Patrick W. Galbraith profundiza en el intrincado mundo de la cultura japonesa contemporánea, con un enfoque particular en el fenómeno otaku. Su obra examina las complejas estructuras sociales y culturales que dan forma a la identidad y la interacción dentro del Japón moderno. Basándose en su experiencia académica, Galbraith ofrece análisis perspicaces sobre cómo los reinos digitales y las normas sociales tradicionales se cruzan. Los lectores obtienen así una perspectiva única sobre las dinámicas de las subculturas japonesas y sus implicaciones globales más amplias.
Focusing on the Akihabara neighborhood in Tokyo, this book examines the complex interactions between producers, players, and critics of bish jo games, which feature manga/anime-style characters often involved in explicit content. It addresses legal and ethical debates surrounding the portrayal of these characters, particularly concerning underage sexualization. By exploring how gamers navigate the boundaries between fiction and reality, the book reveals how these interactions foster a unique form of ethics, highlighting the significance of relationships with both fictional and real entities in contemporary society.
Since its formation as a girl group in 2005, AKB48 has become a phenomenal success and institution in Japan. Having originally recruited fans with photocopied fliers and daily performances in the Akihabara area of Tokyo, AKB48 now saturates Japan. Its members--nearly 800 of them, including five sister groups and four so-called "rival groups" across Japan, as well as six sister groups in other Asian cities--appear in print, broadcast, online, and social media; in advertisements and on products; at home and on the train; on- and off-screen.AKB48's multi-platform omnipresence is characteristic of "idols," whose intimate relationship to fans and appeals to them for support have made the group dominant on the Oricon Yearly Singles Chart in the 2010s; they hold several records, including most consecutive million-selling singles sold in Japan. A unique business model relentlessly monetizes fans' affections through meet-and-greet events and elections, which maximize CD sales, and their saturated presence in the media. At a time when affect is more important than ever in economic, political, and social theory, this book explores the intersection of idols and affect in contemporary Japan and beyond.
Our wild places and wildlife are disappearing at a terrifying rate. This is a
story about going in search of the people who are trying to save our birds, as
well as confronting the enormity of what losing them would really mean.
Patrick Galbraith examines Japanese otaku, their relationships with fictional
girl characters, the Japanese public's interpretations of them as excessive
and perverse, and the Japanese government's attempts to co-opt them into
depictions of Cool Japan to an international audience.
MOE is a huge cultural phenomenon and one of the driving forces behind the
enormous success of Japanese anime and manga not just in Japan now, but
throughout the world
