Rei's Anime and Manga Page

"...the most lasting image of Lady Oscar is of a shining warrior upon a horse,
challenging all that would imprison the human spirit.
As with Oscar, so may it be with all of us."
"We are all one family!" -Ishonomori Shoutarou, Cyborg 009

General Essays and Analysis

"What are manga and anime?"

The original! This is a short essay/intro to Japanese comics and animation, and what makes them special (and popular!). Somehow this became a very popular essay, and many people wound up copying it or even modifying it all over the net. Come on, guys, just link back here instead.

Against Anime/Manga Stereotypes (at EX).

A peek beyond the sex-mechs-violence stereotype, so common in the US media today.

"The Romantic, Passionate Japanese in Anime: A Look at the Hidden Japanese Soul"

A glimpse beneath the stereotypes laid upon the Japanese by the rest of the world; answers to arguments that the Japanese are anti-individualism, etc. Presented at the 1997 Japanese Pop Culture Conference at the University of Victoria (in Canada). Published in Japan Pop! Inside the World of Japanese Popular Culture (more informative teaching guide page). Publisher: M.E. Sharpe; edited by Dr. Tim Craig of the University of Victoria.

The Philosophical (Moral, Ethical, Spiritual) High Road in Manga: Examples. (2000)

Examples of specific philosophical, ethical, spiritual teachings from manga (and possibly other) sources. While for various reasons I no longer subscribe to weekly manga, I think this list is still a good glimpse into what makes some manga magical.

The Use (and abuse?) of the Psychic in Manga and Anime (Some updates 08/2001)

A possibly controversial look at the prevalence of supernatural themes in manga and anime, and its effects on readers.

Gender and Gender Relations in Manga and Anime

Another possibly controversial look at the relationship between the sexes in both manga and Japanese society. Speaking of which, why are so many female characters suffering from amnesia?

Ethnic and Racial Stereotypes in Manga (3/2000)

More controvery? A look at the question of race and ethnicity in manga, from a perspective of asking "Why?" and "What happened?"

Environmentalism in Manga and Anime

A fast look at the thread of environmentalism in manga and anime. Not as in-depth as I'd like, but a start.

What's Lost in the Translation?

A fast look at the Japanese language, and how a lot of information can be lost when translating to English.

Japan Trip 2003 11/03
Observations based on an 11/2003 trip to Japan: both cultural and just sheer tourist guide style.

US civil liberties and the Japanese internment 2/03
Political BS.

Of Comics, War, and the Human Spirit: 5/02
(An essay submitted to the Boston Globe's Op-Ed section in 5/02.) Plus, letter to the editor (Boston Globe) 5/02

Thoughts on Sept. 11 and parallels with Pearl Harbor 9/11
A call to those who are studying a foreign culture.

Fujiko F. Fujio dead at 62. 09/96
Doraemon co-author H. Fujimoto passed away on Sept. 23, 1996. I owe both him and M. Abiko a big thank-you.

GAINAX co-founder and Otaking Toshio Okada on Otaku and Anime 9/03
Mr. Okada spoke at MIT on 30 September 2003 about otaku, anime, and how the two interact.

Toshio Okada on Otaku, Anime History, and Japanese Culture 10/03
Mr. Okada spoke at MIT on 1 October 2003 on everything from anime history to Japanese culture, and offered advice to those who wish to make their own animation as well.

Producer Hiroaki Inoue Speaks on Computers and Japanese Animation 5/03
The producer of "Tenchi Muyou" and "Ah! My Goddess" spoke at MIT on 13 May 2003.

My write up of the November 2001 "Schoolgirls & Mobilesuits Workshop" at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD), originally written for EX.
It was a workshop on Japanese culture and anime/manga (and I had a great time!). (There was also one in Sept. 2002 that I did not attend.) I presented "Romanticism and Spirituality in Anime" ....

Notes from the 1997 Japanese Popular Culture Conference in Victoria, Canada (article at EX.org)

Thoughts on "Spirited Away" 10/4/02 (hey it won an Oscar!)

Overview and commentary.

Manga descriptions, overviews, and summaries page (updated 8/2001).

Get a feel for some popular and some not-so-well-known Japanese comics, from the 60's to present day, ranging from science-fiction to romance and comedy to pseudo-horror. 24 full-page overviews, 13 paragraph summaries. (Note: corresponding overviews from EX are usually newer.) Some highlights:

Me Gumi No Daigo.     Character development as is rarely seen anywhere! Doubutsu No Oishasan ("The Animal Doctor")     Funny, classy, animal (and people) stories. Doraemon Overview (at EX.org) Senmu No Inu and P No Higeki     Two compilations of Takahashi Rumiko's great short stories. Maison Ikkoku Inuyasha overview     Inuyasha Volume 2 Review (at EX.org) Ranma 1/2 Ghost Sweeper Mikami - psychic hilarity Fushigi Yuugi. Vampire Princess Miyu Night of the Galaxy Railroad (Ginga Tetsudou No Yoru)      classic, early 20th century book by Miyazawa Kenji.

