Otaku and the Struggle for Imagination in Japan
Description:
Product Description
From computer games to figurines and maid cafes, men called “otaku” develop intense fan relationships with “cute girl” characters from manga, anime, and related media and material in contemporary Japan. While much of the Japanese public considers the forms of character love associated with “otaku” to be weird and perverse, the Japanese government has endeavored to incorporate “otaku” culture into its branding of “Cool Japan.” In
Otaku and the Struggle for Imagination in Japan, Patrick W. Galbraith explores the conflicting meanings of “otaku” culture and its significance to Japanese popular culture, masculinity, and the nation. Tracing the history of “otaku” and “cute girl” characters from their origins in the 1970s to his recent fieldwork in Akihabara, Tokyo (“the Holy Land of Otaku”), Galbraith contends that the discourse surrounding “otaku” reveals tensions around contested notions of gender, sexuality, and ways of imagining the nation that extend far beyond Japan. At the same time, in their relationships with characters and one another, “otaku” are imagining and creating alternative social worlds.
Review \n“In this tremendous book, Patrick W. Galbraith brings to life the relatively unknown world of Japanese popular culture. His voice shines throughout thoughtful interviews, detailed ethnography, sensitive portraits of people characterized as ‘otaku,’ and nuanced readings of videogames and interactive fiction. An impressive contribution to the field of manga and anime studies.”
-- Ian Condry, author of ―
The Soul of Anime: Collaborative Creativity and Japan’s Media Success Story\n“This book offers nothing less than a thorough rethinking of normative sexuality and alternative sexualities through the figure of the otaku and their practices. It's everything that the fields of Japan studies, queer theory, and media history need at this moment. A virtually flawless and captivating read.”
-- Marc Steinberg, author of ―
Anime’s Media Mix: Franchising Toys and Characters in Japan\n"This thoughtful investigation of hegemonic masculinity and its alternatives at the margins of imagination is well-sourced with cultural and academic research as well as personal experience."
-- R. Tait-Ripperdan ―
Choice Published On: 2020-05-01
About the Author
Patrick W. Galbraith is a lecturer at Senshū University in Tokyo. He is the author of
The Moe Manifesto: An Insider's Look at the Worlds of Manga, Anime, and Gaming, coauthor of
AKB48, and coeditor of
Idols and Celebrity in Japanese Media Culture.
Best prices to buy, sell, or rent ISBN 9781478006299
Frequently Asked Questions about Otaku and the Struggle for Imagination in Japan
The price for the book starts from $24.49 on Amazon and is available from 26 sellers at the moment.
At BookScouter, the prices for the book start at $14.99. Feel free to explore the offers for the book in used or new condition from various booksellers, aggregated on our website.
If you’re interested in selling back the Otaku and the Struggle for Imagination in Japan book, you can always look up BookScouter for the best deal. BookScouter checks 30+ buyback vendors with a single search and gives you actual information on buyback pricing instantly.
As for the Otaku and the Struggle for Imagination in Japan book, the best buyback offer comes from and is $ for the book in good condition.
The Otaku and the Struggle for Imagination in Japan book is in very low demand now as the rank for the book is 888,722 at the moment. It's a very low rank, and the book has minimal sales on Amazon.
The highest price to sell back the Otaku and the Struggle for Imagination in Japan book within the last three months was on January 08 and it was $4.97.