Harry P

Analyse Hayao Miyazaki's use of picturesque European-inspired aesthetics in his movies. Think "Howl's Moving Castle", "Kiki's Delivery Service", and "Porco Rosso" – all are either inspired by 19th and early 20th century Europe, or in the case of "Porco Rosso" use real countries such as Italy in the 1930s. How does Miyazaki draw on these elements of aesthetic to create beautiful and magical settings? How does the source material, British author Diana Wynne Jones' novel "Howl's Moving Castle", and the real world influences of the time period, World War 1 etc, influence Miyazaki's renditions? What does he include, what does he exclude? What is the affect of these renditions on Japanese and international audiences especially when considering Japan's relationship with the West? You can also compare these European aesthetic/story films with the Ghibli films set in Japan, such as "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Spirited Away". Plenty of questions to ask yourself when doing this article. I recommend potential narrowing down the subject to certain aspects of the aesthetic, such as subject, technology, colour etc.

Analyse the impact of time dilation in movies like "Interstellar" and the "White Christmas" episode in Black Mirror (There are many examples: Dr Stone is an example of an anime) where large amounts of time is skipped for the audience but is experienced by the characters. There is also the idea of suspended animation, where characters are suspended (think Avatar, Passengers) and time passes without their knowledge, meaning everyone they left behind has died. How does the passing of time impact the audience in different examples of media? How is this "trope", for lack of a better word, used effectively?

Analyse the advent of "fast media" that has become so popular in recent years – especially in fast moving societies like South Korea. I live in South Korea, and one thing I have noticed is when I get on the subway people are scrolling EXTREMELY fast as they engage in a media called "Webtoon (웹툰)". This media is like a comic book that has been specifically designed for fast digestion and optimised for access on a mobile phone. You could write an article that explores why people are interested in this kind of media (Webtoons, Youtube Shorts, TikTok etc). How does this type of media differ from longer and "slower" forms of media? (E.g. Books, traditional ways of engaging in media like with a TV or at home). You could even briefly discuss the effect this "fast" media has on the brain or mental health (stress, instant gratification and high dopamine). It doesn't have to be only on South Korea, I'm just emersed in the unique culture and think there is enough for a case study (Think about high work hours, education system – Hagwons, generally a fast-paced society etc).

Analyse the role fillers play in anime to protect long running anime series from running out of source material. Fillers in anime are used to prolong a certain stage of the anime without affecting character relationships or the main plot line. Typically, they are used when an anime series catches up to the manga it is based on, and seeks to give the manga time to "catch up". For example, Naruto Shippuden is a popular anime series that ran from 2007 to 2016. In that time 500 episodes were aired with 205 or 41% of them being considered filler. There are many examples of this (One Piece, Bleach, etc), which have led viewers skipping fillers in their pursuit of the rich storylines these series have to offer. Whether or not a viewer likes or dislikes filler episodes, skips or pushes through them, they are clearly a significant flaw in the process of anime series adapted from manga. Perhaps, it is better now? Or perhaps it is the same? What alternatives are there for writers when the adaptive material overtakes the original? Since in essence it is an adaptation, should it expand on its own? Or should producers of these large anime series go on hiatus to allow the manga to catch up?