Book Description
An expanded edition of the cult classic on Japanese animation This new edition of the groundbreaking bestseller is a must-have for both seasoned and new fans of anime. Japanese animation is more popular than ever following the 2002 Academy Award given to Hayao Miyazakis Spirited Away. It confirmed that anime is more than just childrens cartoons, often portraying important social and cultural themes. With new chapters on Spirited Away and other recent releases, including the forthcoming Howls Moving CastleMiyazakis next hit film, already breaking records in Japanthis edition will be the authoritative source on anime for an exploding market of viewers who want to know more.
Customer Reviews:
Significant improvements over the first edition.......2007-05-31
It is readily apparent that professor Napier has watched a considerable amount of anime since writing the first edition of this book. The analysis now covers a much broader range of material, and is much more effective for it. My only gripe is that professor Napier mentions Gundam in passing, but was unwilling to invest the time to explore that peculiar institution of Tomino-san's. I hope that she can overcome her reticence in time for the third edition.
exhaustive and thought-provoking.......2007-03-21
A wonderfully deep book that finely examines anime across all genres to explore the anime itself and what influenced it.
A deep analysis of Japanese Anime in general. .......2006-09-04
The author discusses the different anime genres (Mecha, fairy tales, fantasy, Sci fi, shojo, history, pornography etc). She examines the common themes like metamorphosis, merging of humans and machines, gender panics, masculine crisis, identity, disappearing shojos and the role of young heroins (shojos) across different animes. She attempts to explain how these themes fit into Japanese society, identity and culture both traditional and new. She uses examples from many different animes to illustrate her arguments. Animes used in the discussion includes Evangelion, Ghost in a Shell, Akira, Twin Dolls, Inuyasha, Wolve's Rain, Rouroni Kenshin, Ranma ½, Utena, Grave of the Fireflies and Miyazaki's work just to name a few. If you watch these animes, you might want to read this book to better understand Japanese anime in general. One whole chapter is devoted to pornographic anime. Since I am not allowed to watch these anime due to religious restrictions, I found her writing very informative. Dr Napier gave good explanations of the themes and genres in the context of Japanese culture and issues that challenge modern day Japanese society. I would recommend this book to anime lovers, students and researchers who have an interest in Japanese culture and literature.
One star has been taken out because:
1. Japanese anime is a lot more than what was covered in this book.
2. I greatly admire Rumiko Takahashi, the author of Inuyasha for her definition of the word "demon". Through Inuyasha, the author demonstrated the very abstract post modern notion that a word (eg demon) has a fixed meaning in our minds only because humans/man defined it as such, our understanding of a word can be re-defined. I did not like Dr Napier's short and superficial analysis of Inuyasha although I agreed with her views.
3. I think at times, the author was so carried away summarizing the animes that the point she is trying to make becomes unclear.
4. My favourite animes in order of preference: Inuyasha, 12 Kingdoms, Samurai 7, Last Exile, Escaflowne, Evangelion, Gundam, etc most of which are not selected for discussion in the book.
If you are die hard Miyazaki fan, you should love this book because a lot of focus is put on Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Nausicaa etc.
Due to the omission of Ono Fuyumi's 12 Kingdoms, I wanted to give this book a 2 star rating. However, I'm grateful that Dr Napier wrote a very well researched book on Japanese anime, giving us an insight into different themes and how these fit into Japanese society and culture.
"Napier Draws a rather complete picture of Japanese animation as a legitimate art form, and uses anime as a key to the culture that created it" Entertainment Weekly.
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My Reality: Contemporary Art and the Culture of Japanese Animation
Jeff Fleming ,
Takashi Murakami ,
Matthew Benedict ,
Lee Bul ,
Taro Chiezo ,
James Esber ,
Inka Essenhigh ,
Masakatu Inamoto ,
Mika Kato ,
Micha Klein ,
Miltos Manetas ,
Richard Patterson ,
Momoyo Torimitsu ,
Charlie White ,
Kenji Yanobe ,
Paul McCarthy , and
Yoshitomo Nara
Manufacturer: Independent Curators International, New York
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Kyozon: Mariko Mori, Takashi Murakami
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Superflat
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Drop Dead Cute
ASIN: 1879003333
Release Date: 2001-08-02 |
Book Description
Japanese animation, or anime, which has attained cult status among young people globally during the past several decades, is increasingly breaking into the mainstream. My Reality: Contemporary Art and the Culture of Japanese Animation, investigates the influence of this form of pop culture on today's art in Japan, other Asian countries, and the West.
