Anime Mythology: Mystics, Priestesses and Warrior Women

Vidiots Annex – Film Studies - Anime Mythology

Adolescenece of Utena

Synopsis from Vidiots Website:

These are elaborate and humorous Power Point-style presentations with slides and video that explore the differences in animated and video game storytelling in Japanese and American cultures.

My Perspective

I really had a great experience at a smaller gathering of anime enthusiasts at Vidiots Annex this Tuesday. Watch this video to get a sense of what happens during Crispin’s energetic and informative presentations. It’s only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what one of these presentations actually consist of. Highly metaphysical and based on Jungian theories of archetypal figures and Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey, Crispin delves into the cultural aspects and differentiations of anime and western animation with clarity and style.

I have been confused and enamored by Japanese storytelling and culture for a while now and this definitely began to iron out the kinks for me. At least I know enough about female characters in anime now to begin my own search for answers. What better way to be re-introduced than with a full length screening of the very ‘colorful’ movie Adolescence of Utena to top it all off?! I was surprised at how metaphorical and complex the story was with this movie. I was blown away.

Vidiots Annex Film Studies has a slew of courses and classes to choose from. If you’re searching to get more out of your anime or movie watching experience or you want to become a skillful director or storyteller you should definitely sign up for some classes this fall, registration is going on right now. The experts are extremely knowledgeable working as professionals in the industry like Crispin or as professors, and they are all entertaining as well.

There is a lot of information crammed into one of these sessions. I walked away with so many great resources of things to read, research, events, people, and so on that I have a solid foundation on which to start my own research with. Going to the other classes is now an even greater ambition.