Foo Zhe Shi Clifton

Healing in Detail in Iyashikei

Advisor: Associate Professor Deborah Shamoon

Clifton is an MA student who graduated from Nanyang Technological University in 2022 with a Bachelor of the Arts in English with Honours (Distinction) and minors in Modern Languages (Japanese) and Creative Writing. A versatile otaku, his interests include anime, manga, games, mythology, fantasy and literature. He is also an avid card game player, J-Pop/seiyū fan and concertgoer.

Clifton is primarily interested in exploring his otaku hobbies through the framework of literary analysis. Aspiring towards narratology and semiotics, Clifton’s current research project centres around the amorphous iyashikei (meaning ‘healing type’) subgenre of slice-of-life anime. In addition to exploring the mechanics of healing within these works, Clifton also seeks to bring attention to the uplifting narratives that exist beneath the surface of seemingly mundane slice-of-life and iyashikei works.