Join USJETAA and Dr. Jolyon Thomas, Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania for what promises to be an in depth look at anime.

We will explore the cultural and emotional forces behind anime’s appeal, with a discussion that will be enthralling for both devoted fans and those who are curious or even puzzled by its widespread popularity. It will also shed light on the intense passion that anime inspires, sometimes described as a kind of “religious” following.

Panelists include:

• Dr. Jolyon Thomas is an Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania who explores how anime, manga, and pop culture connect with spirituality and everyday life in Japan. He’s the author of Drawing on Tradition: Manga, Anime, and Religion in Contemporary Japan and has a new book on the way, Animating Action: Changing the World with Anime, Rituals, and Robots.

• Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-1999) is an award-winning Japanese American author, journalist, scholar and editor. His bestselling book Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture has Invaded the West examines how Japanese pop culture captured the world’s imagination. He’s currently a Visiting Professor at Waseda University in Tokyo and is developing two new documentary projects addressing contemporary Japanese pop culture and society.

• Yuri Lowenthal (Shiga, 1993-1995) is an actor, writer, and producer whose voice brings to life characters like Spider-Man in MARVEL'S SPIDER-MAN, Sasuke in NARUTO, and Ben in Ben 10. With his wife Tara Platt, he co-founded Monkey Kingdom Productions and BugBot Press, co-wrote the bestselling VOICE-OVER VOICE ACTOR, and produced and starred in ORBITAL REDUX with Legendary Entertainment.