Anime

Most anime follows a conventional narrative structure, with setup, conflict, and resolution occurring both within an episode, and often, across a larger story arc. But over time the traditional method becomes predictable and stale, thus ...

For anime aficionados, there are several significant works that serve as historical turning points for the medium. One early, essential exemplar is 1963’s Astro Boy, a title which boosted the global influence of Japanese animation. ...

One of the fundamental principles of Aristotle’s Poesis is the subject of mimesis, a term used to discuss one of the tensions of artistic representation. For the Greek philosopher, mimesis was the stylization of reality; ...

Pundits argue that the medium of anime is teeming in trope. Yet that allegation could be leveled at the creative efforts of any culture; entertainment acts as a transmitter of social norms and practices. Certainly, ...

Popularized during the 1960’s, the high concept situation comedy juxtaposed the ordinary with the extraordinary. In theory, the technique was seemingly simple, taking one of more fantastical characters- such as the eponymous djinn of I ...

An English professor once explained why Shakespeare’s sonnets were still a fundamental part of the college curriculum: they are the quintessential model of triumph over form. Shackled by a structure of a rigid rhyme scheme ...

With Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal and Puella Magi Madoka Magica commanding sizeable stateside audiences, a growing number of viewers are discovering the merits of the magic girl genre. But anime aficionados will quickly point ...

As the overabundance of police procedurals and supernatural-themed teen lit have demonstrated in the West, a single success can spur an upsurge of copycats. Naturally, anime follows an equivalent route, with depictions of high-school romance ...

As a gainfully employed adult living in the United States, I frequently have to justify my appreciation for anime. Woefully, many still associate animation with children’s entertainment. A typical response involves a discussion between the ...

One of the more fascinating elements of modern anime is the existence of fan service- material that is specifically included to gratify or titillate an audience. From manga drawn to reveal a sliver of shimapan ...