Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the US Free

FREE JAPANAMERICA: HOW JAPANESE POP CULTURE HAS INVADED THE US PDF

Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Want to Read saving…. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Other editions. Enlarge cover. Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Details if other :. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. Preview — Japanamerica by Roland Kelts. The book highlights the shared conflicts as American and Japanese pop cultures dramatically intersect. Get A Copy. Hardcoverpages. Published November 1st by Palgrave MacMillan first published More Details Original Title. Other Editions 5. Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Japanamericaplease sign up. Lists with This Book. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 3. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Dec 23, Patrick Sherriff rated it it was amazing Shelves: essaysjapan. As a Brit in Japan, I was intrigued by the parallels Kelts sees between the British invasion of the States in the s and the Japanese invasion that has been ongoing since the late '70s or so. Just as the Brits learnt from US black culture and re-exported it back to white Americans, the Japanese manga and anime post-war innovators learnt from Disney and re-exported that knowledge to the US, but with a Japanese twist, that being an obsession with detail, an interest in JapanAmerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the US post-apocalyptic an As a Brit in Japan, I was intrigued by the parallels Kelts sees between the British invasion of the States in the s and the Japanese invasion that has been ongoing since the late '70s or so. Just as the Brits learnt from US black culture and re-exported it back to white Americans, the Japanese manga and anime post-war innovators learnt from Disney and re-exported that knowledge to the US, but with a Japanese twist, that being an obsession with detail, an interest in the post-apocalyptic and morally ambiguous themes ignored by mainstream US culture until recently at least. Kelts' telling insight was the observation that US society is far more violent and dangerous than Japan's, but is up tight and censorious about its art consider the shock of the Janet Jackson nipple sighting during the Superbowlwhereas Japanese society is far more up tight about behaviour, but freer about cultural expressions consider the popularity and acceptance of hentai manga porn, juxtaposed with the abhorrence of speaking loudly in an JapanAmerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the US, for example. The book's only fault is that it is maybe showing its age. It was written just before ebooks and self-publishing had really taken off and I'd be curious what the author has to say about recent US-Japan endeavours such as Baymax, the Ghost in the Shell movie and the Pokemon Go phenomenon, for example. Japanamerica is not an exhaustive reference book, but offers a sound overview of the issues involved and a number of great interviews with key folk involved in the business. Great stuff. Aug 11, Natty rated JapanAmerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the US it was amazing. Extremely insightful connection between history and JapanAmerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the US pop culture, and why Americans in particular are fascinated by it. Nov 30, Aaron rated it really liked it Shelves: anthropologygeneralsocial-studiesmanga-comicsociology. Japanamerica is an excellent introduction to the world of anime and manga for the general public. Roland Kelts explores the topic from several angles including the history of the medium, postwar Japan, film production production, business, marketing, Japanese fandom, foreign fandom, and the projected future of anime. Two main comments about this book: First, Kelts does an excellent job of making meaningful and sound comparisons between particularly "Japanese" characteristics of anime JapanAmerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the US what's Japanamerica JapanAmerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the US an excellent introduction to the world of anime and manga for the general public. Two main comments about this book: First, Kelts does an excellent job of making meaningful and sound comparisons between particularly "Japanese" characteristics of anime and what's more familiar to a Western audience. He does this without compromising his content into shallow, or worse disparaging, metaphors such as, say, "Disney in kimono! Instead he goes back to one central metaphor to describe the long history and relationship between the United States and Japan as a moebius strip. From there he uses a lot of the familiar examples Blade RunnerBambiStar WarsThe MatrixAmerican Idol to name a few to show how ideas and styles have crossed the Pacific many times. Essentially, we've spent the last 90 years inspiring each other and upping the ante. Second, he covers a lot of the "peripheral" topics related to anime, particularly related to anime as an industry. Several of the criticisms I've read on Goodreads are aimed at this, saying it wasn't really what they were looking for, or that Kelts was too concerned with the business side of things. Fair