A group of street racers called Team Emperor, led by the professionally trained driver Kyouichi Sudou and all Lancer Evo drivers, appears in the Gunma Prefecture. They move through Gunma challenging and defeating the best team on each mountain they arrive at. However, Kyouichi's real goal is to have a rematch with Ryousuke Takahashi, whom he does not know has recently been defeated by Takumi. When he discovers this, Team Emperor challenges the Akina Speed Stars to a race in the hopes that Takumi will compete in his 86. Takumi becomes the first person in Gunma to defeat a member of the Emperor team on the downhill when he beats the Evo team's second best driver, Seiji Iwaki.
Kyouichi then challenges Takumi to a match to “teach him some things” and as a sort of cover event for his race with Ryosuke. Although initially uninterested, Takumi eventually decides to go to Akagi. During this race the engine of Takumi's 86 is blown and effectively destroyed. Kyouichi lectures Takumi on the disadvantages of using such an old car in a modern street race. The Emperor leader also didn't consider it a real battle. He tells Takumi to get a more competitive car and race him again. The loss was not due to the 86's lack of power, as Ryosuke explains, it was due to the fact that Takumi had not driven on Akagi before and didn't know the entrance speeds or anything else about the course that he could use to his advantage, basically leaving him driving blind in front of a power mongered Lancer Evolution 3 with the Misfiring System (anti-lag). If Takumi only knew the course even a little the race would have probably ended differently.
Finally, the long-awaited battle commences. Kyouichi was hungry to beat Ryosuke once and for all. The race started with the white FC leading, as Kyoichi formulated a new technique, Simulation X, for this battle alone. Midway through the race, the black Evo 3 passes Ryosuke and went on to lead until Ryosuke discovers his opponent's weakness. After defeating Kyouichi again, he explains to him that he still had that fear of right-hand corners, wherein a car running to the opposite direction can collide head-on. His local mountain pass, Irohazaka, was a one-way road, which is why Kyouichi wasn't able to work on removing that fear.
Bunta, knowing that the engine in the 86 was about to give out, had already bought a new engine - a high-revving, race breed variation of the standard Toyota 4A-GE 20 valve twin cam engine, which is used for Group A Division 2 Touring Class races in the Japanese Touring Car Championship. He installs the engine without a new tachometer to teach Takumi the importance of learning mechanical knowledge and understanding why the car behaves as it does. Takumi encounters a fellow 86 driver by the name of Wataru, who after reacting with great surprise to Takumi's lack of mechanical knowledge explains that the engine is an extremely strong powerplant and requires several new gauges including a high-revolution tachometer, to be useful.
Once Takumi has made these modifications, Wataru challenges him to a race anywhere of Takumi's choosing. Takumi chooses to race on Wataru's home course of Shomaru, an abandoned mountain pass that is very dangerous. The race becomes one of endurance, and will only end if the chaser overtakes the front-runner. Wataru and Takumi switched positions several times, until Takumi discovers a change in the course's environment brought on by their many high speed passes and passes Wataru on a stretch that was previously too narrow for him to do so.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Sunday, July 8, 2007
First Stage
The story begins when street racers of the Red Suns, a team from Mt. Akagi, come to challenge Mt. Akina's local Speed Stars team to a "friendly" race. After seeing how skilled the Red Suns are, the Speed Stars treat it as a race for pride, determined not to be humiliated on their home turf. However, the Speed Stars are left in a bind when their team leader and primary downhill driver Iketani has an accident during a practice run.
Iketani learns from Yuuichi that the fastest car in Akina's downhill was a panda-colored AE86 owned by a tofu maker, and traces the car back to a local tofu shop. He discovers that the shop's owner, Bunta Fujiwara, was a street racer of great repute in his younger days. Iketani appeals to the older man to take his place in the race against the Red Suns. Iketani is confident that Bunta will come to save the day. But when the race day comes, Takumi appears with his father's Toyota Trueno AE86 instead. Although at first reluctant to let Takumi race, Ikatani relents after it is revealed that he is actually the "Ghost of Akina," the one who outran Keisuke while on one of his delivery runs. Takumi proceeds to defeat Keisuke Takahashi and his Mazda RX-7 FD3S, causing considerable astonishment in the local racing community and putting an end to the Red Suns winning streak.
