Mikhail Koulikov
@animemangastudies.com
Promoting and facilitating academic approaches to Japanese animation (anime) and comics (manga).
News, announcements, links, commentary, questions, thoughts.
www.animemangastudies.com
- featuring the Anime and Manga Studies Database
News, announcements, links, commentary, questions, thoughts.
www.animemangastudies.com
- featuring the Anime and Manga Studies Database
Great new essay collection from U. of Hawai'i Press - online access via @degruyterbrill.bsky.social - on "the complex and evolving relationship between Japan and the nations of Southeast Asia".
4 chapters in the 'Endearment and Adaptation: Manga, Anime, and Cosplay' section
doi.org/10.1515/9798...
4 chapters in the 'Endearment and Adaptation: Manga, Anime, and Cosplay' section
doi.org/10.1515/9798...
The Contours of Endearment
The Contours of Endearment offers a fresh, Southeast Asia–centered perspective on the complex and evolving relationship between Japan and the nations of Southeast Asia. While much scholarship has emph...
doi.org
February 5, 2026 at 7:13 AM
Great new essay collection from U. of Hawai'i Press - online access via @degruyterbrill.bsky.social - on "the complex and evolving relationship between Japan and the nations of Southeast Asia".
4 chapters in the 'Endearment and Adaptation: Manga, Anime, and Cosplay' section
doi.org/10.1515/9798...
4 chapters in the 'Endearment and Adaptation: Manga, Anime, and Cosplay' section
doi.org/10.1515/9798...
Had no idea this was a thing at the Snow Festival / did not expect to see.
I mean, not surprised at all, but, still.
I mean, not surprised at all, but, still.
February 5, 2026 at 5:12 AM
Had no idea this was a thing at the Snow Festival / did not expect to see.
I mean, not surprised at all, but, still.
I mean, not surprised at all, but, still.
Sapporo.
Continuing w/the Important Parts!
Continuing w/the Important Parts!
February 4, 2026 at 9:03 PM
Sapporo.
Continuing w/the Important Parts!
Continuing w/the Important Parts!
I've always wanted @animenewsnetwork.com to pay more attention to new English-language books on anime!
Made an effort to highlight some when I was writing for the site - fifteen and more years ago now.
And really happy when the site does notice a new book!
www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/the-m...
Made an effort to highlight some when I was writing for the site - fifteen and more years ago now.
And really happy when the site does notice a new book!
www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/the-m...
The Many Worlds of Takahata Isao Book Review
At last, Anglophone readers have an in-depth academic study of the director Isao Takahata, taking us through the depth and breadth of his work.
www.animenewsnetwork.com
February 4, 2026 at 7:17 PM
I've always wanted @animenewsnetwork.com to pay more attention to new English-language books on anime!
Made an effort to highlight some when I was writing for the site - fifteen and more years ago now.
And really happy when the site does notice a new book!
www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/the-m...
Made an effort to highlight some when I was writing for the site - fifteen and more years ago now.
And really happy when the site does notice a new book!
www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/the-m...
Also me.
(I know I am, but what are you?)
(I know I am, but what are you?)
February 4, 2026 at 4:03 PM
Also me.
(I know I am, but what are you?)
(I know I am, but what are you?)
Sapporo.
The Important Parts.
The Important Parts.
February 3, 2026 at 7:08 PM
Sapporo.
The Important Parts.
The Important Parts.
Here we go, here is The example.
Why do we watch?
Because anime gives audiences - what American TV, or books, or comics - never will!
youtu.be/7tfxuLFVu7o?...
Why do we watch?
Because anime gives audiences - what American TV, or books, or comics - never will!
youtu.be/7tfxuLFVu7o?...
TVアニメ『ヤニねこ』ティザーPV｜2026年7月からTOKYO MXほかにて放送開始！
YouTube video by TVアニメ『ヤニねこ』公式【ハメちゃんねる】
youtu.be
February 3, 2026 at 1:19 AM
Here we go, here is The example.
Why do we watch?
Because anime gives audiences - what American TV, or books, or comics - never will!
youtu.be/7tfxuLFVu7o?...
Why do we watch?
Because anime gives audiences - what American TV, or books, or comics - never will!
youtu.be/7tfxuLFVu7o?...
Talk about a Deep Flashback!
March 2004.
Vertical and Ioannis Mentzas in the Times!
"'Japan has become a brand in terms of good storytelling and cool stuff, and I think that can carry over into literature,' Mr. Mentzas said recently..."
www.nytimes.com/2004/03/15/b...
March 2004.
Vertical and Ioannis Mentzas in the Times!
"'Japan has become a brand in terms of good storytelling and cool stuff, and I think that can carry over into literature,' Mr. Mentzas said recently..."
www.nytimes.com/2004/03/15/b...
