Anime Studies

El presente artículo analizará la película "Liz and the Blue Bird" (2018), la cual presenta la tensión en la relación de Nozomi y Mizore, mejores amigas que deberán practicar una pieza musical que tocarán en conjunto para el concurso escolar de bandas, a la vez que deberán elegir el camino que tomarán terminado el colegio. Para ello se abordará la obra a partir de la perspectiva del shojo bunka, el continuum lésbico y la esperanza utópica.

Fecha de publicación: 26/04/2020
Link web: https://www.sugoi.com.pe/camino-a-la-adultez-shojo-bunka-esperanza-utopica-liz-and-the-blue-bird/

Mazinga, Goldrake, Jeeg… sono questi i robot più noti al pubblico italiano che ha iniziato a scoprire i protagonisti di queste serie animate a partire dalla fine degli anni Settanta. Ma chi c’era in precedenza? Quali personaggi sono stati partoriti dalla fervida fantasia dei giapponesi prima di quel periodo? Qual’è l’origine di questa passione tutta nipponica? Quali sono gli antenati di questi eroi che hanno saputo conquistare intere generazioni? Il libro fornisce una risposta a tutte queste domande ricostruendo un pezzo di storia della cultura pop giapponese troppo spesso dimenticato e erroneamente poco considerato.

This paper will be talking about the life and works of Hayao Miyazaki. It will provide an in-depth review of some of his most popular films. The review will include some important cultural values in Japan and how they are reflected in the films. It will show how Miyazaki has included some of his personal criticism about the problems of Japan during the time of the production of his movies like environmental disasters, civil wars and etc. The paper mainly focuses on environmental disasters. Some of the limitations may include not being able to review all of the aspects of every single film because of the lack of resources.

This article is an intertextual reading of Nezha naohai (Nezha Conquers the Dragon King), the second cel-animated feature produced at the Shanghai Animation Film Studio, the major animation film studio in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) from the 1950s until the 1980s. Released in 1979, the story of Nezha Conquers is an adaptation from three chapters of a popular Ming Dynasty 16th-century novel about a rebellious boy-god. The year Nezha Conquers the Dragon King is released, 1979, is a turning point for the hero in PRC cinema. Visual design for Nezha Conquers the Dragon King seems to be a combination of Osamu Tezuka’s Astroboy and Chinese Communist sports propaganda. Chief director and screenwriter Wang Shuchen considered the film to be a return to fantastic subject matter after the Cultural Revolution. Nezha Conquers the Dragon King signaled a return to mythological themes in PRC film and ends with an elliptical, open-ended finale, suggesting the propensity for future social and cultural contradictions.

Kacsuk, Zoltan, 2021. The Making of an Epoch-Making Anime: Understanding the Landmark Status of Neon Genesis Evangelion in Otaku Culture. In: José Andrés Santiago Iglesias and Ana Soler Baena, eds. Anime Studies: Media-Specific Approaches to Neon Genesis Evangelion. Stockholm: Stockholm University Press, 215-246. DOI: https://doi.org/10.16993/bbp.h.

The worldwide distribution of Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995-96) had a significant impact on the audiences for anime markets. However, unlike previous TV anime megahits, such as Dragon Ball (1985), EVA distribution in Western countries started in domestic and young adult markets. The series gained its reputation in a period of transition between VHS and DVD formats and even managed to be successful on a new route for anime: from niche video markets to thematic TV channels through small broadcasters and cable stations. That was the case of EVA distribution across the United States, at that time already one of the main markets for anime overseas. The series began to be distributed in June 1998 for the VHS market (A.D. Video), although it wouldn't be broadcasted on TV until 2002 (KQEH), being later offered by other theme-specialized channels such as Cartoon Network (through the special event 'Toonami's Giant's Robot week' broadcasted in February 2003) and Adult Swim (October 2005). EVA distribution in France (1996), Italy (1997) and Spain (1997) followed a similar strategy, as it was distributed first as a video product rather than being broadcast to general audiences. Most of the time, the series was dubbed to the domestic language, except for France, where it was distributed in Japanese with subtitles. This was due, perhaps, to its early release (1996). The distribution in Australia (1998) and Southeast Asian markets such as the Philippines was different as ADVision didn't manage the copyrights for these markets. The main agent of distribution was the main national broadcasters instead. The franchise would arrive How to cite this book chapter: Hernández-Pérez, M. 2021. Discussing 'Genre' in Anime through Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Violence in anime has often been stigmatized as cheap, sensational and incapable of discussing complex ideas. By using Joseph Carroll’s The Extremes of Conflict in Literature: Violence, Homicide and War (2012) and Violence in Literature: An Evolutionary Perspective (2014), as well as Julia Kristeva’s Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection, this paper examines the cinematographic portrayal of violence through popular Japanese Anime series Tokyo Ghoul with reference to Yale Film Studies (2002). As various characters seek to find and express their identities, as a human whose socialisation and enculturation prescribe a life of compassion and non-aggression, or a ghoul whose community demands a predatory-prey worldview, violence is employed as a form of struggle for survival of the self and resistance of circumstances at large. This paper pioneers an unprecedented psychoanalytic model for anime literature commonly perceived to be filled with violence, and ascribes academic rigor to the genre.