Customer Reviews:
3/5.......2002-03-31
The synergy between Japanese anime and American pop culture is explored in this book, a companion piece to the traveling exhibition currently in installation at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. My Reality examines the role of anime on modern art; in particular, there's a technology-friendly bent to anime, which the book asserts has been assimilated in the technique of "serious" artists in both hemispheres. The book, much like the exhibition, touches upon the common anime themes of high technology, aliens, cyborgs and so on, but through a series of essays, draws a link between these and real-life themes such as gender roles and popular and consumer culture. Showcasing artwork from emerging artists like Takashi Murakami, Mariko Mori, and Paul McCarthy, this book is an interesting, although way too brief, commentary on art and culture in the face of technology and the future, as well as providing additional depth to the context of this intriguing exhibition.
A Disappointment.......2001-12-12
This is a this book of three essays with some just sort of interesting photos and illustrations. I was expecting lots of great Anime and collectable art that is inspired by Manga and Anime, but this is a companion to a traveling exhibit of art inspired by Anime and Manga. The art is just ok, nothing really interesting, and the essays are dull as if written for a thesis. There are way too many footnotes, and phrases like "ontological insecurity". I just don't see this type of art as high-brow art. Skip this book.
Amazon.com
Although packaged as a book for general readers, Anime: From Akira to Princess Mononoke is a dreary academic study that showcases the clichés of "higher" criticism but tells the reader little about the art form. The potentially interesting points that Susan Napier raises (e.g., Are characters with blond, pink, or purple hair really perceived as Japanese?) are ignominiously buried in arcane jargon. And she too often discusses other authors' theories instead of anime itself. In a section on Ranma 1/2, she refers to various books, but in a footnote she cites only a single published interview with series creator Rumiko Takahashi. If Napier regards the Ranma series as significant, why didn't she interview the artist?
The text is riddled with errors, which suggests that the author hasn't watched the films carefully. For example, she cites a "brilliant" essay referring to the loss of all electrical power in Japan (a symbol of "modernization under the patriarchal system") in episode 3 of Neon Genesis Evangelion. No blackout occurs in this episode. In episode 6, however, all the electricity in Japan is requisitioned to power a superweapon. From Akira to Princess Mononoke is the sort of book churned out by professors to satisfy publish-or-perish rules. --Charles Solomon
Book Description
With the popularity of Pokémon still far from waning, Japanese animation, known as anime to its fans, has a firm hold on American pop culture. However, anime is much more than children's cartoons. It runs the gamut from historical epics to sci-fi sexual thrillers. Often dismissed as fanciful entertainment, anime is actually quite adept at portraying important social and cultural issues such as alienation, gender inequality, and teenage angst. This book investigates the ways that anime presents these issues in an in-depth and sophisticated manner, uncovering the identity conflicts, fears over rapid technological advancement, and other key themes present in much of Japanese animation.
Customer Reviews:
Scholarly approach.......2005-12-01
This book takes a fairly scholarly approach to anime and is probably not for the casual reader or the hyper fan. In particular the author looks at the sociological subtexts of anime in fairly grood detail. While this is only one approach to the subject she generally does a fairly good, and interesting, job. I will say that if she used the word "priviledged" one more time I would scream.
This would not be my choice for a first book on the subject, for which I would recommend "Anime Explosion". If you're interested in the cultural references, including the Japanese and Buddhist mythology underlying many of the stories, check of "Samurai from Outer Space", a much better book that the title implies.
Save yourself the money..........2005-11-30
Save yourself the money on this book. The author seems to read some anime reviews, "The Anime Companion", and some cultural anime books, and slop them together as though she's got original information. Some of which she STILL gets wrong. Incorrect pictures for some of the anime, too, only futher lowering the quality of this book...which is hard to do with pictures, you'd think.
interesting anime.......2005-09-10
I bought this book for a friend that is very interested in anime.
