Consulate General of Japan in Boston Presents Panel at Anime Boston

BOSTON, MA, USA – March 22, 2008 MIT professor Ian Condry, in cooperation with the Consulate General of Japan in Boston, will introduce and lead a discussion on two anime that can be viewed as bookends to the history of Japanese animation:

The Birth of Astro Boy ( 1963 ) and Tekkonkinkreet ( 2006 ).

Astro Boy displays the emotional intensity and storytelling brilliance of manga master Osamu Tezuka, and also illustrates the ways "limited animation" helped studios cope with challenges facing the industry in its early days.

Over four decades later, Studio 4C represents the cutting edge of the anime world, but also anime's continued close relationship with manga. Tekkonkinkreet is a tour-de-force based on a manga by the same name by artist Taiyo Matsumoto. Although it is an extremely faithful rendering of a complex tale, some people wonder whether an American director, even one living and working in Japan, can really make "anime."

Come join the discussion about where anime has been and where it is going. Prof. Condry will introduce the films, lead discussion, and also show slides of his visit to Studio 4C. He will also discuss his interviews with Tekkon director Michael Arias.

ABOUT Ian Condry:
Ian Condry is a professor of Japanese cultural studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is currently writing a book called Anime Revolution: The Making of Japan's Media Success Story, which is based on fieldwork research in Tokyo anime studios. He is also the author of Hip-Hop Japan: Rap and the Paths of Cultural Globalization ( 2006, Duke U. Press ).
Website: http://iancondry.com

The Consulate General of Japan in cooperation with Anime Boston ( www.animeboston.org ) brings this special panel and screening during the Anime Boston Convention, March 21 – 23, 2008.