A university in Japan will be offering a college degree focusing on manga and anime creation starting next year.
The Kaishi Professional University in Niigata Prefecture will officially open its Manga and Anime Department in April 2021, after its establishment was approved by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology last Nov. 16, a report from anime streaming service Crunchyroll stated.

The report also said that the department can accept at least 80 students on the first year of its establishment.
"They will learn the theory and practice needed to create for more than 600 hours from leading anime and manga creators, such as professional animators, animation directors, manga artists, character designers, illustrators, and game creators, as well as animation and manga researchers," Crunchyroll reported.
The university, on its website, said it aims not only to develop their students' skills in anime, manga, and character design but also their "planning and production capabilities that are directly linked to business development."
Sachiko Kamimura, the animator behind City Hunter, will serve as the Dean of the Faculty of Anime / Manga.
Other faculty members of the department include Bei Narita, CEO of Humany Co., Ltd., and professional illustrator KENTOO.
For more than 600 hours, students enrolled in the course will learn "theory and practice necessary for creation from professional animators, anime directors, manga artists, character designers, illustrators, game creators, and front-line anime and manga researchers," the university said.
"We aim to be a next-generation production human resource who can contribute to the further development of Japan's proud content culture," the university added.
Among the subjects included in the degree are "Drawing expression technique theory," "Perspective projection basics," "Animation production process exercise," "Manga script training," "Character design training," "Screenplay introduction," and "Planning and Producing Seminar."
The university will accept at least 80 students on the first year of the department. Entrance exams for the department will be held on Dec. 19.