This study looks at how otaku relate to and engage works, building on previous research showing that affect is the lynchpin for otaku, the axis around which their engagement with works revolves....Show moreThis study looks at how otaku relate to and engage works, building on previous research showing that affect is the lynchpin for otaku, the axis around which their engagement with works revolves. Through mainly looking at anime this matter will be approached from a film studies perspective. This study takes the Narrative consumption and Database consumption theories, by Ōtsuka Eiji and Azuma Hiroki respectively and underpins(integrates) them with Carl Plantinga’s theory on affect elicitation, thus demonstrating that Plantinga’s theory is absolutely imperative to making these theories function and creating an ‘integrative theoretical framework’.Show less
This paper centres on the masculinity found in K-pop and argues that this type of masculinity reinforces traditional gender roles. To reveal how unequal gender relations manifest themselves in the...Show moreThis paper centres on the masculinity found in K-pop and argues that this type of masculinity reinforces traditional gender roles. To reveal how unequal gender relations manifest themselves in the joint performances of male and female K-pop idols, a textual analysis based on Goffman’s framework is provided. With this, I seek to underline the argument made by Elfving-Hwang, Ainslie, Lin and Rudolf, who state that the masculinity found in K-pop does not, as is often claimed, signal the demise of hegemonic masculinity. The present research forms a valuable contribution to this argument due to the specific focus on the interaction between idols. This is important, given that gender is a relational concept and the interaction between idols has, within the current discourse, not received enough attention. I conclude that there are four mechanisms working to perpetuate traditional gender roles: the subordination by camera work and montage, the reassertion of masculinity, subsiding the subordinating effect of gender displays and the retainment of “appropriate” femininity.Show less
"How can the onryō tradition help us interpret the contemporary phenomenon of cutesified onryō parodies?" Through analyzing the emergence and appeasement of three distinct historical types of onryō...Show more"How can the onryō tradition help us interpret the contemporary phenomenon of cutesified onryō parodies?" Through analyzing the emergence and appeasement of three distinct historical types of onryō, the context necessary for understanding the place of the 'cutesified onryō' will take shape. Next, some examples of this new onryō will be discussed to see what the recurring themes are. And lastly, a more in-depth case study of a manga centered around a cutesified onryō will be carried out. It will be argued that cutesification functions not only as a form of appeasement, but also as 'domestication'. The onryō’s history of empowerment and role-breaking is subverted as they are forced back into gendered societal roles.Show less
This thesis provides an analysis on the J-horror film Kairo (Kurosawa Kiyoshi, 2001) and Studio Ghibli's Pom Poko (Takahata Isao, 1994) and their connection to the concept of furusato. Furusato, a...Show moreThis thesis provides an analysis on the J-horror film Kairo (Kurosawa Kiyoshi, 2001) and Studio Ghibli's Pom Poko (Takahata Isao, 1994) and their connection to the concept of furusato. Furusato, a nostalgic longing for the countryside as metaphorical "old home", is expressed very differently in these films: while Pom Poko heavily emphasises this nostalgia, furusato is implicitly present in Kairo through its absence.Show less
