Anime Odyssey | Photo by Rose Taylor | The Wright State Guardian
The University Center for International Education hosted its Anime Odyssey event on Wednesday, Nov. 6. The event offered a variety of activities and worked to educate students about Japan’s iconic animation industry.
The event
The University Center for International Education made the event possible as part of its International Education Week.While the event primarily focused on anime– a Japanese animation industry– other Asian countries were brought into the spotlight.
Students arrived to a variety of anime- and Japanese-inspired activities, including a cosplay competition, themed snacks and information about study abroad.
As part of international education week, UCIE focused primarily on spreading information about study abroad opportunities to Asia.
Wright State University offers a variety of study abroad programs to countries all over the world. WSU professors host UCIE ambassador programs, each focusing on a specific topic, such as finance.
While most study abroad programs are to Europe or South America, there is one Asia program that is being offered for the Summer 2025 semester. It is called “Japan: Exploring Japanese Culture,” and is set to last for two or more weeks.
“Students will meet with Japanese students, visit temples, an ancient samurai castle, famous gardens, and museums in Okayama and Tokyo, as well as the WWII A-bomb museum in Hiroshima. There will be a weekend home stay experience, university tours, and ample opportunities to meet and interact with Japanese students,” the ambassador program description reads.
The application deadline for this program is April 1. If you are interested, be sure to visit UCIE’s page, as they can offer information regarding the program and financial aid opportunities for those who apply.
The history of anime
Anime was the primary focus of Wednesday’s event– but what exactly makes anime popular, and how did it start?
According to an article by Yamaguchi Yasuo, Japan’s animation industry started in 1917 after being inspired by Western animation industries in France and the United States.
The anime industry was forced to restart time and time again due to the harsh experiences in Japan around that time period– including natural disasters, wars and political mistrust.
“... as Japan began to recover from the disastrous war, Ōkawa Hiroshi, president of the Tōei film company, saw Disney’s ‘Snow White’ (1937). He was overwhelmed by the gorgeous color of the film,” Yamaguchi said.
It was thanks to the combination of job shortages and the aftermath of the war that led many promising young animators to work at Ōkawa’s company– called Tōei Dōga, though it is now Tōei Animation.
Despite the financial struggles, Tōei Dōga was able to produce a few popular movies and television shows which were heavily influenced by Disney, but took cultural aspects from Japan.
Students interested in learning more can visit Yamaguchi’s article, which delves into far more detail about the history of anime.
Why is anime so popular?
There is plenty of debate as to why anime is popular, especially in Western countries like the U.S.
In an article by Suhaib Adeel, he delves into a variety of reasons as to why anime has become popular. Some of these reasons include the quality of the narrative, the influence that streaming companies have over animation, the visual appeal and the global and cultural exchange that anime makes possible.
“Japanese animation studios confidently explore genres, stories, styles, and characters appropriate for viewers of all ages, given their awareness of their audience's wide range of interests. This strategy produces a very devoted fan base that invests their time and energy into building anime encyclopedias, extending anime databases, and formulating hypotheses that link events chronologically,” Adeel stated.
These reasons help provide a backdrop on why anime is so popular in the U.S. Thanks to the cultural influences and beautiful animation style– often noticeable in Japanese film companies like Studio Ghibli– people love anime as a whole.
Mackenzie Goddard, an attendee of the event, is someone who enjoys watching anime. She explained how the art found in anime is one of her favorite parts.
“The artistry, there’s only so much you can do in live action stuff, with animation you can get more detailed visual aspects,” Goddard said.
Overall, the event ended in a resounding success.
