The National University of Singapore organized a series of paper presentations at the Singapore Toys, Games, and Comics Convention, mostly held in one (very cold) conference room. This was the first time they’re trying something like this, and they think it’s had a fairly good showing, so they’ll be holding another series of talks next year.
The audience for these talks was small, but still respectable: not as packed as the other more popular panels at the “main events”, but not completely empty either. I do get the impression that many of those present were other academics, and they all knew each other well.
Each of these presentations were full of Deep Thoughts, or at least catalysts for Deep Thoughts. Unfortunately these Thoughts take some time to go through to fully digest, so I’ll have to take the talks one at a time. Not all the talks, of course, but mainly the ones I feel I have some knowledge about.
The first, and I think by far the one most relevant to my interests, was Database vs. Narrative: Two Theories on Contemporary Production/Consumption of Toys, Games, and Comics from Japan, presented by Mr. Kam Thiam Huat (National University of Singapore).
TLDR version: People can enjoy anime by focusing on characters or by focusing on setting, and both are equally valid ways of looking at anime fandom.
