LIT 222 - Real and Imaginary Animals in Japanese Literature, Film, Anime, and Theater

FDR: HL Literature Distribution
Credits: 3

Prerequisite: completion of FDR:FW requirement. Cranes, badgers, monkeys, foxes, cats, robot-cats, monsters born from atomic energy, tengu, and kappa – in Japan animals, both real and imaginary, have captured the imagination of writers, film directors, manga artists and producers of fantasy. In this course, we begin by exploring the medieval tale genre known as otogizoshi from the 14th through 17th centuries, many of which are origins of later well-known folk tales. Students read from the works of writers of the 20th- and 21st centuries, like Akutagawa, Tanizaki, Tawada, and Kawamura, who have used a real or imaginary animal to weave a work of fiction in either a satiric criticism of society or a commentary on the meaning of life. We also examine how characters, such as the beloved robot-cat Doraemon, the ferocious monster Godzilla, the devoted crane wife, the nefarious black cat, and other animals are depicted in a variety of genres such as mango, anime, film, and classical and modern plays.