• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.27
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• pp.127-151
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• 2012

Created by Tomoko Ninomiya, was serialized in Japan from July 2001 to November 2009 and collected in 23 volumes. It has become a cultural syndrome after it was transferred to other media. Giving an attention to this cultural syndrome, this study aims to analyze narrative structure by means of semiotics. This study tries to use 'modele actantiel' and 'carre semiotique' of Greimas in order to clarify not only the meaning structure but also the course of narrative revealed in . The meaning structure of shows a unique relationship of genius and training. Although Nodame, a main character of this Japanese manga, is a straggler in music school because she does not show any passion for learning, she is depicted as a music genius. An education method called as apprenticeship is represented as the mechanism to bring out misfits in music. Dealing with her long journey to be a professional musician, this manga suggests how Nodame can be developed from as a misfit to as a professional pianist through introducing diverse education methods. Revealing critical perspective on music education in real world, gives a chance to rethink the relationship between genius and education in music.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.16
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• pp.101-112
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• 2009

The purpose of this study is to analyze trilogy by means of semiotics. trilogy constructs a story as a whole while each piece delivers a concluded ending. This study used 'modele actantiel' and 'carre semiotique' of Greimas in order to clarify not only the meaning structure but also the course of narrative of . is a compelling story which reverses the fairy tale of a beautiful princess and a heroic prince. Each piece of the trilogy unfolds as following; (1)ls the love of a princess and an ogre possible? (2)Can the marriage of the couple get confirmed? (3)Can Shrek be free again? The repeated meaning structure of trilogy is the binary opposition of nature versus culture, and the narrative course forms the meaning square on the basis of the opposition. Human culture represented by the lord Farquaad and Duloc castle signifies cleanness, order, complex, anxiety, paranoia, authoritarian, and violent. On the contrary, Nature represented by Shrek and the swamp signifies barbarity, freedom, confident, maturity, unstrained, and humar. The meaning of Shrek series is generated by the structure of the basic discrimination of culture versus nature. However, as story twists the bias and fixed idea, the meaning structure of Shrek shows a unique relationship of culture and nature. Although Shrek, an ogre, lives alone in a swamp because of the bias of human world, he is depicted as self-sufficient, comfort, and broad-minded. On the basis of this meaning structure, Shrek is not a story that an ogre(nature) strives to enter the human culture, nor a story that nature wins a victory at the confrontation between culture and nature, but a story that human(culture) and ogre(nature) overcome their fixed ideas through the transition from culture to nature and vice versa.