Ricerca: (Re)designing narratives: a game studies approach to East Asian post-colonial histories (Provvisorio)
Sara Morini, Curriculum Asia Orientale, XL ciclo
Abstract progetto di ricerca:
This research examines how video games in East Asia serve as dynamic mediums for interpreting, contesting, and reshaping collective memory of Japanese colonialism. With a focus on post-colonial East Asian contexts, this project explores how video games differ from other cultural media in representing historical narratives, highlighting the unique interactivity, player agency, and spatial immersion that games offer.
This study addresses three primary research questions: (1) What portrayals of the Japanese colonial experience are present in video games produced within East Asia, particularly in countries once under Japanese colonial rule? (2) How do these games’ depictions of historical events and figures shape or contrast with narratives found in other media? (3) To what extent do contemporary political and social concerns influence the repurposing of historical narratives in these games? Through detailed textual analysis of selected games from Japan and from former colonies or occupied territories, the project assesses narrative choices, game mechanics, and audio-visual elements to explore their contributions to collective memory and public history.
By integrating theories from memory studies and game studies, this research emphasizes how video games not only reflect but also actively shape public understanding of East Asia’s colonial past, thus offering novel insights into cultural memory and postcolonial discourse. This project ultimately argues for the critical role video games play in how societies remember and reinterpret history, especially in regions marked by complex colonial legacies and shifting political landscapes.
11/2024 - oggi: Dottoranda in Civiltà dell'Asia e dell'Africa presso l'Istituto Italiano di Studi Orientali (ISO) – Sapienza Università di Roma.
Titolo del progetto:
Supervisore:
2023-2024: MEXT Research Scholar presso Waseda University, Tokyo
Supervisore: Nakajima Seio, Waseda University
2019 - 2022: Laurea Magistrale in Lingue e Civiltà Orientali, Istituto Italiano di Studi Orientali (ISO) – Sapienza Università di Roma.
Titolo della tesi: (Re)designing narratives: a game studies approach to East Asian post-colonial histories
2016 - 2019: Laurea Triennale in Lingue e Civiltà Orientali, l'Istituto Italiano di Studi Orientali (ISO) – Sapienza Università di Roma.
Titolo della tesi:
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