There is an increasing number in dropouts from high school students from the educational institutions in Puerto Rico. Educational reports by (Swanson, 2008) and (Bridgeland et al., 2006) have revealed a certain correlation between dropouts and lack of engagement in the classroom. In addition, a report by (The department of education, 2012) has revealed that less than half of the students score within basic level performance in standardized testing. These findings contribute towards the possibility that if the issue of class engagement was resolved, it would help close the gap of high school dropout which in turn calls for a critical evaluation of the current pedagogy used in Puerto Rico along with the creation of a multi-modality classroom. Studies by (Kress, 2003) and (Frey & Fisher, 2008) agree that visual media is an essential tool in order to lead multi-modality classroom and which supports student’s engagement in class and benefits their internalization of information.
The purpose of this research is to perform a qualitative case study in a classroom setting where using a teaching unit which makes use of Anime as a visual form of text triggers students into reading and interpreting this “visual text” in order to gain insights about different thematics and issues which affect their person, community, and/or culture among other factors. The main problem which the researcher wishes to address is the lack of engagement in the classroom which results from older teaching strategies which rely on canonical texts and standardized testing which does not encompass for all the different kinds of mindsets which a teacher can encounter in the modern classroom. Using data collection methods of non-participant observation, interviews with the teacher and collecting artifacts from student’s work throughout the semester, the researcher can address if the use of visual media in the classroom does help with engagement in the classroom and students develop complexity in their interpretations of the thematics and issues discussed in class. This study may reveal important details about the use of visual media in the classroom setting. Lastly, it might reveal whether current pedagogy which does not make use of visual media gauges class engagement effectively.

Considerando os aspectos culturais e a necessidade de se pensar numa perspectiva de Ensino de Ciências que vise a compreensão de outras formas de “ler o mundo”, o presente trabalho possui como tema a apresentação das potencialidades quanto ao uso de animes no Ensino de Ciências enquanto possibilidade pedagógica, tendo como objetivo geral refletir sobre como esse tipo específico de animação tem sido (re)tratado no âmbito da pesquisa da área. Assim, a partir de uma breve revisão bibliográfica sobre o tema de interesse, e que se refere à última década, refletimos sobre as distintas potencialidades, apontadas por pesquisas empíricas e/ou teóricas, a respeito do uso de animações, mais especificamente de animes, na Educação em Ciências. Essa abordagem se deve ao fato de partirmos da premissa de que formas de materialização da linguagem em perspectivas audiovisuais podem auxiliar práticas docentes e destituir alunos de seu tradicional papel passivo em sala de aula. Dessa forma, a partir de um movimento descritivo-interpretativo e analítico-reflexivo, foi delineada a seguinte questão de pesquisa: em que medida o uso de animes pode corroborar positivamente à prática docente no âmbito do Ensino de Ciências na Educação Básica.

Zizek's famous quote; a popular Japanese manga about a University club full of "slash" enthusiast females plus one cross-dressing  and very confused boy who shares their enthusiasms... What is the author up to? Let us throw pop post-Lacan pasta at the wall and see what sticks!

