Kendra Sheehan is the Assistant Professor of Japanese Studies for the Classical and Modern Languages Department at the University of Louisville, as well as an advisor for UofL's Japanese Minor program. She teaches cultural studies courses that explore Japanese culture through media, with a particular focus on popular culture, film, and literature (including comics). Her research interests include literary narratives, religion, adaptation, gender and identity in media, and cross-cultural analysis between Japanese and Western works. Her recent publications include, “Soft Power, Globalization, and the Otaku: Influencing Japanese Nationalism Within and Without” in National Identity and Millennials in Northeast Asia: Power and Contestations in the Digital Age and “The Japanese Spirit and Aesthetic in Western Animation: Japanese Influences in Adventure Time” in Critical Essays about Cartoon Network's Adventure Time.