Originally apathetic about the notion of racing, having only raced Keisuke on the condition his father would let him have the car with a full tank of fuel for a day to use on a date, Takumi begins to grow more interested as he receives other challenges. He begins to understand the concept of a street racer's pride when everyone advises him to duck a challenge from a driver of Mt. Myogi's Night Kids team who drives an extremely powerful, technologically advanced Nissan Skyline R32. The competition against another member of the Night Kids, Shingo Shoji, becomes personal for Takumi after Shingo attempts to wreck Iketani and later forces his friend and co-worker Itsuki to crash when he mistook Itsuki's car for Takumi's. After this came a duel with a female driver/navigator duo team hailing from Mt. Usui known as Impact Blue and their Nissan Sileighty.
Each of the races presents seemingly impossible odds to overcome. The opposing cars are almost always much more powerful than Takumi's AE86, and the race against Shingo is a "Duct tape Deathmatch," in which both drivers' right hands are taped to the steering wheel, a format which severely limits ability to steer and highly favors Shingo's Honda Civic EG-6, which is a front-wheel drive. Takumi's rear-wheel drive AE86 would be much harder to control, but by instinct, he figures out his own technique and went on to win the race. Shingo actually tried to crash into Takumi's car planning to end the race with a tie, but the AE86 entered a turn and dodged the EG6 and sent the latter to a major crash. The race against Impact Blue is the first for Takumi outside of Mt. Akina, in the completely unfamiliar environment Mt Usui, the SilEighty team's home course.
Takumi's first wet race was against Kenta Nakamura of the Red Suns, driving an S14, which happened in Myogi after Keisuke's race with Nakazato. That previous battle happened before the rain, with Nakazato leading all throughout until his tires lost grip, letting Keisuke drift his way to victory. Afterwards, the audacious Kenta asked the spectators if they wanted a race against the AE86, and they did. Takumi accepted the challenge. Kenta, having a more powerful car, led during the uphill part but Takumi went ahead on the downhill, finishing with a huge distance. This was among Takumi's easiest races, as he himself had tons of experience in more adverse weather conditions.
While Takumi races others over the course of the summer, Keisuke's brother Ryosuke Takahashi, who is the leader of the Akagi Red Suns, formulates what he refers to as his "perfect plan" to defeat Takumi, relying on computer simulations that he had formulated. As summer draws to a close, Ryosuke challenges Takumi to a race and is defeated when he is overtaken by Takumi on one of the last turns before Akina's finish line. Ryosuke acknowledges that Takumi was faster than him, and advises him not to be satisfied with Akina's small stage and to seek out bigger challenges.
Iketani learns from Yuuichi that the fastest car in Akina's downhill was a panda-colored AE86 owned by a tofu maker, and traces the car back to a local tofu shop. He discovers that the shop's owner, Bunta Fujiwara, was a street racer of great repute in his younger days. Iketani appeals to the older man to take his place in the race against the Red Suns. Iketani is confident that Bunta will come to save the day. But when the race day comes, Takumi appears with his father's Toyota Trueno AE86 instead. Although at first reluctant to let Takumi race, Ikatani relents after it is revealed that he is actually the "Ghost of Akina," the one who outran Keisuke while on one of his delivery runs. Takumi proceeds to defeat Keisuke Takahashi and his Mazda RX-7 FD3S, causing considerable astonishment in the local racing community and putting an end to the Red Suns winning streak.
Originally apathetic about the notion of racing, having only raced Keisuke on the condition his father would let him have the car with a full tank of fuel for a day to use on a date, Takumi begins to grow more interested as he receives other challenges. He begins to understand the concept of a street racer's pride when everyone advises him to duck a challenge from a driver of Mt. Myogi's Night Kids team who drives an extremely powerful, technologically advanced Nissan Skyline R32. The competition against another member of the Night Kids, Shingo Shoji, becomes personal for Takumi after Shingo attempts to wreck Iketani and later forces his friend and co-worker Itsuki to crash when he mistook Itsuki's car for Takumi's. After this came a duel with a female driver/navigator duo team hailing from Mt. Usui known as Impact Blue and their Nissan Sileighty.