Better to just read it in the original form at:
https://heartsoffuriousfancies.wordpress.com/2014/03/16/genshiken-ch-95-97-as-a-symptom-of-man/

...as the print to pdf'd pdf looks atrocious!

Once you get past the fannish first part discussing the story-in-progress, you get to the pop-post-Lacan stuff, wherein I try to build a case that the author is working up an odd approach to the decentered subject and the creative process. And one that is heavily influenced by popular cultural discourse that uses post-Lacanian concepts (Did not Dr Saito Tamaki recommend this manga back in 2006?)

The "comic" (manga) can be read in fan-translated English and other languages on various grey sites across the net. Append "read" to a Google search naming it and enjoy.

We examined the prevalence rates of mental and neurodevelopmental illness among members of three different fandoms: anime, My Little Pony (brony), and furry. In total, nearly 2,600 fans across these groups self-reported whether or not they had ever been diagnosed with a psychological and/or neurodevelopmental illness. Data revealed that anime fans, bronies, and furries all show higher rates of diagnoses on the autism spectrum than rates observed in studies of the general population. Rates of mood and anxiety disorders were lower than that of the general population. Rates of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder were lower in anime and brony fandoms, but were not different from the general population for furry fans. Taken together, the results provide an exploratory look at mental health issues in fan communities and suggest both commonalities across fan groups and idiosyncrasies within particular fandoms.

The proposed presentation focuses on Anglophone fandom dedicated to a Japanese transmedia franchise Weiß Kreuz. Over a span of ten years (1997-2007), manga series, anime series, OVA, a light novel and audio dramas were produced within the franchise, telling a story of four assassins working in a flower shop as a cover-up. Notable peculiarities of the series include a plentitude of internal inconsistencies and major continuity errors, including unaccounted gaps in the timeline and "plot holes so big you could drive a truck through". These flaws, however, do not seem to prevent the determined fans from appropriating the story and remaking it through fanfiction, often along the lines of BL (Boys' Love, or yaoi, featuring romantic/sexual relationship between male characters). On the contrary, the shortcomings of the canon in this case provide a sort of invitation for fan creativity. While dedicated fans enjoy engaging with the canon, they, nevertheless, are not blind to its flaws. They are willing to acknowledge and laugh at its inconsistencies and other failings, in both discussions and fanfiction, proving once again that fan appropriating and transforming of media productions is chiefly done for the fun of it.

La industria de animación japonesa ha ido evolucionando con el paso de los años a través de períodos significativos o artistas relevantes. En la actualidad, cuando se habla de animación japonesa, diferentes nombres pueden aparecer en la mente del espectador, pero, indudablemente, el Studio Ghibli gana cada vez más popularidad y, entre sus producciones, las de Hayao Miyazaki. El presente artículo realiza un análisis de la banda sonora original compuesta por Joe Hisaishi para la película titulada El viaje de Chihiro. Se busca pues, mediante una revisión de la industria musical para animación del país nipón, establecer los rasgos de estilo del compositor, además de exponer las características que cumple la música en dicho género. De esta forma se pretende indagar tanto en la obra de Miyazaki como en su relación con la banda sonora y el efecto que generan ambas en el espectador.

This article aims to demonstrate how exactly Thomas Lamarre reads movement, plot, and characters in The Anime Machine (2009), as defined to an extent, yet not completely determined by the concept of the animetic machine. Mimicking the first part of Lamarre’s book, this article approaches Miyazaki’s last work, The Wind Rises (Kaze tachinu, 2013). What Lamarre sees in Miyazaki’s manga eiga is a new way of gaining “a free relation to technology” as idealized by Heideggerian philosophy, but, of course, “in animation” (Lamarre 62). This free, critical relation seems to be most noticeably depicted in Nausicaä of the Valley of
the Wind (Kaze no tani no Naushika, 1984) and Castle in the Sky (Tenkū no shiro Rapyūta, 1986). But does the same kind of criticality that Lamarre finds in Miyazaki’s prior works also
apply to the latest one, and if so, to what extent? These questions leads one to reconsider whether the conclusions Lamarre arrives at actually capture the critical potential of his theory. In the discussion of these issues, anime is viewed not as a text, but as a hub of interrelations, including the interrelations between audience groups. Finally, the argumentation arrives at the plurality favored by the medium itself, suggested by Lamarre himself, but not ultimately prioritized.

