This paper will argue that isekai anime is different from the genre fantasy due to its cultural history tied to the Japanese game and anime industry use of media mix. First, a literature review on...Show moreThis paper will argue that isekai anime is different from the genre fantasy due to its cultural history tied to the Japanese game and anime industry use of media mix. First, a literature review on what "genre" is will be provided to lay a foundation for the readers, as this should help understanding the "why" and "how" isekai as a genre can be seen seperately from the fantasy genre argued in this paper. Examining the narrative tropes, the character's self-awareness and game mechanics in specific isekai anime, compared to the classic fantasy stories: Alice in wonderland and The Wizard of OZ will reveal similarities, but more importantly its difference. How is isekai different will be discussed in the final chapter where this paper will examen Japan's anime and game industry, the history and influence of noteble phenomenon "media mix" and Japan's work culture that all clearly make up for the genre isekai.Show less
This thesis explores how the media mix, the Japanese equivalent of the media franchise, influences the entertainment experiences of its fan audiences through a case study. It not only analyzes in...Show moreThis thesis explores how the media mix, the Japanese equivalent of the media franchise, influences the entertainment experiences of its fan audiences through a case study. It not only analyzes in what ways the anime media mix of Yuri!!! on ICE functions as a system, in which media content is dispersed and consumed in different media forms, but it also explores the ways Yuri!!! on ICE is experienced as a world of its own that is interrelated with various other existing worlds, such as the world of professional figure skating, the online and temporary (event) spaces centered on fan culture and its communities, and the various existing cities on which the world of Yuri!!! on ICE is based. By analyzing not only a specific franchise, but also the variety of texts that relate with it from different theoretical perspectives, this thesis looks for gaps that can be filled in between different but related theories on media, semiotics, culture and space, particularly on the (re)construction of arbitrarily systematized worlds (both actual and virtual) through cultural production, signification and play.Show less
