Titles discussed at length in the book include Akira, Ranma ½, Wicked City, Twin Dolls, La Blue Girl, Guyver: Out of Control, Bubblegum Crisis, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Ghost in the Shell, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Urusei Yatsura, Oh My Goddess!, Video Girl Ai, Grave of the Fireflies, Barefoot Gen, Princess Mononoke, Legend of the Overfiend, Only Yesterday, the 'Magnetic Rose' sequence in Memories, and Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer. The theme of the 'monstrous adolescent' explores society's fears of ever-growing technology, the rebellious actions of children, and the apocalyptic scenarios that are suggested by combining these two themes.

The source of this create/destroy idea is usually traced back to the effects of Hiroshima and the capabilities of nuclear power and atomic bombs. These children have the power to improve or alter the world, but because of their personality the child is often on the verge of destroying it completely. The 'monstrous adolescent' is often a quick-tempered or psychologically disturbed child with remarkable and world-changing powers, which were usually a result of scientific experiments, revolutionary technology, or human-caused pollution. In the fourth section, Napier examines historical-themed anime. In the third, Napier looks at representations of females, the girl, the magical girl and magical girlfriends. In the second, Napier looks at the representation of the human body in anime, looking at 'monstrous adolescents', pornographic anime and cyborgs. In the first, Napier asks why anime is important as a topic of study. The book uses literary criticism to discuss themes and ideas present in select anime titles and attempts to categorise anime into three types - apocalyptic, festival, and elegiac. The book has been translated into Japanese, and had four editions, before a revised fifth edition was published in 2005 as Anime from Akira to Howl's Moving Castle: Experiencing Contemporary Japanese Animation. It also discusses some aspects of the English-speaking anime fandom.

It discusses themes of shōjo, hentai, mecha, magical girlfriend and magical girl anime using select titles. Napier published in 2001 by Palgrave Macmillan. Anime from Akira to Princess Mononoke: Experiencing Contemporary Japanese Animation is a scholarly book which uses techniques of literary criticism on anime by Susan J.

Susan napier anime pdf