He tells me that it is very interesting and informative. He has been taking it to work to read during breaks so I guess he really likes it.
Are we reviewing the same book?.......2005-06-21
I am a huge fan of anime and also of the Japanese culture and history. I figured that this book would be interesting. I heard good things about it and bad things about it but wanted to judge it myself.
First - it was first published in 2000 which means that the anime scene has already changed greatly. In fact, many of the points made in the book would have been outdated by the time it was printed.
Second - she seems to focus a lot of sex. Now that may be because much of her information, and the anime she selected to view, came from University students or stores who supplied students. The idea that pornography is a _major current_ within the world of anime is a interesting but flawed statement. Erotic anime makes up a small corner of the anime produced in Japan and it has greater sales abroad than in its homeland. In fact, I would go as far as to say that Non-Japanese would be the main target for this type of anime - which means trying to understand the Japanese male-female relationship via adult anime is also flawed. But it might tell us alot about American and European college students.
She has tons of interesting points to make but the foundations she builds to hold them up seem weak and shaky. For example, she talks about men's insecurity and their need for Mecha using sci-fi shows where most of the pilots are female. She uses sources about American Superheros to talk about Japanese characters.
Also, while she did mention a Tenchi movie, she seems to skip the Tenchi Muyo! TV shows. What about Dominion Tank Police, Gall Force, Martian Successor Nadesico, Wings of Honneamise, any of the Gundam shows or even Dirty Pair? I don't think she even once writes about CLAMP!
In other words, while she does get into detail about a few areas of anime, she is far from covering it all. So buyer beware and buy it used.
I would also suggest _The Erotic Anime Movie Guide_ by Helen McCarthy and Jonathan Clements for the history and true understanding of erotic anime. For understanding mainstream anime I would suggest _Anime Explosion_ by Patrick Drazen, _Samurai From Outer Space_ by Antonia Levi and _The Anime Companion_ by Gulles Poitras. ^_^
Finally, someone gives anime the attention it deserves.......2005-01-04
Here it is, one of the most serious, well thought out books on anime written by a single author (rare if you have tried to look for scholarly books in this area). Instead of writing to a bunch of fans in order to expound on the glories of anime, Napier writes critically and intelligently, and while I do not always agree with her reading of certain texts, she does explain her position well, articulating that position in well structured theory. I am thrilled to see that other people are doing this very important work, as anime has become a serious cultural phenomenon to consider--taking the West by storm. It is time, I think, to actually critically engage these texts and think through what we are watching and the effects that it this media has on our culture.
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The Ethics of Aesthetics in Japanese Cinema and Literature: Polygraphic Desire (Routledge Contemporary Japan Series)
Cornyetz
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0415770874 |
Book Description
The Ethics of Aesthetics in Japanese Cinema and Literature is a study of the ethics of modern Japanese aesthetics from the 1930s, through WWII and into the postwar period. What makes this book unique is that Nina Cornyetz opens up the field in new and controversial ways by exploring the tensions and harmonies between psychoanalytic ethics of the drive and socio-political ethics of relation to the other. Rejecting the convention of viewing these as contradictory, Cornyetz insists that the exemplars of psychoanalytic ethics are to the contrary, simultaneously politically ethical. Cornyetz embarks on innovative and unprecedented readings of some of the most significant literary and film texts of the Japanese canon, including works by Kawabata Yasunari, Mishima Yukio, Abe Kôbô and Shinoda Masahiro, all renowned for their texts' aesthetic and philosophic brilliance. The study looks at how relations between individuals and communities in these texts either reiterate or transcend stereotypes, and how desire is or is not limited by sociocultural norms. Cornyetz argues that these authors' and filmmakers' concepts of beauty and relation to others were, in fact, deeply impacted by political and social factors. Ranging from a discussion of fascist aesthetics to heterosexism in modern Japan, The Ethics of Aesthetics in Japanese Cinema and Literature shows how certain changing political, intellectual and artistic issues, as well as sociocultural norms, variously nuanced these texts' depictions of desire and the 'other'. Through her analysis of cultural texts such as the films Woman in the Dunes and Double Suicide, Cornyetz challenges the convention that praises the universality of their artistic, existential or intellectual achievements. Rather she seeks to reorient these within a specifically Japanese historical context to give a new and insightful interpretation to the work. This ground breaking study is truly interdisciplinary and will appeal to students and scholars of Japanese literature, film, gender, culture, history and even psychoanalytic theory.
