This course will first introduce students to the basics and history of Japanese religious traditions, focusing on Buddhism, Shintoism, and Christianity. Then, students will study how aspects of these religions pop up in Japanese animation, comics, and video games. By the end of the course, students will become more knowledgeable consumers of Japanese pop culture. Whether you're a long-time fan of Japanese anime or manga, or whether you're just starting out, this course is for you!

With over 1 billion people worldwide playing video games, it is clear to see that video games have become a fundamental past time for our generation. We have come a long way from the days of 8-bit pixels and classic damsel in distress tropes...right? Maybe not as much as you might think. We'll be covering everything from Minecraft to Mario, so come and learn about the history of various dimensions of diversity (ethnic, gender, ability, etc.) in video games over the past 30+ years, as well as the very real consequences this lack of diversity poses to our society.