MIT Graduate Program in Comparative Media Studies

Studying Media and Making Media

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“The Soul of Anime”, new book by Prof. Ian Condry

Associate Professor Ian Condry
Associate Professor Ian Condry

Duke University Press will soon publish Associate Professor Ian Condry‘s new book The Soul of Anime: Collaborative Creativity and Japan’s Media Success Story. We’re thrilled to be able to share the introduction…

The Soul of Anime by Ian Condry

In The Soul of Anime, Ian Condry explores the emergence of anime, Japanese animated film and television, as a global cultural phenomenon. Drawing on ethnographic research, including interviews with artists at some of Tokyo’s leading animation studios–such as Madhouse, Gonzo, Aniplex, and Studio Ghibli–Condry discusses how anime’s fictional characters and worlds become platforms for collaborative creativity. He argues that the global success of Japanese animation has grown out of a collective social energy that operates across industries–including those that produce film, television, manga (comic books), and toys and other licensed merchandise–and connects fans to the creators of anime. For Condry, this collective social energy is the soul of anime.

About Andrew Whitacre

Andrew directs the communications efforts for CMS/W and its research groups. A native of Washington, D.C., he holds a degree in communication from Wake Forest University, with a minor in humanities, as well as an M.F.A. in creative writing from Emerson College.

His work includes drawing up and executing strategic communications plans, with projects including website design, social media management and training, press outreach, product launches, fundraising campaign support, and event promotions.