Mythology in Anime
Mythological Anime Presentation

As some of you may know, I usually do a panel at the conventions I visit called Mythological Anime. I now have two versions of this panel. My newest version is called: Eastern and Western Divinities in Animation and older version is called The Anime Hero with a Thousand Faces. Doing a panel like this grew out of my own interest in mythological storytelling and how it manifests itself in some of my favorite anime. It's actually the mythological heroes, religious cosmologies and metaphysical storytelling that make anime so captivating to me. My panels involve me lecturing with slides and/or video to help introduce people to the mythological concepts I'm talking about. Once everyone is up to speed, I have a question and answer period about the differences and similarities between Eastern and Western mythological storytelling.

Link to Discussion Group (Myth Café):
I've set up a Yahoo! Group to talk about mythological storytelling in animation.
Come join the discussion at the Crispin Freeman Myth Café.

Testimonials from Previous Myth Panels:
Hundreds of people attended the "fan" event, and Crispin's original presentation, "Mythological Anime," was sold-out to an audience ranging in age from grade school students to adults. The cross-generational audience was testament to the appeal of anime and to Crispin's personal appeal. - Diana Dretske, Anime Exhibit and Programming Manager, Lake County Discovery Museum, Wauconda, IL

I think that Crispin did a wonderful thing for those fans because he pointed out that those amazing anime stories were part of the long cultural tradition of the myth. ... All parents and teachers who are with children and teens that are anime fans should hear what Mr. Freeman has to say. - Jane Halsall, Young Adult Librarian, McHenry Public Library, McHenry, IL

Mr Freeman's grasp on the deeper meaning behind what we see on the screen is something all anime and mythology enthusiasts should hear (even if you do not like anime). Go and listen to what he has to say, and you will truly understand that Anime is not just some crazy cartoon your teenage kids watch but something truly deeper. It has surely opened my eyes up and would definitely go and listen to him again, no matter where or the cost. - Jade Walsh, Sydney, Australia

Likewise, I attended the Mythological Anime panel at Sydney's Supanova and was blown away by Crispin's presentation! I have been watching Anime for about 25 years (from back in the days when we really did call in JapAnimation!), and never before had I even considered analyzing the genre in such a way. ... Crispin's panel was by far the best thing at Supanova over the entire weekend. - Travers Cleeman, Sydney, Australia

I found the presentation to be organized in such a fashion that it's not just informative but also entertaining. My youth members who normally could not stay put in one place stayed for the entire time and all of us in my group who attended spent the couple of hours after the presentation talking about what we heard. ... Crispin's presentation became a catalyst for healthy, intellectual discussions. It also became a great way to encourage the youth to read more as well as to be more selective in what they see, read, and get exposed to everyday. - PJ Caronongan, Long Beach, CA

With this workshop, Mr. Freeman maps the cultural and mythological heritage of anime in an entertaining way. More so, he not only shows the discoveries he has made on the connections between anime and mythology, but actively encourages his audience to make their own connections. In this way, the panel is not so much a lecture, but an exciting and fun exchange of ideas, and concepts between teacher and students. - Sarah Hodge-Wetherbe, Youth Librarian, Springfield, MA

Bibliography
Invariably I reference many books on mythology and many anime shows that I think exemplify mythological story telling. I thought I would make a sort of bibliography of the books and anime that have influenced me so that others can do their own research and exploration (and maybe teach me a thing or two!) This list is by no means complete or exhaustive, but should be a decent starting point for those who have seen my panel and want to delve further or for those who find this sort of thing interesting and want to put me on the spot at a convention with a really tough or sophisticated question! Enjoy!

Books:
My primary guide in researching comparative mythology has been Joseph Campbell. I find his works very accessible. He is not only a wonderful scholar, he is also a fantastic storyteller and lecturer. I recommend any of his audio or video lectures.

By Joseph Campbell:
The Power of Myth (a conversation with Bill Moyers)
This is probably the most widely known of Campbell's teachings. It was a 6 hour series on PBS. The video is wonderful. The book is the unabridged transcript of the conversation between Campbell and Moyers. I recommend both highly.
The Hero with a Thousand Faces
More scholarly than the Power of Myth, but more in depth as well.
The Masks of God
Myths to Live By

By Houston Smith:
The World's Religions
A vital work exploring the core of the major world religions.

By Marshall McLuhan:
The Guttenberg Galaxy
Understanding Media

By Scott McCloud:
Understanding Comics
Reinventing Comics

By James Burke:
The Day the Universe Changed
Connections

By Stephen Hawking:
A Brief History of Time
The Universe in a Nutshell

By Richard Feynman
Six Easy Pieces

Video:
With Joseph Campbell:
The Power of Myth
Mythos
An abridged video presentation of Campbell's lectures hosted by Susan Sarandon

Other:
From Jesus to Christ

Audio:
With Joseph Campbell:
Myths and Masks of God
Man and Myth
Western Quest
Mythology and the Individual
The Eastern Way
Inward Journey: East and West
The Western Way
The Wisdom of Joseph Campbell
The Way of Art

Mythological Anime
Almost all of Hayao Miyazaki's movies including:
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
Laputa, Castle in the Sky
My Neighbor Totoro
Kiki's Delivery Service
On Your Mark
Princess Mononoke
Spirited Away

Most of Shoji Kawamori's work including:
Macross
Macross Plus
The Vision of Escaflowne
Spring and Chaos (Kenji's Spring)
Arjuna

Others:
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Revolutionary Girl Utena
Night on the Galactic Railroad
The Irresponsible Captain Tylor
Gasaraki
RG Veda
The Hobbit
The Last Unicorn
Flight of Dragons