Yaoi/BL Fandom Survey (only takes 10 mins to complete): https://leeds.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/blfandomsurvey

http://sainsbury-institute.org/news-events/legislating-manga-workshop/

This talk will explore the implications of the Prohibited Images of Children section of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 for Boys' Love and Yaoi in the UK. The British legislation will be set in context briefly with regard to the legal situation in North America, Australia, Japan and China. Anna is Chair of Qualitative Inquiry in the School of Psychology at the University of Leeds and is author of 'Boys’ Love manga for girls: Paedophilic, satirical, queer readings and English law' in Children, Sexuality and Sexualisation (2015). Her online BL fandom survey can be found at https://leeds.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/blfandomsurvey

In the present study we tested the hypothesis that cosplayers experience greater well-being than non-cosplayers within the anime fandom in part because they are more likely to disclose their fan identity to non-fans. Anime fans indicated whether they engaged in cosplaying or not, and rated the degree to which they disclose their anime fan identity to non-fans, satisfaction with life, self-esteem, and depression. Compared to non-cosplayers, cosplayers reported greater self-disclosure and better well-being across a number of indicators. Mediation analyses revealed that the relationship between cosplaying and well-being was consistently mediated by disclosure, a finding in-line with existing research. These are discussed within the context of existing research, providing both a conceptual replication of past findings from related fandoms (i.e., the furry fandom) while also suggesting a myriad of possible directions for future research on the subject.

The authors examined perceived discrimination directed toward one’s fan group and toward oneself in multiple groups of fans. Specifically, furries, bronies, anime fans, and a group of miscellaneous fans completed measures assessing the extent to which they perceived discrimination toward both their fan group and toward themselves. Across all samples, participants reported greater discrimination directed toward their fan group than toward themselves, suggesting denial of personal discrimination. The difference between personal discrimination and fandom discrimination is a reliable one, as suggested by its persistence despite considerable differences between the groups with regard to the level of societal stigma. The implications of these results and future directions for this line of research are discussed

Sailor Moon, en su versión de anime de los 90’, que fue transmitida en Chile por televisión abierta en Chilevisión por primera vez desde 1996 hasta 1999, introdujo dentro de su trama a varios personajes que desafían la concepción binaria del género y la heteronorma. Estos contenidos, impensados para la época, marcaron a una generación de espectadores chilenos, niñes y jóvenes, que vieron, por primera vez, una representación de personajes LGBTQ+ por televisión.

It is the intent of this session to shed the spotlight on examples of Nordic-inspired medievalisms and to bring them into ongoing conversations and debates about the reception of the medieval in the post-medieval world. We are especially interested in the reach of Marvel’s versions beyond the United States and how other approaches to the material engage with, react to, or ignore Marvel’s work. In addition, we hope to include coverage of texts from non-Western media (like anime and manga) that have embraced the traditions of the Norse gods in innovative ways.

Interested individuals should submit, no later than 15 September 2018, (1) paper proposal or abstract of approximately 500 words, (2) a 250 to 500-word academic biographical narrative, and (3) a completed Participant Information Form (accessible at https://wmich.edu/medievalcongress/submissions) to the organizers at Comics.Get.Medieval@gmail.com using “More than Marvel” as their subject heading.

In planning your proposal, please be aware of the policies of the Congress (available at https://wmich.edu/medievalcongress/policies).

The films of Hayao Miyazaki drink from a series of fixed and constant influences. In this article we focus on knowing the specific influences that his film Spirited Away (2001) has received in order to understand to what extent the cultural production that Miyazaki is nourished from can intervene in his works. Thus, it is intended to establish relations between audiovisual story and folklore and Japanese tradition.

Los filmes de Hayao Miyazaki beben de una serie de influencias fijas y constantes. En este artículo nos centramos en conocer las influencias concretas que ha recibido su película El viaje de Chihiro (2001) para entender hasta qué punto la producción cultural de la que se nutre Miyazaki puede llegar a intervenir en sus obras. Así, se pretende establecer relaciones entre en relato audiovisual y el folclore y la tradición nipona.

