The Kojiki, or The Tale of Genji, we will make out ways to most recent works dealing with events such as the triple disaster of Fukushima, to consider why authors and artists look back to the past to produce new works in the ever-changing present. Students will be asked to interact with primary works through English translations before considering and comparing them with their respective adaptations. Through this class, students will familiarize themselves with numerous kinds of Japanese media, from pre-modern texts to modern short stories and films. They will explore different types of adaptations and understand how and why they have been produced and how they were received. Finally, through producing an adaptation themselves, students will obtain first-hand experience of the process of adaptation. All readings will be in English, but previous knowledge of Japanese literature and media is a plus.