I have always been interested in Japan, taking four years of the language in high school and visiting it twice, so this was a great class to match my interests. The course was intriguing in its own right because we looked at Japanese films from the early to mid-20th century. We watched two films a week on our own and then discussed them in class. The professor, Edward Mack, was extremely knowledgeable in the subject and on Japan in general, so I learned a lot about the foreign nation from this class. My only complaint is that as the quarter went on, the class began to feel very monotonous. The same routine coupled with films blending together caused me to lose some of my initial interest. Because of this, I think it would be helpful to look at two or three different mediums, such as plays or short stories, throughout the course in addition to film. Overall, however, I enjoyed the class and got a lot out of it.