En este artículo se relacionan algunos de los temas
que suelen movilizarse en el mejor anime
contemporáneo —como los multiversos y los
décadrage temporales— con una teoría del cine
relacionada, a su vez, con los hologramas y el
inconsciente del espectador. Para ello, se analizan
algunas secuencias claves de una película ejemplar
en este sentido: Your Name (Kimi no na wa) de
Shinkai Makoto (2016).

Fully credible to the child’s imagination fantastic futuristic devices: The inventions of Fujiko F. Fujio is a history of the creations of Hiroshi Fujimoto for his Doraemon’s manga. This research summarize Hiroshi Fujimoto biography, as well as the possible influences that led him to create such a unique story. The work lists the gadgets that appear in the albums printed by Planeta DeAgostini, quantifies its use in tables describing each and creates a graphic catalog of these inventions so that there is an accessible compendium of them.
In the annexes the future book layout for print or electronic format is presented, so is the findings in chronological order with images that facilitate a quick search of gadgets, for both scholars and the general public.

In der Erzähltradition des japanischen anime ist das Konzept der künstlichen Lebensform seit jeher ein vielseitig verarbeitetes narratives Konstrukt. Anime reflektiert – neben Aspekten der realwirtschaftlich fundierten Robotik – ebenfalls Momente der gesellschaftlichen Kulturkritik im Bezug auf das Verhältnis von Mensch und künstlichem Leben. Als transkulturales Prinzip ist anime dabei nicht nur ein Reflexionsprinzip einer traditionell japanischen Perspektive, sondern verarbeitet kulturelle Motive und Inhalte einer global vernetzten und multimedialen Weltgesellschaft. Das Verständnis von künstlichen Lebensformen und deren Charakterisierung, wie es im anime reflektiv zur Anwendung kommt, erfährt dabei eine Evolution narrativer Inhalte. Diese Evolution problematisiert nicht nur Angstmotive im Kontext von Mensch-Maschine-Symbiosen, sondern gerade realgesellschaftliche Diskurse: Fragen nach der Konstitution von Identität, Körpern, modernen Formen der Sozialität und das Verhältnis von Geist, Körper, Leben und Personwerdung werden problematisiert. Die Evolution des Cyborgs zeigt am Beispiel des anime Ergo Proxy (2006) einen nächsten Stufenschritt in der Darstellung künstlicher Lebensformen, der über das bisherige Verständnis von Robotern/ Androiden, mecha und Cyborgs hinausgeht – dieser nächste Schritt charakterisiert in aller Deutlichkeit das moderne und ambivalente Verhältnis von Mensch und künstlicher Lebensform.

The article analyses two recent fictional reiterations of Count Dracula’s topos – namely, Alucard
in Kouta Hirano’s Hellsing manga series (1997-2008) and Fifi/FAD (Florin Anghelescu Dragolea) in Alexandru
Muşina’s novel Dracula’s Nephew (2012) – as two rather authoritative contemporary references modifying the
vampiric epitome originally outlined by Bram Stoker (and others). The focus is set on the evolution of ‘nation
branding’ related elements reflected inside the common fictional paradigm. More specifically, this imagological
investigation revolves around the ethical-symbolic dimension of the two selected contemporary works, in its
particular relation to the controversial tendency of ‘branding’ Romania (or Transylvania) as the ‘actual’ homeland
of the vicious vampire count. The ethical response both works imply is distinctive as well as significant, in the sense
that it illustrates a current tendency towards what will be referred to in the present study as a ‘pop-cultural
détente’.

Three recent western animated TV series “Avatar: The Last Airbender” (Nickelodeon Animation Studios), “Totally Spies” (Marathon Productions) and “Teen Titans” (Warner Bros. Animation) all have an anime influence. These shows have imported many visual, musical and storytelling elements from Japanese animation. Many of these shows are award-winners, and have appealed to audiences far larger than their originally intended demographic. Comparing and contrasting these shows to each other and analyzing them may reveal consistent reasons for success.
I intend to consult the shows themselves, and any documentaries/commentaries that are available; various texts that deal with anime (such as Napier’s Anime from Akira to Princess Mononoke) and interviews with the creators and artists involved in the creation of these shows.