Customer Reviews:
A collection of some of the finest written works in Japan.......2005-09-05
Contemporary Japanese Literature: An Anthology Of Fiction, Film, And Other Writing Since 1945 is a collection of some of the finest written works in Japan, offering English translations of stories by nearly two dozen authors. Selected by editor and Harvard professor emeritus of Japanese literature Howard Hibbett, Contemporary Japanese Literature is the perfect smorgasbord to experience post-World War II Japanese writings. Contemporary Japanese Literature is particularly recommended for college library shelves and personal literature collections.
Book Description
This comprehensive look at Japanese cinema in the 1990s includes nearly four hundred reviews of individual films and a dozen interviews and profiles of leading directors and producers. Interpretive essays provide an overview of some of the key issues and themes of the decade, and provide background and context for the treatment of individual films and artists. In Mark Schilling's view, Japanese film is presently in a period of creative ferment, with a lively independent sector challenging the conventions of the industry mainstream. Younger filmmakers are rejecting the stale formulas that have long characterized major studio releases, reaching out to new influences from other mediaâtelevision, comics, music videos, and even computer gamesâand from both the West and other Asian cultures. In the process they are creating fresh and exciting films that range from the meditative to the manic, offering hope that Japanese film will not only survive but thrive as it enters the new millennium.
Customer Reviews:
A collection of essays, interviews and film reviews.......2005-01-21
"Contemporary Japanese Film" is a mis-named book. Judging from the title and size, I was expecting something along the lines of a continuation of Donald Richie's seminal "100 years of Japanese film," something bringing equal insight into contemporary Japanese film as Richie brought into the historical. Instead, "Contemporary Japanese Film" is nothing more than a collection of previously published and unconnected essays, interviews and film reviews by Japan-based film critic Mark Shilling. Obviously, someone saw the potential to make money off of existing material, without further work. There are no original articles.
Shilling is a fine film critic and clearly knowledgeable about the modern Japanese film industry. However, either he or his editors do not know how to assemble this knowledge into a useful book. Several of the essays overlap, with the same information in each. For instance, Shilling is clearly a fan of Iwai Shunji's film "Swallowtail," as it is introduced, described and critiqued in several essays, without any acknowledgement that it was introduced only a few pages before in a different essay. Also, several concepts, such as block-booking movies and advanced ticket sales to drive up box office, are talked about but never adequately explained for non-familiar readers.
In addition, although it looks like a thick and potent read, more than half of the book, 250 pages out of a 388 page book, is film reviews, culled from Shilling's column in the English-language Japan times. The majority of these films are not available to Western audiences.
All of this may sound terrible, but the content that is here is of good quality, and once one gets over the initial disappointment of the mis-labeled title, there are a few kernels of insight to pull out of the pages. Probably the most interesting section is the directors interviews, showcasing such luminaries as Kurosawa Akira, Takahata Isao, Itami Juzo, Suo Masayuki (Shall we dance?) and Kitano Takeshi. There are some glaring oversights, such as no Suzuki Seijun, Miike Takashi or Miyazaki Hayao, but I suppose he can't have covered everyone in his newspaper work.
As a book about contemporary Japanese film, it is a failure. As a collection of non-related essays, interviews and film reviews from someone with knowledge and history of modern Japanese film, it is successful.
Useful.......2004-01-20
I found this book to be useful in giving a broad range of information on contemporary Japanese film makers. Although It was not always clear why Schilling had chosen to feature certain directors and not others. I was able to link the directors together which was helpful but I wished there had been more detailed film reviews
Thought Provoking.......2002-02-22
The Japanese reporter for the prestigious Screen International, Mark Schilling gets to see all the new films in advance, and brings not just a reviewer's critical eye, but a linguist's critical ear = his comments on translation and delivery add a whole new dimension lacking from writers who can't speak Japanese. His comments, even where I don't initially agree with them, such as his Poppoya review, are always thought-provoking and worthy of consideration, and his introductory essays on the state of modern Japanese film are unequalled in the current market. Some of the background stories, such as the influence of the Middle Eastern carpet trade on the Japanese film business, are quite mind boggling, bu also bery interesting explanations for some of the strange behaviour of Japanese film producers. An excellent survey of Japanese film in the 1990s, from someone who was there when it all happened.
