Rating: 
Summary: Interesting attempt to define the Anime genre
Review: I have already read several books on Japanese animes by authors coming from various backgrounds (F. Schodt, G. Poitras, S. Kinsella,...) and I must say that with each of them, I have been introduced to new aspects of and approaches to animes in general. This book isn't an exception to this rule. There is only one flaw that I noticed in all of them: they all tend to equate America with Western culture as a whole! I understand that American culture does have a significant impact in this world, but it has definitely not yet permeatted it to the point of uniformizing it completely to its own standards. And in this respect, I think that the various European national cultures have enough of their own specificities for not being lumped up with American culture in a vague generic concept of Western culture. Although it bothered me somewhat in the other accounts of animes, in S. Napier's book, it was especially annoying, as she claims insistingly that animes started to really make it in the West (instead of North America!!) only at the beginning of the 90's, when in France and other Latine areas of Europe it has been around for almost 30 years, with a really high peak in France in the 80's! I can still remember several 80's French TV shows for kids on Saturday and Sunday, starting at 7:00 am and lasting until noon, or covering the whole of Wednesday afternoon, broadcasting almost exclusively Japananimations! VHS of these animes were released along with Soundtracks and had a huge success in the Francophone world. Today, people are fighting over the newly released DVD's of such mythical series as Captain Harlock ("Albator" in French)or Saint Seya ("Les Chevaliers du Zodiaque" in French). Most of these people were kids in the 70's-80's and grew up with these series. I cannot say exactly how it was in Italy, Spain and other parts of Europe, but in France and other French-speaking countries, it was definitely a big phenomenon and people were totally aware that they were watching Japanese productions!
This non-acknowledgement of the distinctive European perceptions of Japanimations becomes especially acute when she pretends to survey the behavior of Anime fans throughout the Western world and focuse her study on Texas university students and American youngsters, only mentioning that she sent a few questionaires to Holland! To Holland?? Is it because they speak better English than French or Italian people? For someone who learnt such a difficult language as Japanese, she couldn't make the effort to find someone speaking French or any other European languages to translate the interviews with people from these countries?? On top of it, she doesn't mention at all the answers of the Dutch respondants!! For someone who dedicated part of her life to widening significantly her cultural scope (Hey! She specialized in Japanese literature! What could be more distant from American or European civilizations???), she displays a real lack of nuance in her assesment of Western cultureS, with a big "S", plural! So, this being said, I think S. Napier does a very interesting job in her attempt to define Japanese Animes as a cinematographic genre, on the same footing as Disney or other cultural trends in the world of animations. By giving some leads to generate a general pattern of what makes Anime a distinctive arts, standing on its own, although in relations to other types of production, she gives a useful starting point for an outline of their nature and influence on popular cultures around the world. She analyses several series or OAV's, with an emphasis on a few ones, which she considers especially interesting with respect to the criteria she uses to analyse the genre, in order to give a hint of the perspectives one might gain from a thorough study of it. Thus, one should not expect a detailed description of the way animes reflect present day Japan (for this, refer to "The Anime Companion, what's Japanese in Japanese animation", by G. Poitras) nor a historical/sociological compilation of Manga(for this, refer to F. Schodt's books: "Manga! Manga! The world of Japanese comics" or "Dreamland Japan: writing on modern Manga"). Also, she focuses on recent Animes that made it to America, which were only a drop in the ocean of Japanese productions that never leave Japan or Asia, thus justifying the limited choice of examples from which she could select cases to study. This is where she differs significantly from several authors on Manga, because she truly describes this genre as an international and transcultural phenomenon of increasingly globalized popular cultureS. Actually, she considers animes as a metaphor for Japan's search for its cultural and political place in the modern world and the exportation of these productions as a symptom of Japan's fullfledge participation to the construction of a global human identity. For this reason, this is an excellent book and I do not think there is such a wide academic jargon in it. Actually, there are only a few really technical terms she uses and they come back frequently throughout the whole book. She indeed made a few confusions describing certain episodes but these do not undermine at all her analysis, because, as I said earlier, her book isn't an analysis of each series or OAV's that were produced in Japan or distributed in the US, but an attempt to highlight the basic tenets around which the anime genre is articulated. Despite its Americocentrism, I highly recommend that book, along with the reading of those I cited in this review, especially those by F. Schodt! These works will give you a general, panoramic view of the Anime phenomenon, both in Japan and in America (but not truly in the West...for this, there would be a need to analyse the phenomenon in Europe and I haven't yet found a book doing this...).
