With comics franchises getting turned into multi-billion dollar revenue opportunities and consumer technology companies dominating daily headlines â the trappings of âgeekdomâ have made their way into the global mainstream over the past few days. As part of this trend, Japanese-style anime has also gained immense transnational popularity, arguably becoming part of the ânew coolâ.
Itâs against this backdrop that Jinying Li dives into the sociocultural landscape of anime with her book Animeâs Knowledge Cultures: Geek, Otaku, Zhai (University of Minnesota Press, March 2024). However, instead of diving into the âJapanesenessâ of anime and otaku culture, Animeâs Knowledge Cultures helps frame anime within a more globalized sense of âgeekdomâ â especially with the rise of post-80s millennial zhai in Chinaâs cultural and economic spheres.
Li is an Assistant Professor of Modern Culture and Media at Brown University. Her research and teaching focuses on media theory, animation, and digital culture in East Asia. She is also a filmmaker whoâs worked on various animations, features, and documentaries, including the noted Chinese 2016 animation feature Big Fish and Begonia.
With this academic and domain expertise, Liâs book illuminates phenomena like fansubs, danmaku âbullet-styleâ subtitles, and geek âcomplexesâ to audiences who are interested in the theoretical and practical implications of animeâs global popularity. Tune into this episode about Animeâs Knowledge Cultures to learn moreâlisten to the end for some special anime and movie recommendations.
Anthony Kao is a writer who intersects international affairs and cultural criticism. He founded/edits Cinema Escapistâa publication exploring the sociopolitical context behind global film and televisionâand also writes for outlets like The Guardian, Al Jazeera, The Diplomat, and Eater.
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