An examination of these and similar series would help us understand what works and why, and can help us craft better shows in the future, by applying the best of both styles. It may also shed light on ways to grow the American animation industry, by observing the Japanese model and understanding why television animation appeals to every age group in Japan, while in America it is mostly limited to children’s programming and a handful of prime-time sitcom-style shows.

This chapter focuses on Virtual YouTubers (or Vtubers: actors using 3D model anime-like characters to post on YouTube), examining how they are performed through two modes of acting utilized in concert with certain technologies: embodied acting (where unique gestures express individualized personality) in the usage of motion-capture, and figurative acting (where pre-existing codified gestures constitute characters) in the facial expressions from anime performed on a digital avatar after getting filtered through facial recognition technology. Analyzing the varying tendencies of embodied and figurative acting of Vtubers, this chapter concentrates on the popular Vtuber Kizuna Ai, who is an “official cultural diplomat” for Japan, but also has an official Chinese “version” of herself on BiliBili. Her existence across platforms, nations, and languages raises questions about the contemporary intersection between digital, national, and cultural boundaries, and how we perform ourselves in digital media. Kizuna AI’s character performance operates across technologies and platforms in a manner which brings into relief how the contemporary tensions between distinction and duplication play out in our transnational, (trans-)platform society as we perform at the intersection of different modes of selfhood.

Prior to the individual analysis of language in this study, I was part of a group examining three anime, all (generally) categorized as “action” according to their plots: Cowboy Bebop (1998), Outlaw Star (1998) and Blue Seed (1994). All three anime were from the 1990s, and all three had the same young adult male to adult male target audience. Since this research is specific to the action genre, it does not by any means possess the same gender speech patterns as other anime. All three anime creators were male, target audiences were male, and situations and plot are far different from other genres, for which there are many (e.g. romance, horror, “slice-of-life” and comedy). This particular study had an even slimmer scope as it focuses only on the anime Blue Seed. Blue Seed is not strictly an action anime as it also includes supernatural elements in the form of the Aragami (could be considered horror), and a blossoming romance between the male and female lead protagonists and a couple of the side characters as well.

Patrice BALLESTER” To February 22, 1981, Mobile Suit Gundam Anime New Century Declaration at Gundam Factory Yokohama 2020  IEFT, 2021, 14 p.

On February 22, 1981, just before the release of "Mobile Suit Gundam the Movie", a "Declaration of the New Century of Anime" was read to a grouped audience, in droves, right in the middle of modern Tokyo. It is an event of national significance in the field of remembrance, memory and history of anime and manga in Japan, but also in the world through its repercussions.
The "children of Gundam" then take the floor to become a mythical moment in the history of modern Japan in the field of entertainment: two young students Mamoru Nagano and Maria Kawamura, dressed as characters of Gundam, Char Aznable and Lalah Sun read in front of a Tomino triumphing the declaration of Shinjuku around 12h ...
2021 GUNDAM FACTORY - YOKOHAMA.

Le 22 février 1981, juste avant la sortie de « Mobile Suit Gundam the Movie », une « Déclaration du nouveau siècle d'Anime » a été lu devant un public groupé, en masse, ceci en plein centre moderne de Tokyo. C’est un événement à la portée nationale dans le domaine du souvenir, de la mémoire et de l’histoire de l’anime et manga au Japon, mais aussi dans le monde par ses répercussions.

Les « enfants de Gundam» prennent alors la parole pour devenir un moment mythique de l’histoire du japon moderne dans le domaine du divertissement : deux jeunes étudiants Mamoru Nagano et Maria Kawamura, habillés en personnages de Gundam, Char Aznable et Lalah Sun lise devant un Tomino triomphant la déclaration de Shinjuku vers 12h…

