IANIM 3800 Anime: Roots to Modern Day
This Japanese Anime class explores the history of this internationally popular art form through the investigation and creation of art. The intellectual emphasis for this course favors the conceptual side. Its goal is to challenge students to be thinking artists who intensely research their content in art collections and libraries. This class plays upon popular notions of stereotypes, attempting to strip away existing prejudices. Anime reveals much about the society and mythology of Japan, along with the influence other countries have had on the Japanese diaspora. Students will learn Japanese aesthetics like Wabi (transient and stark beauty), Sabi (beauty of aging and decay), Yugen (subtle grace), Miyabi (refinement, perfection), Shibui (simple beauty), and Kawaii (cuteness). They will observe and learn their roles in Anime contrasting these concepts with those commonly used to evaluate art in Western society. This course investigates how going past surface perceptions enables one to think like a researcher so that their finished animation artwork will reflect the culture and narratives of Anime's Japanese roots.