Japanese Mythology in Film: A Semiotic Approach to Reading Japanese Film and Anime

A cyborg detective hunts for a malfunctioning sex doll that turns itself into a killing machine. A Heian—era Taoist slays evil spirits with magic spells from yin—yang philosophy. A young mortician carefully prepares bodies for their journey to the afterlife. A teenage girl drinks a cup of life—giving sake, not knowing its irreversible transformative power. These are scenes from the visually enticing, spiritually eclectic media of Japanese movies and anime. The narratives of courageous heroe...