Captain Harlock (Albator); includes     "Arcadia of My Youth" reivew (6/02). The Rose of Versailles informal review.     The Rose of Versailles formal review (at EX.org) Cyborg 009 Overview (at EX.org) Galaxy Express 999 informal review     Galaxy Express 999 formal overview (at EX.org) Queen Millennial Mother of Maetel. Ao no Fuuin Black Jack     IMHO, Tezuka Osamu's masterpiece series. Jungle Taitei ("Kimba the White Lion") Manga Review (at EX.org) Chojin Locke MORE REVIEWS....

Some of my old RPG reviews at EX.org

• Suikoden Review
• Guardian's Crusade Review
• SaGa Frontier and Freath of Fire III Reviews
• Legend of Legaia Review - boy have I gotten flamed for this one :P

Here are some interview questions I've been asked over the years

Manga/Anime Topics
What hasn't been turned into a manga or anime? Not much, if you'll look at this list of what has been.... (I mean, firefighting, surgery...)

Cambridge/Boston manga/anime shops
If you're in the area, you don't have to look far to subscribe to, say, Shonen Jump, or order the newest Dragon Quest.

Computer games reviews, including anime-like ones. Here's my spoof of Japanese RPGs.
The Nintendo section includes anime-ish Japanese fantasy role playing games, such as Zelda, the excellent Final Fantasy III, and Chrono Trigger. Some of these games have surprisingly detailed plots and well-developed characters!

I have my own examples of the manga style in my homepage and here; also at one of my webcomics.

Random manga/anime lists.
Listing of my personal favorite movies, characters, etc.

Some other articles of scholarly bent:

• Giuseppe Albanese's Anime Checklist database of (apparently) all Japanese anime.
• Excellent overview by the Christian Science Monitor, with attention paid to the art form and the history.
• About.com covers anime. Essentials page and their introduction to anime.
• Anime Research has useful links, etc.
• Fred Schodt has a web site! Fred is the first(?) and probably the most well-known of English (well, American) writers on the topic of manga. Look for Manga! Manga! and Dreamland Japan; also look for any of the other newer books on the market (such as Dr. Sharon Kinsella's Adult Manga)
• Shojo (Shoujo) Manga Home Page, by researcher Matt Thorn, complete with a history of manga. BBC article about romance novels turned into shojo manga.
• Mikhail Koulikov's list of academic anime/manga papers, plus essays and history and more (history essay), complete with bibliography for you term-paper researchers out there. Pipe Down, We're Trying to Watch a Cartoon - NY Times article on effective use of silence in cartoons.
• She's Got Her Own Thing Now: Opening Shot by Dirk Deppey from The Comics Journal #269. Article on "The Comics Journal" - good read: "Most observers seem to fixate on the "girly" visual tropes -- the big eyes and flowery backgrounds. This is a mistake. What really sets shoujo apart from most Western comics is the degree to which it concentrates upon human interaction: First and foremost, shoujo manga is about people, and young people in particular."
• Things Japanese that you may wonder about at the MIT Anime Club (by David Mankins and Sean Leonard)
• A paranoid look at anime's effects in the US
• Scott Frazier (Hey, someone sent me the new URL! Thanks!)
• a (in my opinion) somewhat shallow article on anime
• "Japanimation and Techno-Orientalism".
• Scott Frazier's essay that takes a different look at the effects of anime. A good counter-balance to what I have written.
• Akira compared to Lord of the Flies.
• Spiro Wal discusses anime and the attraction to anime.
• Scott McCloud on comics and online comics.
  
• EX Magazine has a lot of intelligent articles if you look through the archives!
• Time Magazine example of how mainstream anime/manga are becoming
• Articles on doujinshi.
• Japanese book news includes "Japanese Manga: Research and Criticism"
• Manga tout: Daft Punk grew up on it, the men behind The Matrix are obsessed by it. Andrew Pulver on the allure of anime Guardian Unlimited 5/21/03
• Girl power: Young women are driving one of the hottest trends in pop culture: Japanese comics Boston Globe 7/28/04
• "Astroy Boy Forever" Article at SFGate.com 6/6/07, in the Asian Pop column. A good tribute to the peaceful sentiments of Tezuka Osamu.

• Japanese to English translation at a great Japanese-English-Japanese dictionary site.
• Gateway to Japanese Language (language help).
• "Learn Japanese for Fun"

• EX's Shopping Guide
• AniPike Shopping Guide
• rec.arts.anime resources list (out of date)

• L. Matsumoto official site. From the video section:
  • On putting one's spirit into the art (what a computer can't do) (in Japanese, Realplayer file!)
  • Harlock's real life basis, true friends, and how to keep them (give them a way out when you fight!) (in Japanese, Realplayer file)
  • I wrote down a few hightlights of what he said
• Also, Maetel Legend web-only manga. Short so far.
• Galaxy Express 999 Official Site at Shogakukan.
• Plus Yamato/Starblazers Site. French Harlock/Albator site
  

My Japanese, along with everything else, is hardly perfect. If you find errors anywhere, please feel free to send me a correction. rei (at) mit(dot)edu

Back to Rei's homepage