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Articles on Japanese anime

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The Straw Hat Pirates’ Jolly Roger flies in front of the Singha Durbar after people set fire to the seat of Nepal government in Kathmandu. Sunil Pradhan/Anadolu via Getty Images

September 24, 2025

From anime to activism: How the ‘One Piece’ pirate flag became the global emblem of Gen Z resistance

Nuurrianti Jalli, Oklahoma State University

From Nepal and Jakarta to Paris and New York, the grinning skeletal image of the Jolly Roger of the Straw Hat Pirates has been a transnational emblem of rebellion.

A still from the 2001 animation film, ‘Spirited Away.’ Studio Ghibli

July 9, 2025

Exploring questions of meaning, ethics and belief through Japanese anime

Ronald S. Green, Coastal Carolina University

Anime characters often face challenges that connect to long-standing Buddhist and Shintō teachings. In this course, students look closely at what anime is saying about life.

Kyojuro Rengoku, also known as the Flame Hashira, is a central character in the ‘Demon Slayer’ series. Deviant Art

March 24, 2025

How Japanese anime draws on religious traditions to explore themes of destiny, sacrifice and the struggle between desire and duty

Ronald S. Green, Coastal Carolina University

‘Demon Slayer: Mugen Train’ blends Buddhist impermanence, Shinto philosophy and samurai ethics into a lesson on courage and suffering.

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Ronald S. Green
Professor and Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Coastal Carolina University
Nuurrianti Jalli
Visiting Fellow, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute; Oklahoma State University

Articles on Japanese anime

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