Anime studies should be offered in American high schools

The purpose of an Anime Studies course is to provide exposure to alternative ways of looking at problems, with the focus on problems facing youth. The goal is not to teach students that the Japanese way of looking at these problems provides correct answers. In fact, anime occasionally allows the central problem to be left unresolved, despite heroic attempts. More often some aspect of the problem will be left unresolved. For example, the anime Initial D is about the role of passion in pursuing life goals. Too little passion leads to accomplishing nothing, but unrestrained passion leads to a "crash and burn" outcome. Multiple plot threads demonstrate the results of too much and too little passion.The mantra in modern education is that students should be taught the tools of thinking rather than what to think. That's a worthy goal rarely accomplished. Anime can live up to that challenge, and that's why it deserves a place in the curriculum. 1. Anime takes youth seriouslyCon argues that since anime depicts aberrant behavior in older people and treats the problem of dealing with it, that youth may mistake the point and mimic the bad behavior. So is there a real danger that high school students will miss the joke in Ranma 1/2 and decide that dressing in ninja costume and sneaking around to steal girls' underwear is really acceptable behavior? I don't think so. Every character except the perverted old man finds the behavior unacceptable. No, there is no mistaking the behavior as acceptable. The problem is how to deal with it. The old pervert is honored for his merits while being soundly denounced for his anti-social behavior.In anime characters who are to be respected often have flaws to deal with. Teachers, held in high respect, have problems with alcoholism. They abandon their class to run away with a lover. The concept of respect for elders is more highly developed than in American culture, and the problems of sustaining the concept are dealt with squarely. Students immersed in American culture are not likely to start conforming to the models of Japanese culture; the goal is to teach how a different culture handles common problems.Con worries that the story lines of anime will be ignored by students in favor of the entertainment value. That problem arises in studying literature, and the way it's avoided In literature is for teachers to pick the works of Fyodor Dostoyevsky rather than Ian Fleming to study. A good literature course should pick works that are fun to read as well having a valuable message worth studying, and that's the rule for anime as well. It's going to be Habane Renmei and not Pokémon.But why not study some other neglected aspect of art or literature rather than anime? It's because of the anime concern with the challenges of youth, and how those challenges play out over a lifetime.2. Anime deals with adapting to hypermodern societyCon points to four standard works like 1984, having dystopian visions of the future, and argues that "futurism" is now adequately covered. It takes nothing away from 1984 to note that there is more to the fuure than depressing dehumanization. Chobits ponders the question of whether it is acceptable to love a robot. The answer isn't clear; it's perhaps. One must nderstand the limitations of androids.Anime is rank with vehicles that not only respond to voice inquiries, but offer advice and counsel. The girl protagonist in The Third has an interesting professional relationship with her armored vehicle. Apple's Siri is a real-life precursor to that future, albeit a rather lame one. Orwell and Huxley are dealing with dangers of the future, but anime deals with adapting to a society having machines in important roles. There is more to it than being afraid. 3. Anime and Religion Con says that he wants to keep religion and philosophy out of schools, but he gave no reasons why it should be kept out. I argued that political correctness makes it impossible to say much interesting about Western religion or philosophy in American schools, but that those landmines can be avoided by using anime as an entrée to Eastern concepts. I'll grant that there are fundamentalists who will object to the mere discussion of anything that does not conform to their orthodoxy, but Anime Studies would be an elective that could be readily avoided. I further doubt that spirits who rattle trash in the wind or a depressed god of poverty that shares the body of a cat (per Kamichu!) can be taken seriously by fundamentalists. The Japanese find value in the concepts without taking them to be literally true.4. Multi-culturalismCon suggests that a straight course in Japanese culture, or a survey course in world cultures, might bring more benefits to students than Anime Studies. The reasons why anime should be preferred over broader treatments have to do with the unique features of anime that make it a worldwide phenomenon. It treats the challenges of youth seriously, it talks about the future, and it speaks to moral problems of the modern age, and it does so from a different cultural perspective.Besides, surveys and broad treatments are much less interesting than anime. We want subjects that inspire students to want to learn, and anime is proved to be interesting. Once interest is captured, students with the aptitude can be led into some very difficult anime. For example, the movie "Urusei Yatsura -- Beautiful Dreamer" [video http://www.youtube.com...] combines Japanese mythology with a parody of high school traditions and an odd plot that blends into a dream sequence. Making sense of it yields many of the standard components of anime. PrioritiesCon objects that students are stressed meeting the requirements now imposed, and cites course requirements amounts to 12 course years over high school. American school systems vary, so sometime there are four years designated as high school, and other times only three. I will assume six periods per day, meaning there are either 18 or 24 course-years associated with high school. With six to twelve elective slots available, there is room for an anime course. Moreover, Con says that one of the course requirements is a year of "foreign language or visual and performing arts." Anime Studies could be used to fulfill the arts requirement.Con tries to dismiss anime as empty entertainment. A similar charge could be leveled against any visual or performing art, or any course that is not boring. The best anime represents is a uniquely innovative and creative art form of modern times. To be appreciated, students must understand the artistic paradigms, the format, the cultural traditions and mythology, and key story lines. Consider:Anime is typically constructed in story arcs of a dozen or two episodes that progress from beginning to an end. When a series begins there are typically some lightweight episodes that introduce and define the characters before the real story begins. There are usually at least a half dozen characters, each defined by distinct appearance and personality. Some series have dozens of characters that require note taking to keep straight. Plots may be in the pattern of good guys versus bad guys, but there are three-, four-, and five-sided plots. Bad guys often have redeeming characteristics. Anime producers discovered that girls liked to see to girls in the empowered roles as action heroes, and boys are happy with that. Many series now have lead female characters in strong roles and many have romantic plots or sub-plots. Anime pays special attention to depicting specific places, the time of year, time of day, and weather. Anime should be given a place among other electives because it teaches important critical thinking skills. I don't deny that other electives like personal finance ought to be advanced, but I wonder how much students will actually learn when they don't face many of the actual money situations discussed. Anime relates to current experience.