Rating: 
Summary: Don't listen to the editorial review!
Review: I learned more about anime in this book than I can possibly relay to you. I am a "deep thinker", (my favorite books include 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintainance'), and obviously so is Susan J Napier. Sure, she limits here reference material, but that is a good thing. This is not a book for people who want to know about all the anime out there that's worth watching, but rather, a philosophical, psychological, and unbiased look at the influence of the source material she does use, and that leaves us, the anime/manga fan, to take her thoughts and process them through our own minds after watching every new (or old) anime.
Now every time I see an anime, I go, "Ah, that fits here, or there, or 'I can see the importance of this body metamorphosis because of......"
I think that this is a must read for any anime fan who has an intellect. If your idea of good anime is just watching the mecha's fight, or just seeing the action in an Akira, Spriggan, Armitage, or just the humor and situational comedy in Ranma 1/2, this book is not for you. But if anime has captured you in a way that makes you want to reason thingsout for yourself, than read this book...Excellent book! Keep up the good work, Susan. And if the horrible editorial writer was true when he said that you were "publishing or perishing" to keep your career going, fine! Keep publishing! I look forward to your next venture.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant book for those uninitiated into anime
Review: I'll admit that among the first anime I focused on watching were the LA Blue Girl, Angel of Darkness, and Twin Doll series because of the graphic violence and violations committed against women. However, after reading Susan Napier's study on Anime, I was noticeably enlightened and focused on getting certain quality titles. Napier, who teaches Japanese literature and culture at UTex, Austin, argues that anime has historical roots, from woodcarvings by Hiroshige Ando in the 19th century, the Edo Period of the Tokugawa period, such as the erotic kibyoshi books, to Zen cartoons in the medieval era, and even the Kabuki traditions. As to why has anime become so popular with the release of Akira in 1988, the answer lies in the genres diversity in themes, the fact that it's not as predictable or sanitized as the child-geared Disney cartoons, and of course there's that unique visual style of those big-eyed, small waists, long-legged miniskirted women. But the characters are more human and thus realistic, not straight black-and-white, but cases where heroes have some negative qualities and villains some positive ones. And depending on the genre, anime reaches out to all age groups. It's also an art form, and dramatic and intellectual in the same way independent films should be. Females are more assertive and stand out as role models for young girls, whether it be San from Mononokehime, the klutzy but powerful Usagi of Sailor Moon, or Miko and Miyu, the demon fighting sisters in the graphically adult LA Blue Girl. Compare that to wimpy heroines in Disney movies, where ironically, the more assertive females are the villains (Medusa in the Rescuers, Ursula in Little Mermaid, and the Evil Queen in Snow White). But they are also seen as nurturing and supportive (q.v. Belldandy in Oh My Goddess). However, anime also stands as a resistance against American-style globalization in pop culture. Apart from the reasons listed, I sometimes think Americans who like anime do so for the same reason, to find other outlets, for the same reason certain people want foreign films to get away from the usual Hollywood grind. Napier examines certain sub-genres in anime: post-nuclear, elegy, the carnival, the graphic adult anime, and mecha, underlying that the first three are the most significant. Akira is viewed as a study of the post-apocalyptic society as well as teenage alienation; the former is a reminder that Japan was the only nation to have an atomic bomb dropped on it. The fantasy element is examined in the "magical girlfriend" subgenre in Oh My Goddess! and Video Girl Ai, which goes beyond the movie star onscreen stepping into real life in The Purple Rose of Cairo. Neon Evangelion is examined by Napier in the examination of the mecha genre. There's clearly a technophobic dynamic explored in live-action movies like Terminator and Robocop, of the dangers of technology gone amuck. And video games like Robotron 2087, I'd like to add. The elegiac mode harkens back to a nostalgic yearning for something long gone, which in Japan's case involves the traditional countryside life that has been abandoned due to post-war industrialization, such as Only Yesterday, discussed in length. However, it can also indicate loss or a search for something, exemplified by the cyborg agent Kusanagi's search for her human soul in Ghost In The Shell. And yes, there is a section on Miyazaki Hayao, whose then-latest film, Mononokehime, broke Japanese box office records and won Best Picture at the Japanese film awards for 1997. The still must-be-reissued Nausicaa and the Valley Of The Winds, a post-nuclear tale that was a favourite of Aum Shinri Kyo leader Asahara Shoko, the cute Tonarino Totoro (My Neighbour Totoro), examining the assertiveness of the sisters Satsuki and Mei, and Mononokehime, studying the man versus nature (the wild gods), but also technology (iron) versus nature, and some more assertive females, the title character San, Moro, the she-wolf who raised her, and Lady Eboshi, leader of the iron-forging village who wants to clear the forests. A good start in learning the what and whys of anime, with with college-level discourses by Ms. Napier.