Mangatopia: Essays on Manga and Anime in the Modern World - Paperback

by Timothy Perper (Editor), Martha Cornog (Editor)

Fascinating insights on what Japanese manga and anime mean to artists, audiences, and fans in the United States and elsewhere, covering topics that range from fantasy to sex to politics.

Within the last decade, anime and manga have become extremely popular in the United States. Mangatopia: Essays on Manga and Anime in the Modern World provides a sophisticated anthology of varied commentary from authors well versed in both formats. These essays provide insights unavailable on the Internet, giving the interested general reader in-depth information well beyond the basic, "Japanese Comics 101" level, and providing those who teach and write about manga and anime valuable knowledge to further expand their expertise.

The topics addressed range widely across various artists and art styles, media methodology and theory, reception of manga and anime in different cultural markets, and fan behavior. Specific subjects covered include sexually explicit manga drawn and read by women; the roots of manga in Japanese and world film; the complexity of fan activities, including "cosplay," fan-drawn manga, and fans' highly specific predilections; right-wing manga; and manga about Hiroshima and despair following World War II. The book closes with an examination of the international appeal of manga and anime.

Author Biography

Timothy Perper, PhD, and Martha Cornog, MA, MLS, were review and commentary editors for Mechademia: An Annual Forum for Anime, Manga, and the Fan Arts for six years. They have both published several scholarly works about courtship and love in manga and anime.