Tues 5-6pm Weekly

This course works in tandem with a theory created by Kurt Vonnegut in his (rejected) thesis, “The Shape of Stories,” and key works of anime throughout from the 1980s to present day. This theory suggests that there are only eight ways to tell a story, and we will apply this theory to 8-10 different works within the sphere of anime, looking to see if the genre follows this theoretical path, or perhaps even subvert it. Additionally, the class will work to analyze narrative forms within anime, categorizing patterns of plot, sub-genre, character archetypes, and so on. There will also be texts of literary criticism that will be (lightly) assigned throughout the duration of this course, from authors such as Foucault, Aristotle, and others.

There will be a final project of this course in which students, either individually or in groups, will be expected to produce a project applying the skills learned in this class to an anime work of their choosing (or, if they prefer, creating an anime work themselves that reflects what was learned in class).

This is as much a discussion course as it is a lecture or viewing one. Students will be expected to show up on time, as the majority of class time will be devoted to media viewings and discussion. Students must come to class having read assigned materials before class begins (no required reading for the first class). The topics of the last few sessions of class are TBD.

Please fill out a short google form so we can gauge your interest and exposure to the course content. No prior knowledge of Anime needed!