The Anime Studies Appetizer Sampler: Researching Japanese Popular Culture

Anime and manga are more than entertainment – they are global cultural phenomena that shape communities, inspire academic research, and influence how people connect across borders. From fan conventions and online communities to tourism, education, and social movements, Japanese pop culture continues to have a powerful impact around the world.

In this lively and wide-ranging talk, Billy Tringali, Librarian at the Indiana University Indianapolis and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Anime and Manga Studies (JAMS), introduces you to the growing field of anime and manga studies through real-world examples and current research. Drawing from projects on anime research in the United States, anime’s impact on fans’ social and mental health, and global anime data initiatives, Billy will explore how people study these pop culture contents and why it matters. Blending research, fandom, and personal experience, this presentation offers an accessible look at the many ways anime and manga shape culture, identity, community, and global engagement today.

The Speaker

Credit: pinkbikemike

Billy Tringali is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Anime and Manga Studies, and Founder and Academic Showrunner for the JAMS@AX Academic Symposium at Anime Expo, the largest anime convention in North America. Billy is a Faculty Librarian at Indiana University Indianapolis, where he serves as liaison for First-Year Sciences, Undergraduate Research, and Health Sciences.