Now That Japan Is Cool, Its Fiction Seeks U.S. Fans (Published 2004)
www.nytimes.com
February 1, 2026 at 11:43 PM
Talk about a Deep Flashback!
March 2004.
Vertical and Ioannis Mentzas in the Times!
"'Japan has become a brand in terms of good storytelling and cool stuff, and I think that can carry over into literature,' Mr. Mentzas said recently..."
www.nytimes.com/2004/03/15/b...
March 2004.
Vertical and Ioannis Mentzas in the Times!
"'Japan has become a brand in terms of good storytelling and cool stuff, and I think that can carry over into literature,' Mr. Mentzas said recently..."
www.nytimes.com/2004/03/15/b...
February 1, 2026 at 2:24 PM
In 2018, the statement that "because students like Japanese popular culture, it can motivate them to take up Japanese language study, and not only that, but can influence them to continue their study." was a big deal.
Well, that was 2018!
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/u...
Well, that was 2018!
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/u...
Fans Are So Obsessed With ‘KPop Demon Hunters,’ They Are Learning Korean
www.nytimes.com
February 1, 2026 at 12:12 AM
In 2018, the statement that "because students like Japanese popular culture, it can motivate them to take up Japanese language study, and not only that, but can influence them to continue their study." was a big deal.
Well, that was 2018!
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/u...
Well, that was 2018!
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/u...
Expanding fan studies and anime fan studies!
First time coming across this journal!
"Using mediated memory theory as a framework, this study focuses on anime nostalgia communities on Bilibili, examining their digital memory practices centered around the Digimon series."
doi.org/10.1007/s406...
First time coming across this journal!
"Using mediated memory theory as a framework, this study focuses on anime nostalgia communities on Bilibili, examining their digital memory practices centered around the Digimon series."
doi.org/10.1007/s406...
Digital memory practices of anime nostalgic fan communities: from the perspective of mediated memory - International Communication of Chinese Culture
Bilibili has emerged as a hub for anime enthusiasts, particularly the youth, fostering a community rich with nostalgic childhood memories. Fans have reignited a collective sense of nostalgia through t...
doi.org
January 31, 2026 at 5:39 PM
Expanding fan studies and anime fan studies!
First time coming across this journal!
"Using mediated memory theory as a framework, this study focuses on anime nostalgia communities on Bilibili, examining their digital memory practices centered around the Digimon series."
doi.org/10.1007/s406...
First time coming across this journal!
"Using mediated memory theory as a framework, this study focuses on anime nostalgia communities on Bilibili, examining their digital memory practices centered around the Digimon series."
doi.org/10.1007/s406...
This probably requires pulling up my transcript (...do I *have* my transcript anywhere?), but, let's try to remember.
- Military Force & Foreign Policy
-Science Fiction as Cultural History
- Introduction to Public International Law
- Russian & Soviet Thought
- Roots of Western Civilization
- Military Force & Foreign Policy
-Science Fiction as Cultural History
- Introduction to Public International Law
- Russian & Soviet Thought
- Roots of Western Civilization
Tell me five classes you took in college:
Creation Myths
Advanced Physical Chemistry
Agony in Stony Places
Intro to the Gothic Language
Advanced Musical Skills
Creation Myths
Advanced Physical Chemistry
Agony in Stony Places
Intro to the Gothic Language
Advanced Musical Skills
Tell me five classes you took in college:
Germanic Literature (various)
Central European History (various)
French, Russian, Chinese
French Essayists
Film Criticism
Germanic Literature (various)
Central European History (various)
French, Russian, Chinese
French Essayists
Film Criticism
January 31, 2026 at 3:53 AM
This probably requires pulling up my transcript (...do I *have* my transcript anywhere?), but, let's try to remember.
- Military Force & Foreign Policy
-Science Fiction as Cultural History
- Introduction to Public International Law
- Russian & Soviet Thought
- Roots of Western Civilization
- Military Force & Foreign Policy
-Science Fiction as Cultural History
- Introduction to Public International Law
- Russian & Soviet Thought
- Roots of Western Civilization
Prize for Collection of Scholarly Essays w/a VERY INTRIGUING TITLE goes to!
link.springer.com/book/9783032...
link.springer.com/book/9783032...
January 28, 2026 at 9:53 PM
Prize for Collection of Scholarly Essays w/a VERY INTRIGUING TITLE goes to!
link.springer.com/book/9783032...
link.springer.com/book/9783032...
Japanese comics can also be adaptations of all kinds of original sources.
New in the Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics.
"This paper examines Unbeaten Tracks through Isabella Bird’s original writings as well as the French and Japanese/English manga adaptations."
doi.org/10.1080/2150...
New in the Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics.
"This paper examines Unbeaten Tracks through Isabella Bird’s original writings as well as the French and Japanese/English manga adaptations."
doi.org/10.1080/2150...
