[KineJapan] CFP "Suspensions of Concentration: Kimetsu no yaiba and Blockbuster in the Year of the Global Pandemic” (Mar. 15, 2021)

[Bryan Hartzheim]

Hello KineJapaners,


We're holding an online spiritual sequel to our anime symposium at Waseda
last year, updated for Covid and the biggest Japanese film hit of the year
(ever?). Please see the CFP below if you're interested.


Best wishes,

Bryan Hikari Hartzheim

Assistant Professor

School of International Liberal Studies

Waseda University


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*The Waseda Symposium on **鬼滅の刃*

*CALL FOR PAPERS*



Title: “Suspensions of Concentration: *Kimetsu no yaiba* and Blockbuster in
the Year of the Global Pandemic”

Date and Time: 15 March 2021 (09:30–17:30 JST)

Place and Format: Online/Webinar


The research project “Location of Anime: Institutions, Disciplines, and
Fields” was originally planned as an international symposium/seminar at
Waseda University’s Brussels Office in collaboration with its partner
institution, the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) in Fall 2020.
Unfortunately, we had no choice but to cancel the event due to COVID-19. In
the beginning, there was no plan to hold any alternative event online
because we were too exhausted from a seemingly endless series of Zoom
meetings and other online affairs. While contemplating the discontinuation
of the project for good, a blockbuster anime movie was released in the
midst of the coronavirus pandemic. 劇場版「鬼滅の刃」無限列車編 or *Demon Slayer the
Movie: Mugen Train* was first shown on October 16, 2020, and as of this
writing, it is the second highest-grossing film in Japan ever. Regardless
of whether it surpasses the number one film *Spirited Away* or not, the
significance of *Demon Slayer the Movie *is undeniable. Intrigued by both
the film itself and the wide-ranging social phenomena it has created, we
have decided to reorganize the original project by focusing on *Kimetsu no
yaiba *or *Demon Slayer*.



The main objective of our project remains the same, i.e., the investigation
of the location of anime. This one-day online symposium is an attempt to
accomplish this objective by exploring a wide range of issues that are
concretely related to *Kimetsu* *no yaiba *yet have implications beyond the
single media franchise. The following are examples of possible topics for
presentations and discussions: the anime industry and media mix, fan
culture, cosplay and social media, anime songs and music, voice acting and
actors, genre systems, intertextuality, action and spectacle, speed and
kinetic dynamism, narrative motifs, iconography, visual style, historical
imagination, the political unconscious, affect, violence, censorship,
gender and authorship, transnational reception and consumption, labor and
marketing, COVID-19 and the culture industry, etc. By scrutinizing *Kimetsu
no yaiba* in relation to these and other issues, we will collectively
reflect on the location of anime in its broadest sense.



We invite papers that critically discuss any aspects of the *Kimetsu* phenomena
including—but not limited to—the list of topics mentioned above. Please
send a paper title, an abstract of approximately 250 words, and a short bio
to wasedakimetsu at gmail.com by *January 9, 2021*.



Organizers:

Mitsuhiro Yoshimoto (Waseda University)

Bryan Hartzheim (Waseda University)



This symposium is generously supported by Waseda University’s grant for
international research collaboration, Waseda Brussels Office, and the
Graduate School of International Culture and Communication Studies.
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