enough. This book is less written for hardcore otaku than for friends and family who probably wonder, "What the hell got into Johnny? He can't get enough of it. Susan Napier's Anime from Akira to Howl's Moving Castle is a superb piece of scholarly work on any topic - serious, rigorous, thorough, fun, enough sheer brain power to get me to consider anime a worthy scholarly topic in its own right. But at the same time I doubt your grandmother would find it so interesting. Or explanatory, which is more to the point. I picked this book up at Anime Boston where Kelts gave a presentation for the Japanese Consulate, and he basically said just that. He saw copies JapanAmerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the US Totoro in the DVD shelves of many friends and family, next to all the other "kids" movies; he realized how deeply anime has penetrated into some pockets of American culture, yet often also seems to remain so foreign, odd, and out of place. This book does a lot to explain why that is. For all the JapanAmerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the US and the weirdness, the fun and the fascination this book is a good read, and the best place to start next time you feel curious. Aug 04, Jennie rated it it was ok Shelves: japan. It's a shame because this book has some really great ideas but it's cloaked in sub par prose. The author is not a bad writer really, but this JapanAmerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the US not a nonfiction book, it's an honor's thesis. It is written exactly like an essay written by a high achieving grad student, meant to impress a professor. The mission statement is clear and oft repeated, arguments are made for and against, transitions are rigid and clear cut and evertything is wrapped up in a nice concluding statement. If I were Kelts p It's a shame because this book has some really great ideas but it's cloaked in sub par prose. If I were Kelts professor, this would be an A paper, but it makes for an annoying leisure read. Also, do not be fooled, this is not a book of "pop culture" it's is strictly about manga and anime - and mostly aboout the business side of things. If you are a real anime otaku this is worth a read. Otherwise just check out the BBC series Japanarama. So far this is kind of boring and too general. Don't know if I will get through it. I saw Roland Kelts read and it was really interesting. He was more engaging than his book I only read half of this book! Mar 22, Jess rated it really liked it Shelves: media. Well, it only took me three years to read it but it was worth it! I started reading it for various assignments on Japanese culture. Though it is essentially cultural criticism and social academia, it actually reads quite easy, and I am glad I put in the time to finish reading it beyond scholarly research. If you are interested in Otaku culture and post war Well, it only took me three years to read it but it was worth it! If you are interested in Otaku culture and post war japanese culture then this is well worth a read. My only criticism is that at times it becomes a superficial analysis rather than critically reading into the culture - but considering this is aimed more at the everyday reader and otaku enthusiast it does well to keep a wider audience in mind. In this sense it could be used as reading material for year 11 and 12 students. May 10, Jean rated it liked it Shelves: commentarynon- fictionlplcontemporaryjapan. This book is written by a man who exists between two cultures -- Japanese and American. He looks at the Japanese influences in American pop culture and discusses the history, depth and the current struggles of Japanese anime industry. I really enjoyed reading this account and found it very informative though at times romanticized. I was also very pleased that he did mention though very brief the female market. It did irk me how the males viewed the "strong, weak" female archetype as a celebrati This book is written by a man who exists between two cultures -- Japanese and American. It did irk me how the males viewed the "strong, weak" female archetype as a celebration of females. I profoundly disagree with that assertion and found very little to address the female markets after that. So, I very much enjoyed the general survey of the process, cultural perspective as well as JapanAmerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the US business side of the anime, manga, etc. However, I find that I would very much like to read something written by a woman who is in a similar situation and a fan herself. Jun 29, Gopakumar rated it really liked it. These are heady days for anime and manga as they occupy the mainstream spotlight. Japanophilia is on the rise. But how could a very singular culture anime and manga riding the cultural tsunami wave explode into an American phenomenon? Even the Japanese seem to be dumb founded. JAPANAMERICA: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the US | By Roland Kelts | Pacific Affairs

