East Asian Languages and Societies Commons^™

A Study Of Japanese Animation, Michele Gibney

Michele Gibney

This paper takes a sociological approach to the question of popular culture’s ability in Japan--specifically that of Japanese animation--to be reflective of the country's sociological concerns. This is not to say that all anime shows consciously reflect Japanese life, but by extrapolation of recurrent themes one can construct a model of certain sociological issues in Japan. The author split the paper up into five sections each of which tackles a different theme. These sections are: Education, Social and Class Differences, Environment, Post-Nuclear Visions, and An Emergent Feminism. The main point that the author conveys in each section is a way …

Traditional Tropes And Familial Incest In Banana Yoshimoto’S Kitchen, Michele Gibney

Michele Gibney

Kitchen, written in 1983, by Banana Yoshimoto, contains one novella and one short story. The novella is entitled Kitchen and the short story which follows it is called Moonlight Shadow. In Moonlight Shadow, the structure of a Japanese Noh drama enfolds, wherein the ultimate end of the main character is to live on in a semi-incestuous relationship with her dead boyfriend’s brother. In Kitchen, the images that one is assailed by are those of desire coexisting with food, and love contingent on incest. The idea of food as a comfort conflates into that of a woman as comforting.

These two …

Defining The Feminine Impact On The Progression Of Japanese Language: An Inquiry Into The Development Of Heian Period Court Diaries, Michele Gibney

Michele Gibney

From the split of the private and public lives of gender divides, men lived on the outside imbibing Chinese language styles, while women on the inside established and preserved a uniquely Japanese form of language. This paper asserts the theory that the Heian period was one of the first times in which the schism was produced through the female’s power to embody a written language which the Japanese could claim as their own independently of the effect from other cultures. In its focus this paper aspires to analyze the public/private, male/female origins by placing them within the Heian period, from …

Homosexuality In Fushigi Yuugi And Gravitation: An Investigation Into The Cultural Background Of Homosexuality In Japanese Animation, Michele Gibney

Michele Gibney

This paper will delve into the following issues: how the Japanese view homosexual males and how the agency of the reader and/or viewer impacts the depictions of visual displays of intimate behavior by homosexual males. The purpose of this paper will be an attempt to define some sort of answer to each question within the context of the Japanese cultural products of manga and anime. I am going to dissect shifting sexualities as they are represented in two different examples of Japanese anime aimed at slightly differing audience groups. The two shows that I will focus on are: Fushigi Yuugi …

Japan’S War With China: Context And Stakes, Michele Gibney

Michele Gibney

The context in which Japan was drawn into war with China, and what they had at stake going in, are flip sides of the same coin. The contexts and stakes are: democratic government, will of the people, international status, foreign trade, the Emperor, and racial superiority. In the 1920’s and 30’s, Japan was losing the ideal of democracy, the desire to have democracy, and the will of the people. They were drawn into the war with China in order to reunite the citizenry and because of a failed democratic leadership being supplanted by right wing militarists. International status and foreign …

Enjo Kosai: Brand Name Marketing, Michele Gibney

Michele Gibney

Media is a contributing factor in creating a market for the prostitution of minors in Japan today. Media creates an image to which the girls aspire by placing the trendiest items in the hands of music and movie idols who the girls look up to . The drive to then own these trendy, and expensive, products forces the girls into marketing their bodies to strangers. Though in many ways media can be seen as the root of all evil through print and film advertisements, there are some forms of media which work as a caution instead of an encouragement to …

Ono No Komachi: Love And Desire, Michele Gibney

Michele Gibney

The poetry of Ono no Komachi can be read in many lights. The two ways in which I feel its message and context can be best appreciated are through feminine independence and masculine subjection. Ono no Komachi wrote poetry that was evocative of the feminine ideal of longing for a male, but she also wrote poetry which denigrated the need for a woman to rely on a male. Through a self-critical reader analysis of some of her poems, I will show that Komachi’s poetry can be read as comprising a longing for the world of men, and men in particular, …

Rule By Right Vs. Rule By Force, Michele Gibney

Michele Gibney

There are at least two ways to legitimize a power base. One is to prove you have the right to rule, the other is to rule by force. In Japan’s feudal period, three leaders came to power and each ruler utilized some of the preceding ones principles of government, while at the same time adapting his mode of dominion on the prevailing factors of the day. Only one of these rulers had the right to rule by virtue of his lineage; perhaps this is why his reign lasted so much longer than the other two, or perhaps it is simply …

The Inter-Relations Of Geography And Human Advancement, Michele Gibney

Michele Gibney

When I think about what factors into creating a culture, I seldom think of geography. But when one gets right down to it, geography plays an incredibly pivotal role in two of the most important categories of human interaction with the earth: agriculture and war. Both occupations go towards feeding a need in society and both produce innumerable advances in technology and human relations. According to texts currently under study in this class, the importance of geography (in the senses of features and border lines) is of paramount importance. But what makes them so important? How have the major geographical …

Narcissistic Self-Love, Male Body Objectification, And Homoeroticism In John Woos’ The Killer And Face/Off, Michele Gibney

Michele Gibney

A theme of homoeroticism/sexually charged appreciation of the male body exerts itself as a clear visual in The Killer and Face/Off. In this paper, some of these homoerotic images and the theoretically gender-based reasoning behind them will be explored. In some ways, Woos’ films The Killer and Face/Off, can be “read” as both example and counterexample to masculine-feminine discussions of gendered cinema. Laura Mulvey, for instance, posits the thesis that cinema is a vision dominated by patriarchal society. Both films I will be analyzing exemplify the superior role of male societal functions; such as males in positions of authority, or …

The Long Shot As Loss Of Faith In Kurosawa’S Ran, Michele Gibney

Michele Gibney

The final shot in the movie Ran by Akira Kurosawa betrays a crushing pessimism about the state of the society. In a world where the heroes die, the presence of a benevolent God is brought into serious scrutiny. With the dropping of the Amida Buddha scroll the movie establishes as its “moral” the chaos of man in a world without religion. In discussing the movie in connection with the final images I will be analyzing one of the most important themes of the film: withdrawal from humanity.

The Setting Sun: Japanese Post-War Sensibility, Michele Gibney

Michele Gibney

Osamu Dazai wrote The Setting Sun in the years directly following the end of World War II. The effects of Japan’s defeat in the War were clearly still felt, as evidenced by the characters and situations being expressed in this novel. In looking at the novel through a historical lens, I plan on placing it within the greater context of the times. I view Dazai’s work as a masterpiece at evoking the feelings that were seething beneath Japan’s conquered surface. In consequence of this, I believe that by examining the words, actions, and feelings of the characters, one can extend …

Spiritual Quest In Hojoki And Hosshinshu And The Duality Of Art And Religion, Michele Gibney

Michele Gibney

The individual’s quest for enlightenment in Japan is a serious one. One such individual from the medieval Japanese period will be the subject of this paper. Kamo no Chomei, a recluse, poet, and priest who lived from 1155-1216 strove to attain a religious awakening of the mind during the latter half of his life. The question of whether he succeeded or not is a difficult one to answer, however, by examining two of his major works—Hojoki and Hosshinshu—the nature of Chomei’s quest should become clearer. Although I do not believe Chomei found the enlightenment he sought; the quest itself and …