Anime in the classroom

What is Anime?

Anime (pronounced AH-nee-may in Japanese) refers to animated works (television shows, films and original video animation (OVA)) produced in Japan (Condry, n.d. ; Wikipedia, n.d.).

Susan Napier, an expert on Anime, further explains what it is in a short video and talks briefly about her journey discovering anime in her TED talk.

Why use it in the Classroom?

According to Condry (n.d.), anime is "both a transnational and transmedia phenomenon." As anime and manga have gained immense popularity in North America through properties such as Demon Slayer, Attack on Titan and Jujutsu Kaisen, for educators, it's an incredible opportunity to use such properties to explore Japanese culture further.

Here are two quotes that capture the use of anime in the classroom

Describing anime and its use in the classroom, Levi (n.d.) says, "these expressions of Japanese views on their own world offer unparalleled insights into a culture that is notoriously difficult for North Americans to understand. Best of all, this is material that most students accept and watch or read on their own."

Condry (n.d.) says, "perhaps the most interesting thing about teaching anime is that it provides a way of exploring in ourselves and our own cultures what it is that draws our attention and that we deem significant. Anime acts a litmus test for cultural and media awareness on a number of levels.

How to approach anime in the classroom

Here, Levi offers three options

To focus on the content using approaches drawn from the social sciences.
To focus on the content using analytical methods drawn from literary and dramatic criticism.
To focus on the anime or manga as a cultural document in its own right.

Where can students watch anime?

Popular Anime Titles for Students