Este estudio abarca el proceso de consumo cultural del grupo de Facebook Los Mugiwara (One Piece) del manga y anime One Piece durante el 2019. Dicha investigación es cualitativa y de tipo explicativa, ya que busca determinar el proceso de consumo cultural del grupo de Facebook Los Mugiwara (One Piece) del manga y anime One Piece. La metodología utilizada engloba las técnicas de grupos focales, entrevistas, análisis del discurso y netnografía.
La investigación demuestra que los miembros toman el papel de receptores activos en todo el proceso de su consumo cultural. Esto porque ellos le dan una valoración simbólica a la serie y ello repercute en la búsqueda de espacios de socialización donde la interacción permite un aprendizaje informal individual y colectivo entre los integrantes. Es entonces que algunos miembros llegan a producir contenido referente a One Piece debido lo aprendido. Los mismos usuarios al crear y replicar contenido sobre la serie dentro del grupo expanden el proceso de consumo cultural. Si bien existen usuarios-consumidores pasivos, la participación de los miembros contribuye a la transformación de la comunidad en un espacio de aprendizaje informal autónomo y colaborativo.

Palabras clave: Consumo cultural, manga y anime, redes sociales digitales, receptor activo, aprendizaje informal

Due to the expansive nature of the anime "One Piece" this paper takes a more targeted approach to analyzing implications of Japan's identity crises and social insecurities by looking at only three of the main characters.  In the course of this analysis we will look at correlations between the personality and traits of these characters and their metaphorical implications of Japanese social issues, especially those that have developed during the tumultuous decades following the economic "Bubble Burst" beginning in the early 1990s.  The characters and their associations are as follows: Monkey D. Luffy, who show signs of chaotic youth and rebellion; Nico-Robin, who embodies attributes of the trope of the monstrous feminine and also alludes to the issues of historical whitewashing; and Franky, who represents the inseparable relationship between Japan and technology, as well as the "Cool Japan Project" and the otaku culture.

On the fifth of december, 2015, acclaimed Studio Ghibli’s animation director Takahata Isao visited Okinawa University for a conference about the controversial issue of American bases’ relocation from Futenma to Henoko, the first being considered as the most dangerous military base for population in the world by its location in the middle of the city of Ginowan, the second being more remote but on an extremely precious and fragile natural site. And on July 13, 2015, Miyazaki Hayao attended a press conference in Tokyo, in which he urged the Abe’s government to follow the 70 years of Pacifist Constitution.
This events are not only an epiphenomenon among the waves of protestation and reflexion against the relocation, but the continuation of a coherent serie of act on behalf of the Studio Ghibli. Indeed, the commitment of the studio regarding militarism, environmentalism and other has not to be proven, but still, the Okinawan issue brought it to act in various way that are not to be seen only as intervention from popular personalities on political topics.
    Based on the idea that education is crucial and  decisive in the crafting process of positive peace, we might need to understand, first, that traditional school systems in liberal democracies, although supposed to be universal and emancipating, are not systematically teaching about peace and how to act and live accordingly (at the opposite of militarization as an unconscious process among daily life), but nevertheless, peace education is not something that must be achieved only by formal education, and other socialization forces tend to educate people in informal, and somehow less elitist ways. Studio Ghibli shown commitment to allude to and stand for pacifism, nature protection, but as well feminism or drifts of over consumption. And this, not by making pieces of works accordingly in the idea of educating people to those certain ideas, but by making pieces of culture that happened to be loved and educative at the the same time. It is an example of how important culture is to a peaceful and pacifist society, as a force of balance, equilibrium with various education waves;  such as journalists or researchers, artists take part in the work toward balanced society and weight of power. And this idea can be even more relevant since those artists are part of popular culture and thus, escape the issues of art and culture as being too hard to understand.
In a country like Japan where the “modern” society is characterized by an abundance and overload of popular culture all around, in a society of entertainment such as it is in the so called “developed” countries, the importance of popular culture pieces is not anodyne. Public opinion, and thus, civil society (or the sometimes the lack of civil society) is shaped by media and therefore, it is a tool and a mean from the government and this is why the opposite, free culture and art process, is so important to maintain peace and allow people to think by themselves and stand up for what is fair.
First, we are going to see how Studio ghibli took part in Okinawa issues, carrying on their past commitments concerning militarism and nationalism in Japan in more global ways. Then, we will try to understand why popular and visual culture in Japan is not insignificant in political issues, but on the contrary extremely significant as an idea shaping force. And finally, following these thoughts, we will tend to see how popular culture can educate and bloom pacifist behavior, through the works of Studio Ghibli not only by its public interventions but by its creative work.