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant book for those uninitiated into anime
Review: I'll admit that among the first anime I focused on watching were the LA Blue Girl, Angel of Darkness, and Twin Doll series because of the graphic violence and violations committed against women. However, after reading Susan Napier's study on Anime, I was noticeably enlightened and focused on getting certain quality titles. Napier, who teaches Japanese literature and culture at UTex, Austin, argues that anime has historical roots, from woodcarvings by Hiroshige Ando in the 19th century, the Edo Period of the Tokugawa period, such as the erotic kibyoshi books, to Zen cartoons in the medieval era, and even the Kabuki traditions. As to why has anime become so popular with the release of Akira in 1988, the answer lies in the genres diversity in themes, the fact that it's not as predictable or sanitized as the child-geared Disney cartoons, and of course there's that unique visual style of those big-eyed, small waists, long-legged miniskirted women. But the characters are more human and thus realistic, not straight black-and-white, but cases where heroes have some negative qualities and villains some positive ones. And depending on the genre, anime reaches out to all age groups. It's also an art form, and dramatic and intellectual in the same way independent films should be. Females are more assertive and stand out as role models for young girls, whether it be San from Mononokehime, the klutzy but powerful Usagi of Sailor Moon, or Miko and Miyu, the demon fighting sisters in the graphically adult LA Blue Girl. Compare that to wimpy heroines in Disney movies, where ironically, the more assertive females are the villains (Medusa in the Rescuers, Ursula in Little Mermaid, and the Evil Queen in Snow White). But they are also seen as nurturing and supportive (q.v. Belldandy in Oh My Goddess). However, anime also stands as a resistance against American-style globalization in pop culture. Apart from the reasons listed, I sometimes think Americans who like anime do so for the same reason, to find other outlets, for the same reason certain people want foreign films to get away from the usual Hollywood grind. Napier examines certain sub-genres in anime: post-nuclear, elegy, the carnival, the graphic adult anime, and mecha, underlying that the first three are the most significant. Akira is viewed as a study of the post-apocalyptic society as well as teenage alienation; the former is a reminder that Japan was the only nation to have an atomic bomb dropped on it. The fantasy element is examined in the "magical girlfriend" subgenre in Oh My Goddess! and Video Girl Ai, which goes beyond the movie star onscreen stepping into real life in The Purple Rose of Cairo. Neon Evangelion is examined by Napier in the examination of the mecha genre. There's clearly a technophobic dynamic explored in live-action movies like Terminator and Robocop, of the dangers of technology gone amuck. And video games like Robotron 2087, I'd like to add. The elegiac mode harkens back to a nostalgic yearning for something long gone, which in Japan's case involves the traditional countryside life that has been abandoned due to post-war industrialization, such as Only Yesterday, discussed in length. However, it can also indicate loss or a search for something, exemplified by the cyborg agent Kusanagi's search for her human soul in Ghost In The Shell. And yes, there is a section on Miyazaki Hayao, whose then-latest film, Mononokehime, broke Japanese box office records and won Best Picture at the Japanese film awards for 1997. The still must-be-reissued Nausicaa and the Valley Of The Winds, a post-nuclear tale that was a favourite of Aum Shinri Kyo leader Asahara Shoko, the cute Tonarino Totoro (My Neighbour Totoro), examining the assertiveness of the sisters Satsuki and Mei, and Mononokehime, studying the man versus nature (the wild gods), but also technology (iron) versus nature, and some more assertive females, the title character San, Moro, the she-wolf who raised her, and Lady Eboshi, leader of the iron-forging village who wants to clear the forests. A good start in learning the what and whys of anime, with with college-level discourses by Ms. Napier.