Unbeaten Tracks: Isabella Bird in Wonderland translation, transculturation, transcreation
Isabella Bird’s Unbeaten Tracks in Japan was first published in 1880 as a compilation of letters Bird wrote to her sister Henrietta, describing her journey travelling from Tōhoku to Hokkaidō. In 19...
doi.org
January 27, 2026 at 2:34 PM
Japanese comics can also be adaptations of all kinds of original sources.
New in the Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics.
"This paper examines Unbeaten Tracks through Isabella Bird’s original writings as well as the French and Japanese/English manga adaptations."
doi.org/10.1080/2150...
New in the Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics.
"This paper examines Unbeaten Tracks through Isabella Bird’s original writings as well as the French and Japanese/English manga adaptations."
doi.org/10.1080/2150...
This is mostly only interesting if you are REALLY into the history of, uh, animation studies...but - the UCLA Animation Workshop is working to restore access to Animatrix, maybe the field's first scholarly journal
TOC's of selected issues are now up!
animation.filmtv.ucla.edu/showcase/ani...
TOC's of selected issues are now up!
animation.filmtv.ucla.edu/showcase/ani...
Animatrix – UCLA Animation Workshop
animation.filmtv.ucla.edu
January 26, 2026 at 10:41 PM
This is mostly only interesting if you are REALLY into the history of, uh, animation studies...but - the UCLA Animation Workshop is working to restore access to Animatrix, maybe the field's first scholarly journal
TOC's of selected issues are now up!
animation.filmtv.ucla.edu/showcase/ani...
TOC's of selected issues are now up!
animation.filmtv.ucla.edu/showcase/ani...
Happy new Monday morning #openaccess anime studies reading!
"We argue that films by Miyazaki Hayao and Shinkai Makoto can work as a medium to transcend these limits of posthumanism and offer a pathway for understanding humans’ connection with nature."
doi.org/10.1080/0955...
"We argue that films by Miyazaki Hayao and Shinkai Makoto can work as a medium to transcend these limits of posthumanism and offer a pathway for understanding humans’ connection with nature."
doi.org/10.1080/0955...
Animism meets posthumanism: reimagining the human–nature relationship through shrine gates (torii) in the works of Miyazaki Hayao and Shinkai Makoto
How can we rethink the human-nature relationship in the Anthropocene? Posthumanist approaches offer a critique of anthropocentrism, but often implicitly appropriate spiritual approaches, and explic...
doi.org
January 26, 2026 at 1:38 PM
Happy new Monday morning #openaccess anime studies reading!
"We argue that films by Miyazaki Hayao and Shinkai Makoto can work as a medium to transcend these limits of posthumanism and offer a pathway for understanding humans’ connection with nature."
doi.org/10.1080/0955...
"We argue that films by Miyazaki Hayao and Shinkai Makoto can work as a medium to transcend these limits of posthumanism and offer a pathway for understanding humans’ connection with nature."
doi.org/10.1080/0955...
The always question - can I take a college class on anime?
The answer - very much yes!
Directory now updated w/ new entries for Spring 2026 - such as Anime and East Asian Cultures at Marist University, and Manga: Method and Message at @umaryland.edu!
www.animemangastudies.com/resources/cl...
The answer - very much yes!
Directory now updated w/ new entries for Spring 2026 - such as Anime and East Asian Cultures at Marist University, and Manga: Method and Message at @umaryland.edu!
www.animemangastudies.com/resources/cl...
College Classes on Anime/Manga - Anime and Manga Studies
One of the most common questions I face when introducing anime/manga studies as a field of both academic interest (i.e., research and scholarly publication) and academic activity (teaching) is whether...
www.animemangastudies.com
January 26, 2026 at 12:37 PM
The always question - can I take a college class on anime?
The answer - very much yes!
Directory now updated w/ new entries for Spring 2026 - such as Anime and East Asian Cultures at Marist University, and Manga: Method and Message at @umaryland.edu!
www.animemangastudies.com/resources/cl...
The answer - very much yes!
Directory now updated w/ new entries for Spring 2026 - such as Anime and East Asian Cultures at Marist University, and Manga: Method and Message at @umaryland.edu!
www.animemangastudies.com/resources/cl...
Wanted to ask this question for a while.
Which academic publishers are actually active in anime and manga studies right now - focusing on essay collections, rather than monographs.
Looking at the numbers from last year.
www.animemangastudies.com/2026/01/25/2...
Which academic publishers are actually active in anime and manga studies right now - focusing on essay collections, rather than monographs.
Looking at the numbers from last year.
www.animemangastudies.com/2026/01/25/2...
Who Are the Anime/Manga Studies Publishers – 2025 Essay Collections - Anime and Manga Studies
When thinking about the nature of anime and manga studies as a discreet subject area, it is certainly possible to raise a whole range of different questions. For example, in a chapter in the recent 2n...
www.animemangastudies.com
January 25, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Wanted to ask this question for a while.
