Readings - Japanese Popular Culture (Wed, 9am-12pm)

[Anonymous]

When I try to open the first episode of Astro Boy, it says it cannot be found

[Anonymous]

Otsuka Eiji's argument of how "government and academics claim manga is high culture...is utterly ridiculous" would be an interesting point to discuss in my English classes. Having used the American manga versions of Julius Caesar and The Scarlet Letter (*gasp* from the English teachers at my school), many of my students' love of manga and anime would argue with Eiji. It's interesting to have these students explain to other students how and why the book goes from right to left instead of left to right, and honestly, the buy in and interest is refreshing. Rather than regurgitating facts, my students argue the guilt of characters and compare the art to the literary text. I almost fell over laughing when one group in my class drew a manga style picture of Hester Prynne to prove her guilt. Job done.

I will definitely use this interview to have students dissect for ethos, pathos, and logos, and I know they will have some dissenting opinion with Eiji's comment that "moe is not cool, and neither is otaku culture." I think they will be amazed that this is even considered by "cultural theorists."

[Anonymous]

I loved the opening paragraphs of Ishimure Minamata's novel. I think it would be a great passage for my AP students to analyze. I would have them work in small groupss of four or less students to determine the predominant tone that is conveyed about the subject in the first ten paragraphs and the rhetorical strategies they the writer uses to make this tone clear. Then I would have them discuss the shift in tone that occurs in the eleventh paragraph and analyze how the shift in tone is evident. Finally, I would like them discuss the writer's purpose in organizing the paragraphs the way that he did and the effect or emphasis that is created.

[Anonymous]

I was very moved by this reading. I can see how difficult it must have been for the survivors to express themselves as they've done and also how cathartic and focusing the process must have been. I've never thought of Haiku as being therapeutic necessarily.
I would really like to teach Haiku to my first grade students. I came across this terrifically easy-to-use website: http://www.haiku-poetry.org. "Experiencing Life in 5-7-5." I really recommend it.
edited by sshiva on 7/30/2014

[Anonymous]

Information on Kimba I found

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimba_the_White_Lion

You can watch it here : http://www.manga.com/titles/kimba-white-lion

[Anonymous]

Jlee I have heard of teachers using manga style comics to teach Shakespeare before. It puts the content in a format the students can relate to, which leads to better understanding and retention of content, as your student’s success demonstrates. What ever works!

[Anonymous]

Jlee, I absolutely LOVE your idea of using Manga to get students to understand the material more deeply and have deeper conversation about it! That's fantastic, especially their application of the art to prove another character's guilt. You can't PAY for stuff like that. I'm excited for you!

[Anonymous]

The difference between Japanese and American culture is evident in our view of robots. For the most part, Japanese see robots as loyal workers with humanized emotions. You can see how Japanese businesses build robots that can perform tasks and perform amusing acts. American culture sees robots far differently. We fear robots. Take a look at I Robot, The Matrix Trilogy and the Terminator series. We fear our creations. We feel that they will rise up and destroy us. It has a very Frankenstein feel that our creation will kill us. Even if they are not responsible for our death, they are sometimes shown as untrusting as the androids in the Alien movies are portrayed. I've always wondered why we fear robots. There are some examples that show a more positive view of robots, like A.I, but these are rare.

[Anonymous]

When our presenter Anne McKnight was talking about the themes in Astro Boy, the thing that struck me was the idea of what it means to be human and how that relates or leads to identity and then eventually our treatment of others, like immigrants. I was also thinking that it may be interesting to compare this film to I, Robot and look at the way that theme is addressed and what the film maker and writer actually has to say about it...

[Anonymous]

I really enjoyed reading the article. Although I've taught my elementary students to write haiku, I've always thought of haiku as poems solely about nature, one style of poetry that just happens to come from Japan. I've never really thought about it as maybe the nation's form of poetry. Think about the command of language, and how precise you have to be to convey your thoughts and emotions in those three lines, 17 syllables. This past year, I had my students do the 6-word biography and they did pretty well, but how much more could come from a haiku on the subject...I feel my unit coming together....

[Anonymous]

LV. I agree it’s a cultural value issue, in the West everyone wants the freedom to be self serving and we value self preservation/individualism, leading to the premise robots want to take power for themselves. Where as in EA they focuses on the family, tradition and duty to community, supporting the premise robots want to provide help/ or service.

[Anonymous]

I was impressed by the resolve and the continued reverence for nature shown in the poetry of the tsunami victims. Despite the destruction released by nature they still show appreciation for it, like in the haiku on the lone pine tree that survived the tsunami, or the story of the farmer who continued to care for his and his neighbors cattle despite government orders to destroy them, and the multiple reference to simple beauty of cherry blossoms.

[Anonymous]

Recently I taught an autistic kid who communicated as many of his assignments as possible by expressing them through Anime. After drawing the characters, he them put them into a digital story telling and presented that to the class. After today's lecture, it makes a lot more sense to me now.
edited by nblair on 7/30/2014

[Anonymous]

I had no idea that until the 1947 new constitution that women were not free to choose whom they would marry.

[Anonymous]

What a rich presentation! I found at least three tangible modern connections I could bring into my study of medieval/feudal Japan, including:

- The rise of female manga authors in the 1970s --> the rise of educated female courtesans in the 1100s leading to the literary explosion that included The Tale of Genji
- The modern reverence for/communion with nature --> the kinship samurai felt with their environment, including creating Zen gardens
- Today's emperor being a symbolic figure detached from policy --> the emperor of the feudal era serving as a religious figurehead who ceded political power to the shogun

Can't wait to get to my lesson plans and tweak them accordingly for this year.

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