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Anime Explosion!

The What? Why? and Wow! of Japanese Animation, Revised and Updated Edition
By Patrick Drazen
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3.66 goodreads logo

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Check link for latest rating. ( 184 ratings, 16 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Anime Explosion! by Patrick Drazen provides an engaging, comprehensive exploration of the anime megaverse. Covering its evolution from traditional art forms to the works of modern creators like Hayao Miyazaki and Katsuhiro Otomo, the book delves into key themes, styles, and conventions, including giant robots, samurai, and high school heroines. It concludes with insightful essays on beloved series such as Evangelion and Fullmetal Alchemist.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$9499

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for anime enthusiasts, cultural scholars, and those new to Japanese animation seeking a well-researched and accessible guide to the genre’s history and themes.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

One of the best overviews of the anime phenomenon, its history and cultural significance, ideal for surveys and in-depth study.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

"An excellent reference work on the subject." - Library Journal (starred review)

For fans, culture watchers, and perplexed outsiders, this expanded edition offers an engaging tour of the anime megaverse, from older artistic traditions to the works of modern creators like Hayao Miyazaki, Katsuhiro Otomo, Satoshi Kon, and CLAMP. Examined are all of anime's major themes, styles, and conventions, plus the familiar tropes of giant robots, samurai, furry beasts, high school heroines, and gay/girl/fanboy love.

Concluding are fifteen essays on favourite anime, including Evangelion, Escaflowne, Sailor Moon, Patlabor, and Fullmetal Alchemist.

Patrick Drazen is an anime historian who lives in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Praised as an "excellent reference work" by Library Journal and called "an essential reference" by the Leonardo Journal, this book is celebrated for its thorough research and clarity. Reviews highlight it as both an ideal gift for fans and a perfect introduction for newcomers, offering valuable insights into anime and Japanese culture alike.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781611720136

Publisher: Sports Publishing LLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 22 May 2014

Country: United States

Imprint: Sports Publishing LLC

Edition: Second Edition

Illustration: Illustrations

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 25.0mm

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 228.0mm

Weight: 552g

Pages: 388

Collections

Arts & Culture Asian History Education & Reference Fiction Graphic Novels History & Archaeology History & Military Manga Patrick Drazen

About the Author

Patrick Drazen has presented at the 2004 Schoolgirls and Mobilesuits, at Yaoi-Con in 2002, at the 2006 Cherry Blossom Festival Anime Marathon at the Freer Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution, and for several years at Anime Central in Chicago. He's been at anime conventions in Columbus, Indianapolis, and Peoria, and gave a talk on anime based on western literature at his alma mater Illinois Wesleyan University for Homecoming 2012. He also gave talks about anime at Mayor Daley's Book Club, an annual literacy festival for local authors. He's written articles on anime for Animation magazine and the British magazine SFX, on manga for Time Out New York, sits on the Editorial Board for Mechademia journal, and participated in a panel discussion in 2006 with Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino as part of the Chicago International Film Festival. Drazen has an extensive anime collection, from Betamax to DVD, and his presentations have touched on Japanese folklore in modern anime, same-sex relationships, and the fluid nature of heroes and villains in anime.

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