Fukunaga 2006 FL literacy development using Anime ... - Oncourse

Anime conventions provide a means to see how
anime consists of subcultures such as manga, anime
products, music, costumes, video games, and
animation itself. For Emily, anime products such
as stationery, toys, cards, and posters were part of
the subculture. All the participants talked about
the strong connection between watching anime
and listening to anime theme songs. Emily shared
some CDs of music that was used as opening and
ending theme songs of anime. This is consistent
with previous interviews I conducted in which
participants noted that anime fans began listening
to Japanese pop or rock music once they
learned some Japanese songs from anime.
Uniqueness of anime
All the participants pointed out that the uniqueness
of anime, which differs from U.S. animation,
attracts anime fans in the United States. Table 2
presents an outline of the differences between
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“Those anime students”: Foreign language literacy development through Japanese popular culture
Figure 2
Ted’s computer and audio equipment
anime and U.S. animation from the three U.S.
college students’ perspectives.
Emily, Ted, and Sean expressed that the distinctive
art style of anime, exemplified in drawings
of characters with “big eyes,” is one of the
unique qualities of anime. The participants also
noted that the humor in anime differed from
what they were used to with U.S. animation.
When Sean first read Ranma 1/2 in translated
Japanese manga comics (see Figure 3), he found
himself loving it.
Just because, it was...it was funny, but it wasn’t just
funny. It had this really quirky sense of humor. I don’t
even know how to describe it, but it was just this almost
oddball sensibility that you just don’t find...in
American comics. (Sean’s interview transcript)
Soon after Sean read the first manga in English,
he began watching anime.
JOURNAL OF ADOLESCENT & ADULT LITERACY 50:3 NOVEMBER 2006