Each of the races presents seemingly impossible odds to overcome. The opposing cars are almost always much more powerful than Takumi's AE86, and the race against Shingo is a "Duct tape Deathmatch," in which both drivers' right hands are taped to the steering wheel, a format which severely limits ability to steer and highly favors Shingo's Honda Civic EG-6, which is a front-wheel drive. Takumi's rear-wheel drive AE86 would be much harder to control, but by instinct, he figures out his own technique and went on to win the race. Shingo actually tried to crash into Takumi's car planning to end the race with a tie, but the AE86 entered a turn and dodged the EG6 and sent the latter to a major crash. The race against Impact Blue is the first for Takumi outside of Mt. Akina, in the completely unfamiliar environment Mt Usui, the SilEighty team's home course.
Takumi's first wet race was against Kenta Nakamura of the Red Suns, driving an S14, which happened in Myogi after Keisuke's race with Nakazato. That previous battle happened before the rain, with Nakazato leading all throughout until his tires lost grip, letting Keisuke drift his way to victory. Afterwards, the audacious Kenta asked the spectators if they wanted a race against the AE86, and they did. Takumi accepted the challenge. Kenta, having a more powerful car, led during the uphill part but Takumi went ahead on the downhill, finishing with a huge distance. This was among Takumi's easiest races, as he himself had tons of experience in more adverse weather conditions.
While Takumi races others over the course of the summer, Keisuke's brother Ryosuke Takahashi, who is the leader of the Akagi Red Suns, formulates what he refers to as his "perfect plan" to defeat Takumi, relying on computer simulations that he had formulated. As summer draws to a close, Ryosuke challenges Takumi to a race and is defeated when he is overtaken by Takumi on one of the last turns before Akina's finish line. Ryosuke acknowledges that Takumi was faster than him, and advises him not to be satisfied with Akina's small stage and to seek out bigger challenges.
Synopsis
Set in the late 1990s in Japan's Gunma Prefecture, the series follows the adventures of Takumi Fujiwara, an eighteen year old who helps his father run a tofu shop by making deliveries every morning to a hotel on Akina with his father's Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APEX. It is revealed that Takumi has been driving on Mt. Akina every morning to deliver tofu to the summit 5 years before he even had his license. As a result his skills were honed and he has become skilled at driving in adverse weather conditions as well.
In mountain pass racing, power is not the only key to winning. Balance, skill, and courage are what is needed to win. Mountain pass racing (also known as "touge") is divided into two areas, downhill and Hillclimb (Uphill). The hillclimb relies more on the car's power and the driver's acceleration control. The downhill depends primarily on the driver's braking and steering techniques, and requires less raw power from the car
In mountain pass racing, power is not the only key to winning. Balance, skill, and courage are what is needed to win. Mountain pass racing (also known as "touge") is divided into two areas, downhill and Hillclimb (Uphill). The hillclimb relies more on the car's power and the driver's acceleration control. The downhill depends primarily on the driver's braking and steering techniques, and requires less raw power from the car
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Initial D Anime
Avex has released the anime in several parts called Stages. One noticeable feature is that it uses Eurobeat music as background music in race scenes.
Initial D First Stage - 26 episodes (1998)
Initial D Second Stage - 13 episodes (1999)
Initial D Extra Stage OVA - 2 episodes side-story focusing on Impact Blue(2000)
Initial D Third Stage - a 2 hour movie (2001)
Initial D Battle Stage - a 50 minute movie.(2002)
Initial D Fourth Stage - 24 episodes (2004—2006).
Initial D Battle Stage 2
Initial D First Stage - 26 episodes (1998)
Initial D Second Stage - 13 episodes (1999)
Initial D Extra Stage OVA - 2 episodes side-story focusing on Impact Blue(2000)
Initial D Third Stage - a 2 hour movie (2001)
Initial D Battle Stage - a 50 minute movie.(2002)
Initial D Fourth Stage - 24 episodes (2004—2006).
Initial D Battle Stage 2
Initial D
Initial D (頭文字(イニシャル)D, Inisharu Dī?, transliteration, "Kashiramoji Dī") is a manga by Shuichi Shigeno which has been serialized in Kodansha's Young Magazine since 1995. It has been adapted into a long-running anime series by Pastel, Studio Gallop, and OP Planning, which premiered in Japan on Fuji TV and Animax, and a live action film by Avex and Media Asia. Both the manga and anime series were licensed for distribution in North America by Tokyopop.
