Violetta Janzen

Violetta Janzen is a doctoral candidate and research associate at the Institute for Modern Japanese Studies at Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf. Her research focuses on Japanese animation, both in its historical and contemporary manifestations. She concentrates primarily on the consolidation of genres and tropes, the reception and resulting fan discourses, and the internationalization of the medium under the brand of anime as a Japanese cultural asset.

In her dissertation, she analyzes Japanese animation in the political sphere, using the anime series Shingeki no Kyojin – Attack on Titan (2013–2023) as a case study. The diverse political interpretations of the series in academic research and fan discourse, made possible by the work’s ideological ambiguity, are often grounded in interpretations of the author’s intent as reflected in the original manga. They overlook the fact that the globally highly popular anime adaptation is also influenced by industry-related decisions made by the production side, which is part of an internationalized anime industry whose target audience is gradually shifting from Japan to overseas markets. This thesis examines the narratological and hermeneutic levels of the work, as well as the aesthetic, industrial-policy, and socioeconomic dimensions of production, distribution, and reception, and their embedding in national and international discourses. The aim is to elucidate the interactions between the animation industry, popular culture, and reception in Japan and abroad, with a particular focus on the distribution of agency in the construction of meaning and the role of political contexts and discourses of memory.

During her stay at the DIJ, Violetta will focus on professional exchanges with experts, field studies at industry and fan conventions, the collection of promotional materials and industry journals, and the conduction of interviews with members of the anime production community.