Rating:
Summary: Introduced me to anime
Review: I'm not sure what everyone's talking about, but I actually found the book interesting and pretty easy to understand. I hadn't really seen any anime except Princess Mononoke, and wasn't really interested in seeing any more. But the shows she talked about in this book sounded so interesting that I started going to see anime with the anime club at my college and now I'm a pretty regular viewer. Also a lot of the theories that she puts for seem sound from the anime I've seen, I can agree with a lot of the theories she puts forward. Whether that's because I read the book before I saw any or what, I'm not sure. But for what it's worth...
Rating:
Summary: It's a neat book, but...
Review: If you're expecting a brief overview of the very awesome world that is anime, don't come running to this book. If you're a beginner, it might scare you off. As (again!) other reviewers have already said, it's not an overview- it's extremely literate criticism. Which is not to say it's bad!: if you're well-versed enough in the territory of anime to relate with any of the titles analyzed, I highly recommend it. It's thoroughly thought-provoking and interesting (the Princess Mononoke essay I think is particularly well-done).
Rating: 
Summary: Who is the target audience?
Review: Napier presents an in-depth analysis of anime works that are popular in the US. The book seems to try to meet demands from both non-academic anime fans and academics who need information about pop culture of contemporary Japan. Unfortunately, this book does not meet either demands to the level of satisfaction. If you are a hard-core anime fan, you must simply wonder why the golden age of anime, which is from the late 70s to the 80s, are largely ignored. You might also wonder why only the anime titles that are popular in the West are treated in the book. For example, among Miyazaki Hayao's works, the most important (for both fans and creators of anime in Japan) are Lupin, Nausicaa and Laputa: Mononoke Hime's importance is a very recent idea marketed by Disney to American audience. Furthermore, Napier does not care about the important anime titles (in terms of both anime history and Japanese culture) like Gundam and Macross. Her anime collection seems to be limited to US official releases (I guess she doesn't watch fansubs...) If you are an academic who is looking for an overview and some concrete information about Japanese anime, then this book will not help you much. For example, she regards Akira as a representative anime work, but the truth is that Akira is important because it was the first international release. The same can be said about Ghost in the Shell. In short, Napier only discusses anime titles that are visible to American or Western audience and discuss them as if Japan has had the same perception of anime as America. There are many important anime works before Akira. Actually, compared to those, Akira is not so important at all. What if you see a book that tries to explain what American literature is, without mentioning Emerson, Hawthorne and Melville? As a reader who is both an academic and an anime fan, I don't see who this book is trying to target as its legitimate reader. Overall, Napier's discussions in this book are organized and solid as a scholarly work, but her approach and presumed frame of logic should be seriously questioned.
Rating:
Summary: disappointing
Review: Napier seems to thrive between the worlds of fandom and academe, but to a reader who knows both areas, her work is sadly lacking. As in her last book, the Fantastic in Modern Japanese Literature, she hopes to pull the wool over the eyes of other academics by choosing a specialty that few of them know. But as other reviewers have pointed out, she doesn't know it all that well herself either, and her observations on the handful of anime she has seen are marred by a lack of *anime* context. Such holes in her "fan" knowledge don't do her any favors with the fan community either -- far more contextualisation and comprehension is offered in the more populist work of Patrick Drazen. Napier would do well to read it before teaching another course on anime.
Rating:
Summary: A slightly different oppinion
Review: Okay, only have a minute to write this review, but I would like to state that this book is one of the best I have read on the topic. It's about time someone wrote a book that reads to intelligent audiences who are interested in the deep symbolism that is purposly put into the anime. Going deeply into the religious connotations of things like Neon Genesis Evangelion is a breath of fresh air compaired to how many authors just breeze through it like it is "just that simple". This book was wonderful.
Rating:
Summary: Not Great, But Not Horrible
Review: Previous reviewers have gotten it right--Napier's book reads more like a college thesis than a definitive guide to anime. She gets carried away with the philosophy and psychology at times, to the point of Freudian symbology (i.e. San's costume in "Princess Mononoke" being symbolic of female genitalia). Occasionally, the reader might find themselves begging Ms. Napier to just relax and enjoy "Ranma" for the zaniness that it is.
However, there are some good aspects. Her analysis of "Evangelion" shows a great deal of depth of knowledge of the subject, and I found her comparing it with the "cultural shock" of Japan following WWII very interesting. Also, her ability to place series in context with Japanese history, symbology, and philosophy is helpful to fans who want to really get into their favorite series.
On the whole, I would recommend this book for a thesis on anime, but not for newcomers or people looking for a simple review of a series.
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