Which academic publishers are actually active in anime and manga studies right now - focusing on essay collections, rather than monographs.
Looking at the numbers from last year.
www.animemangastudies.com/2026/01/25/2...
Which academic publishers are actually active in anime and manga studies right now - focusing on essay collections, rather than monographs.
Looking at the numbers from last year.
www.animemangastudies.com/2026/01/25/2...
Only found out about this chapter in the new @routledgebooks.bsky.social Companion to Fairy Tales - because the author let me know!
Which I always really appreciate!
www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edi...
Oh, and @foxyfolklorist.bsky.social - great to see your name in this too!
Congratulations!
Which I always really appreciate!
www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edi...
Oh, and @foxyfolklorist.bsky.social - great to see your name in this too!
Congratulations!
Manga and Anime | 27 | The Routledge Companion to Fairy Tales | Bill E
This chapter presents a history of Western fairy tales’ introduction to Japanese audiences, for which they served as symbols of psychosexual issues in the minds
www.taylorfrancis.com
January 24, 2026 at 12:00 PM
Only found out about this chapter in the new @routledgebooks.bsky.social Companion to Fairy Tales - because the author let me know!
Which I always really appreciate!
www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edi...
Oh, and @foxyfolklorist.bsky.social - great to see your name in this too!
Congratulations!
Which I always really appreciate!
www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edi...
Oh, and @foxyfolklorist.bsky.social - great to see your name in this too!
Congratulations!
Leave it up to @avclub.com for THE SINGLE MOST UNEXPECTED REFERENCE IN A REVIEW OF #trailsbeyondthehorizon
"...to prepare you for the breakneck pace of Trails Beyond The Horizon, which is Vladimir Lenin’s quote about weeks where decades happen given video game form"
www.avclub.com/trails-beyon...
"...to prepare you for the breakneck pace of Trails Beyond The Horizon, which is Vladimir Lenin’s quote about weeks where decades happen given video game form"
www.avclub.com/trails-beyon...
The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Beyond The Horizon continues the best epic in games
The masterful Trails Beyond the Horizon leaves the best ongoing epic in games on an apocalyptic cliffhanger.
www.avclub.com
January 23, 2026 at 6:06 PM
Leave it up to @avclub.com for THE SINGLE MOST UNEXPECTED REFERENCE IN A REVIEW OF #trailsbeyondthehorizon
"...to prepare you for the breakneck pace of Trails Beyond The Horizon, which is Vladimir Lenin’s quote about weeks where decades happen given video game form"
www.avclub.com/trails-beyon...
"...to prepare you for the breakneck pace of Trails Beyond The Horizon, which is Vladimir Lenin’s quote about weeks where decades happen given video game form"
www.avclub.com/trails-beyon...
Just found out about this CFP from Intellect, and it's due in a week.
But, can be a great opportunity for a proposal on how manga and manga fandom developed - in your country!
Call for Papers: Companion to International Comics Studies
www.intellectbooks.com/asset/2865/c...
But, can be a great opportunity for a proposal on how manga and manga fandom developed - in your country!
Call for Papers: Companion to International Comics Studies
www.intellectbooks.com/asset/2865/c...
www.intellectbooks.com
January 23, 2026 at 12:33 PM
Just found out about this CFP from Intellect, and it's due in a week.
But, can be a great opportunity for a proposal on how manga and manga fandom developed - in your country!
Call for Papers: Companion to International Comics Studies
www.intellectbooks.com/asset/2865/c...
But, can be a great opportunity for a proposal on how manga and manga fandom developed - in your country!
Call for Papers: Companion to International Comics Studies
www.intellectbooks.com/asset/2865/c...
Tthis year's @animeboston.bsky.social is set for April 3-5.
Panel applications are open through February 21.
Thinking of going to Anime Boston?
Interested in anime/manga studies?
Want to propose a panel on anime and manga studies / studying anime and manga?
Let's work together!
Panel applications are open through February 21.
Thinking of going to Anime Boston?
Interested in anime/manga studies?
Want to propose a panel on anime and manga studies / studying anime and manga?
Let's work together!
January 23, 2026 at 12:26 AM
Tthis year's @animeboston.bsky.social is set for April 3-5.
Panel applications are open through February 21.
Thinking of going to Anime Boston?
Interested in anime/manga studies?
Want to propose a panel on anime and manga studies / studying anime and manga?
Let's work together!
Panel applications are open through February 21.
Thinking of going to Anime Boston?
Interested in anime/manga studies?
Want to propose a panel on anime and manga studies / studying anime and manga?
Let's work together!
When you are Crunchyroll - these are the kinds of things you get sued for.
January 21, 2026 at 4:26 PM
When you are Crunchyroll - these are the kinds of things you get sued for.