Early in this account of Japanese film, the author says that prior histories have tended to follow one of two trajectories. One, which she calls "progressive," sees stylistic development and a new sophistication of expertise; as an example, she names the 1959 book by Joseph Anderson and myself. And "perhaps to a lesser extent," she adds, "Richie's more recent 2001 history."
Contrasted with this is the other trajectory, for which she supplies only one example, Nole Burch's 1971 book. This is the "development, achievement and decline" pattern that posits a "golden age," from which to fall away from.
If these descriptions are, within their limitations, possible, then her own effort would constitute yet a third trajectory. She calls it "essayistic and exploratory" and proposes a methodology based on "the politics of cinema," an approach that attempts to reach an understanding of the relationship between filmmaking, economics and politics.