| Details | | Publication Date: | 1996-10-01 |
| Size | | Length: | 169 pages | | Height: | 9.0 in | | Width: | 6.3 in | | Thickness: | 0.5 in | | Weight: | 13.6 oz |
Publisher's Note
Why are Westerners of all ages now so fascinated by Japanese animated films, movies made purely by Japanese animators for Japanese audiences? The U.S. audience for Japanese animation ranges from millions who don't even know that what they're watching is Japanese, to the growing anime cult, with anime fan clubs on almost every college campus, as well as anime fan magazines and social anime sections in video stores. In Samurai from Outer Space, Antonia Levi uncovers the hidden meaning of Japanese animation: the symbols and stories drawn from Shinto, Buddhism, and Japanese art - the things that Western viewers will overlook unless they are pointed out. With 20 color illustrations, Samurai from Outer Space is both an introduction for beginners and a goldmine of information for the already addicted.
Industry Reviews
Japanese animation, also known as anime, is rivaled only by karaoke in terms of Japanese impact on U.S. culture. Anime fan clubs flourish on college campuses and on the Internet, and anime proliferates in U.S. video stores. In this first book-length study of the form, Levi asserts that anime is designed by Japanese for Japanese. Using her doctoral studies in Japanese history to good effect, she explains anime as it relates to Buddhist and Shinto traditions, Ninja and Samurai myths, Confucianism, woodblock painting, traditional theater, and contemporary Japanese culture. At the same time, Levi tries to account for anime's popularity among American "Generation X" fans, or otaku. Her study is consequently as much about the United States as it is about Japan and, happily, yields insights into both cultures for scholars and zealous lay readers alike. A fine addition for cultural studies collections. Neal Baker, Dickinson Coll. Lib., Carlisle, Pa.
Ives
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