The Role of Animation in the Formation of Social Values in Japan: Analysing the Representation of Ijime in 21st Century Anime

This thesis examines one of the current social problems in Japanese society – bullying (Jap. いじめ ijime), and its representation in anime. The consequences of school bullying are lower academic results, refusal to attend classes, social isolation, and in the most serious cases, suicide. In turn, anime is one of the main transmitters of social ideas in modern Japanese society, influencing the formation of values in adolescents. Due to its popularity, it draws public attention to issues and can help Japanese students develop a sense of responsibility for their actions. Thus, this study aims to extend existing research on the role of animation in shaping societal values by identifying the specifics of bullying representation in 21st century anime. In the course of the work the problem of ijime in Japanese society was considered, the specifics of bullying representation were revealed, as well as possible solutions to this problem.