JPNEAS380

 

M•W 1:30-2:45 pm
Jeremy Robinson
Mackinac Hall A-1-161
robinjer@gvsu.edu
  Office: D-2-136 Mackinac Hall
  Office Hours: M•T•W•R 11am-noon
 

Since the recent boom of interest in Japanese comics and animation, many articles have sprung up attempting to tease out the "uniquely Japanese" qualities that explain the widespread consumption of comics across age, gender, and class boundaries in Japan, as well as its international appeal. Many of these point to the large number of hybrid text/image works in premodern Japan as the source and give their studies provocative titles such as Manga From the Floating World, One Thousand Years of Manga, and Twelfth-century Animation. But comics as a medium is also often viewed as an invention both modern and Western, created by Rodolphe Töpffer in 1830s Switzerland, developed further by Richard F. Outcault in the late 19th century, and realized in the Sunday funnies sections of American newspapers. So are these earlier Japanese works premodern manga or something else entirely? The answer, of course, depends on the definition you choose: what exactly are comics?

This course will examine the full range of hybrid text/image works in Japanese literature, from the earliest calligraphy, illustrated poems, and picture scrolls to woodblock-prints and modern manga. We will explore the questions of how narrative art functions, what it means to read a hybrid text/image work, and whether reading means the same thing to us as it did to the original audiences. And we will include a range of approaches including those of literature, art history, and theories of narrative. All readings will be in English, and there are no prerequisites. The course makes extensive use of the university’s Blackboard online learning environment, both to distribute readings and other materials and as a forum for submitting and responding to reaction papers.   If you are not comfortable with Blackboard or have limited internet access, come talk with me as soon as possible.

Grades will be assessed as follows:    
  Attendance and Participation
Eight Online Reaction Papers
Fifteen Online Responses
Wiki Quotes
Midterm Exam
Research Paper
- - or - -
Final Exam

10%
8 x 5% = 40%
15 x 1% = 15%
10%
10%

15%


 

There is only one required text for this course, Manga: Sixty Years of Comics by Paul Gravett. It is available in the bookstore or, if you prefer, the link above is to the correct edition of the book on Amazon. The textbook is about modern manga and will not be used until later in the semester. The vast majority of readings will be in the form of pdfs online images, links to external websites, or videos made available in the “Course Materials” section of Blackboard (and identified on the syllabus with "BB").

The most important thing, both to your grade and to the success of the class, is keeping up on the assigned readings and being ready and willing to discuss them in the classroom and online. I do take attendance, as well as take note of your participation in class, and these factors do affect your grade, but your grade depends on more than just your presence in the classroom. It means reading and giving thought to the assigned readings, and coming to class ready to actively discuss them. For each day’s readings, you should select a quote that you found interesting and post it to the Quotes Wiki section of Blackboard at least an hour before class begins. These quotes will contribute to shaping each day's discussion and regular contribution is what will determine your "Wiki Quotes" grade.

Throughout the semester you will also be required to post eight reaction papers and fifteen responses to the Blackboard online discussion board. A reaction paper should be at least 600 words (appr. two pages) long and should articulate your reaction to that day’s readings. It does not need to be a formal argumentative essay, but it should be more substantive than mere summary. It is intended to give your interpretation of the material in light of your own experience and the issues we raise in class, and should show an active engagement with the text. Remember: you aren’t expected to be an expert on the topic, just an engaged reader. And while your reactio paper may focus on a single aspect of the readings, be sure to complete ALL assigned readings prior to posting. Similarly,when a film is assigned you may also choose to write a reaction paper based on the film, but your reaction should reflect that you have also done the reading for that session as well.. Reaction papers must be posted online by midnight the night before the class in which the readings are to be discussed, in order to give your fellow students time to read them and respond before class. Late reaction papers are useless to fostering online discussion and thus WILL NOT be accepted.You may choose which days you wish to write a response, but you may not write more than one in any given week.

Although there will be many days when you do not write a reaction paper yourself, consider other students’ reaction papers to be a part of the required reading for the class, and you should make a point of reading the other students’ reactions, and perhaps writing an online response to them, before coming to class. There is no set length for responses, but they should respond not only to the text itself, but also to the other students’ reactions and show a willingness to engage with other students’ ideas rather than relying only on one’s own interpretation. The deadline for writing a response is the beginning of each class, and you should write at least one each week, though you are encouraged to write more. If you feel more comfortable contributing in written form rather than during class discussion, extra participation in the online forums may also enhance your participation grade.

For your final project, you should choose either to write a research paper or to take the final exam. If you choose to write a research paper, it should be around ten pages long and can be on any topic, but it must go beyond the assigned readings for the course. You might choose to investigate a given theme further by reading non-assigned works from our textbooks or deal entirely with new readings, but the paper must apply what we have learned in class to non-class materials. A one-paragraph topic proposal should be turned in by the Wednesday after spring break, and your final paper is due on the same day as the final exam.  If you wish to receive feedback on your paper prior to turning in the final version, you are welcome to turn in a draft any time up to one week before the end of class (as drafts submitted after that time will not allow the professor enough time to read and comment).

 

 

Fall 2013 Course Schedule

• click on any section to go to the assignments for that week •

 


Weeks 1 ~ 7

August 26th ~ October 7th

Midterm Exam • Wednesday October 9th

 


Weeks 8 ~ 15

October 14th ~ December 4th


 

••• Final Exam: Tuesday, Dec. 10th, 2-3:50pm •••

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