82-279 Anime - Visual Interplay between Japan and the World

9 units, Carnegie Mellon University

In contemporary Japanese culture, anime plays a vital role, unfolding a wide range of non-linear as well as linear ways of storytelling with its distinct modes of visual representation, such as character designs and vibrant use of colors to reconstruct the environment/social reality, and complementing to other forms of culture (e.g., literature, film, and art). This course explores Japanese anime's appeal to the international viewers today, centering on cultural/social analyses of animated works such as the fantastic of the Studio Ghibli production and Cyberpunk's post-apocalyptic worldview in consultation with the scholarship of anime as a global cultural phenomenon. Equally important are to locate the origin of Japanese animation, which is also to be investigated through analyses of the prewar and postwar works of animation in conjunction with related forms such as manga, or comic strips (e.g., Osamu Tezuka's works that was initially inspired by Disney) and to discuss the potential of anime as an art form.

Prerequisites: none listed

Offered: Spring 2027, Fall 2026, Summer 2026, Spring 2026, Fall 2025

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