Everything you need to know about Contemporary Japanese Cine.......2001-11-19
One of the better and hipper books on Japan is the Encyclopedia of Japanese Pop Culture, by Mark Schilling. Schilling is one of the few foreigners who can really distinguish the important icons of Japanese culture from the stuff that's of less interest. It was with great relief that I found his Contemporary Japanese Film, focusing on cinema from the 1990s. Not surprisingly, he makes reference to the golden age of Japanese cinema in the 1950s, including the magnificent talents of Kurosawa, Ozu, and Mizoguchi, in an effort to understand what has gone wrong in the nation's cinema since then: a downward spiral of bad talent and visionless film producers. Ever since, there has been little international attention paid to Japanese cinema except for the interesting work of '60s mavericks Nagisa Oshima and Seijun Suzuki (the "Sam Fuller of Japan").
According to Schilling, there were some new beams of light in the Japanese cinema of the '90s. Leading the pack is filmmaker Takeshi "Beat" Kitano, who has already gotten serious attention in the States and Europe for his stylized gangster films, such as Sonatine (1993); and the hysterical films by the late (and very much missed) Juzo Itami, who made the culinary adventure Tampopo. So it is not surprising that the two most interesting interviews in the book are with these filmmakers. Takeshi must be the hardest-working man in the world: He makes at least two films a year plus eight television episodes a week. He tells a funny story about how on one talk show dealing with food and drink; he fell asleep on television due to the alcohol. The other guests just went on their merry way while commenting every so often on Takeshi's sleeping habits. He claims that there is no pressure doing that much television shows because nothing is planned; it is even relaxing. It is worth noting that, on the side, he has a career as a kind of Japanese David Letterman.
As for Itami, who is known for his television acting as well as his films, his interview focuses on how contemporary Japanese culture is conveyed in different aspects of his film work. Itami has made fun of everything from family practice (The Funeral) to the Japanese Mafia, the Yakuza (as a result, he had his face slashed by a Yakuza member).
The second half of the book includes nearly 400 Japanese film reviews by Schilling, published originally in the Japan Times. I would recommend this book not only to film fans, but also to readers who are interested in contemporary Japanese culture. Schilling, along with American journalist Donald Ritchie, has excellent insight into what makes Japan tick, and also understands the nature of kitsch in Japanese culture
The most comprehensive resource on the subject available.......2000-05-15
Mark Schilling is a film reviewer for one of the Tokyo newspapers, so this book is made up of all the films released in the past 10 years, bundled up with a load of articles/interviews with the like of Shunji `Swallowtail Butterfly' Iwai and Juzo `Tampopo' Itami. He writes very well, but most interesting is the wide diversity of the films reviewed. It's far more comprehensive than Weisser's book, which would have you believe that Pinku Eiga were the only type of films being made in Japan in the 90's. Most of the films reviewed have probably had little release outside of Asia. This definitely the best book out there on the subject.
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Japanese Firms in Contemporary Singapore
Hiroshi Shimizu
Manufacturer: University of Hawaii Press
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ASIN: 9971693844 |
Books:
- ART OF POCAHONTAS, THE
- Art of Technique, The: An Aesthetic Approach to Film and Video Production
- Batman Begins: The Official Movie Guide
- Beautiful Stories for Ugly Children: What If This Were Heaven, Wouldn't That Be Hell? (Beautiful stories for ugly children)
- Bound and Gagged: Pornography and the Politics of Fantasy in America
- Bring Me That Horizon: (Welcome Book)
- Cinema 2: The Time-Image
- Considering Doris Day
- Contemporary Asian Cinema: Popular Culture in a Global Frame (Asian Cinema)
- Crash Proof: How to Profit From the Coming Economic Collapse (Lynn Sonberg Books)
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