Next he has to turn his mind to reviewing an anime movie for an American magazine. Back home in New England his mother rarely spoke Japanese. Being a freelance writer anywhere is not easy, Kelts says. Exciting but also oppressive at times. Coming here, pen in hand computer under arm offered JapanAmerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the US. Every day he was seeing something new, felt his imagination being titillated as never before. Which is why in he packed up and made the move. Initially he taught college writing classes and worked as editor in chief for the now quarterly business magazine JapanInc. Kelts was asked by his publisher to write a book about Japanese anime and manga because he is a writer with a broad knowledge of Japanese pop culture rather than a computer nerd. He comes from a generation of youths who would race home from school to watch Battle of the Planets and other Japanese animated cartoons dubbed — botched, he says — into English. TV after the success of Star Wars. No one knew a word of Japanese; they simply cut stuff out and made stuff up. Although Palgrave Macmillan said it wanted a book that ordinary people could dip into and not be overwhelmed by a deconstruction of anime, Kelts was unsure. But they were adamant: they wanted a storyteller, not an obsessive list maker. Reviews since late have ranged from the controversial to the wholly positive. Otaku like to read about the business side of the subject, which has never been written about in English before. There was no thorough explanation of why and how Japanese pop culture is now taking the U. Kelts JapanAmerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the US we need to retrace the apocalyptic nature of anime to understand its roots as an expression of Japanese trauma after WWII. Only that there are echoes, shades of resemblance in the sense of trauma, and suppressed and misunderstood anxieties. Kelts believes the character Pokemon was critical in opening up Western markets for Japanese pop culture. Its creators knew it would appeal universally. American cartoon characters are rooted in the natural world — from Bambi to the Lion King. While France is a big taker of Japanese pop culture, the U. Anime and manga also have a strong fan base in the Middle East. Another U. Set mostly here, but also in the U. He prefers instead to turn attention to a Japanese anime debuting internationally at the Berlin Film festival. With an American screenwriter JapanAmerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the US director, but created entirely by Japanese artists, it packs an extraordinary visual and emotional punch, he says. General Japan's pop culture made palatable for the layman. Sorry, but your browser needs Javascript to use this site. JAPAN EXPO - Japan Society of Northern California

Conventions have changed from their usual in-person form and moved virtual. This JapanAmerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the US weekend, September 4 — 6,the Virtual Crunchyroll Expo VCRX will be connecting anime fans together with each other and with special guests. Kelts is a half-Japanese Tokyo-based journalist, editor, and scholar specializing in Japanese culture. As a speaker, Kelts has been a part of speeches for everything from Japanese culture think tanks, embassies and universities to pop culture conventions TED Talks and The World Economic Forum. Kelts has had the opportunity of interviewing anime icons including but not limited to Hayao Miyazaki, Makoto Shinkai, and Yoshiyuki Tomino. The inspiration was my Japanese family. My mother is Japanese and my grandfather was a poet JapanAmerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the US essayist. When I talked to one of my Japanese cousins about the idea, he was all for it. So I thought it would be a way to give back something to them. I lived with my grandparents when I was a child and grew up quite close to my Japanese family members. I was surprised to learn that many Japanese fans picked it up from the US Sci Fi scene from the s, which they read about in magazines. Then I was surprised at how many Americans a also thought it was purely Japanese, and b embraced it so fanatically, whatever their ethnic or racial backgrounds or body types. Entire families cosplay at US anime cons. Professional cosplayers sell merchandise and sell autographs. And during the pandemic, some cosplayer communities are banding together to sew masks and other PPP gear to donate to local hospitals. If an editor has news they can peg your story to, that will help make it publishable. Also, and this may be more important, pursue an angle on your story that really excites your passions. Your voice will come alive if you really care about what your writing about. So what about representation? In this three-part panel, Kelts and Isom will discuss the history of anime starting from the 60s to the 80s and how artists like JapanAmerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the US Tezuka Astro Boy and the Yoshida Brothers Speed Racer wanted their works to go global and how doing so meant plating into the global stereotype: white characters. Former academic current television, film, and comic critic. I have spent around 10 years of my life analyzing popular culture, writing on it, and creating a community around it. You can describe me as a gamer, podcaster, chicana, scholar, nerd, just don't call me quiet. Skip to content Reading Time: 4 minutes. Like this: Like Loading Related Posts. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.