This book considers how “imagination” propagates between character texts and visual texts. Of particular importance is the indication that colonialist philosophies, which were evident in pre-World War II works, have been passed down to the current generation of animation. (Kayama)

This text provides a commentary on Hiroshi Ōkawa, also known as the founder of Toei Animation. It analyzes Ōkawa’s reasons for becoming interested in Hakuja-den (The Tale of the White Serpent) and the beginning of its production. (Kayama)

The author, who specializes in music history, analyzes Norman McLaren’s various works from an expert perspective. She classifies McLaren’s unique sound recordings into pre-scoring or post-scoring, resulting in an analysis that will serve future sound research. (Kayama)

Why do animators accept their working conditions, even after they know it is harsh? The author uses techniques from ethnomethodology to analyze this question in sociological terms. It is the product of much effort and a large corpus of interview data. (Kayama)

This volume, which is of great documentary value, contains storyboards and sketches from “The Little Mermaid’s Crown.” Masaoka Kenzō had planned to make that animated film in his final years. The book contains commentary from Yukari Hagihara, who is well regarded for her research on Kenzō Masaoka, and an essay by director Isao Takahata. (Kayama)

This new edition of Animēshon-gaku nyūmon (Introduction to Animation Studies) (2005) has been updated extensively, based on recent trends. (Kayama)

A re-edited e-book version of Anime, manga de chiiki shinkō (Community Revitalization with Anime and Manga) (2011) has been made into a popular edition. (Kayama)

This text is an application volume of Anime kenkyū nyūmon (Introduction to Animation Studies). This collection of papers is aimed at undergraduate and graduate students; therefore, it covers topics that were not discussed in the introductory volume, including voice actor theory, production theory, and animation history. (Sugawa)

An introduction and analysis of Japanese anime is provided by a British film scholar. The study of anime from a foreigner’s point of view is of great interest. (Sugawa)

This English-language book covers the international phenomenon of content tourism. It takes an approach that spans several areas of research, including tourism studies, history, and cultural studies. (Sugawa)

This is a study of anime by a Canadian media scholar, who analyzes Japanese anime through television and video games. (Sugawa)

This text provides a multifaceted analysis of women’s culture in an era when kawaii has become mainstream. It includes a paper on anime and the phenomenon of rekijo, that is, girls who are history buffs. (Sugawa)

This is a research, by a comparative literature scholar, on the topic of Japanese anime centers on Japanese science fiction. It analyzes works by Hayao Miyazaki, Mamoru Oshii, and Katsuhiro Ōtomo, among others. It tends to rely on literary thematic analyses rather than media theory, but it is a significant, in-depth effort by an international researcher on Japan. (Nakagaki)

This slightly older reference is a key work on anime research edited by a Japanese literature scholar. It contains chapters by Susan Napier, Thomas Lamarre and others, who look at Japanese anime from the points of view of comparative literature and media culture. It includes Sharalyn Orbaugh’s work on the development of international Japanese studies, which focuses on science fiction and popular culture. (Nakagaki)

This text provides a history of Japanese anime by an anime historian. This publication, which was issued by a British publisher that specializes in film research, has earned the status of a fundamental reference text in the English-speaking world. It offers an English-speaking perspective on anime’s reception since the 1980s when audiences in other countries began to appreciate the genre. (Nakagaki)

A writer who is well-versed in Japanese subculture offers this commentary on “moe culture” for English speakers. The author appreciates the phenomenon while traversing the fields of manga, anime, and video games. The text provides valuable, up-to-date information on the topic and thoughtful references to the state of affairs at the time of writing. (Nakagaki)

This scholarly text provides a discussion of Hayao Miyazaki by the writer of Anime from Akira to Princess Mononoke. The author examines the auteur Miyazaki and his works as only a literary scholar can. This research is worthy of attention from international Japanese studies as it will likely become a fundamental reference in the English-language studies of Hayao Miyazaki. (Nakagaki)

While in the United States the historical study of anime has just begun to develop, in this text, a film scholar focuses on the age of computer animation. He looks at the structure of the industry, considering how advances in technology have effected changes in aesthetics. (Nakagaki)