The anime and manga focus on the world of illegal Japanese street racing, where all the action is concentrated in the mountain passes (峠, tōge?) and never in cities nor urban areas, and the drift racing style is emphasized in particular. Keiichi Tsuchiya (土屋圭市) helps with editorial supervision. The story is centered around the Japanese prefecture of Gunma (群馬), more specifically on several mountains in the prefecture and in and their surrounding cities and towns. Although some of the names of the locations the characters race in have been fictionalized, all of the locations in the series are based on actual locations in Gunma Prefecture.
The anime and manga focus on the world of illegal Japanese street racing, where all the action is concentrated in the mountain passes (峠, tōge?) and never in cities nor urban areas, and the drift racing style is emphasized in particular. Keiichi Tsuchiya (土屋圭市) helps with editorial supervision. The story is centered around the Japanese prefecture of Gunma (群馬), more specifically on several mountains in the prefecture and in and their surrounding cities and towns. Although some of the names of the locations the characters race in have been fictionalized, all of the locations in the series are based on actual locations in Gunma Prefecture.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Every Heart Lyrics
Artist:BoA
Song Description:4th Ending Song
Ikutsu namida o nagashitara
every heart
sunao ni nareru darou
Dare ni omoi tsutaetara
every heart
kokoro mita sareru no darou
nagai nagai yoru ni obieteita
Tooi hoshi ni inotteta
meguru meguru toki no naka de
Bokutachi wa ai o sagashiteiru
Tsuyoku tsuyoku naritai kara
kyou mo takaisora miageteiru
donna egao ni deaetara
every heart
yume wo fumidasereruyo
hitowa
kanashimi no mukou ni
every heart
shiawase ukabete nemuru
itsuka itsuka subete no tamashii ga
yasuraka ni nareru youni
meguru meguru toki no naka de
boku tachi wa ikite nanika wo shiru
toki ni warai shugoshi naite
kyou mo mada aruki tsuzukete iku
osanai kioku no kata sumi ni
atatakai basho ga aru soushi
hoshi tachi ga hanasu mirai ga
itsumo kagayaite ita
so shine
meguru meguru toki no naka de
Bokutachi wa ai o sagashiteiru
Tsuyoku tsuyoku naritai kara
kyou mo takaisora miageteiru
meguru meguru toki no naka de
boku tachi wa ikite nanika wo shiru
toki ni warai shugoshi naite
kyou mo mada aruki tsuzukete iku
Song Description:4th Ending Song
Ikutsu namida o nagashitara
every heart
sunao ni nareru darou
Dare ni omoi tsutaetara
every heart
kokoro mita sareru no darou
nagai nagai yoru ni obieteita
Tooi hoshi ni inotteta
meguru meguru toki no naka de
Bokutachi wa ai o sagashiteiru
Tsuyoku tsuyoku naritai kara
kyou mo takaisora miageteiru
donna egao ni deaetara
every heart
yume wo fumidasereruyo
hitowa
kanashimi no mukou ni
every heart
shiawase ukabete nemuru
itsuka itsuka subete no tamashii ga
yasuraka ni nareru youni
meguru meguru toki no naka de
boku tachi wa ikite nanika wo shiru
toki ni warai shugoshi naite
kyou mo mada aruki tsuzukete iku
osanai kioku no kata sumi ni
atatakai basho ga aru soushi
hoshi tachi ga hanasu mirai ga
itsumo kagayaite ita
so shine
meguru meguru toki no naka de
Bokutachi wa ai o sagashiteiru
Tsuyoku tsuyoku naritai kara
kyou mo takaisora miageteiru
meguru meguru toki no naka de
boku tachi wa ikite nanika wo shiru
toki ni warai shugoshi naite
kyou mo mada aruki tsuzukete iku
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Anime music video
An anime music video (abbreviated AMV) is a music video consisting of clips from one or more anime television series or movies set to songs; the term usually refers to fan-made unofficial videos. Most are not official music videos released by the musicians, but rather amateur fan compositions which synchronize clips with a musical track. As such, they are most commonly informally released, often over the Internet. Anime conventions frequently run AMV contests or AMV exhibitions. While AMVs traditionally use footage taken from anime, video game footage is also a popular option.[1]. Parallels can be drawn between AMVs and Songvids, non-animated fan-made videos using footage from movies, television series, or other sources.
AMVs should not be confused with professional and original animated films produced as music videos for such groups as Daft Punk, or with such short music video films as Japanese musical duo Chage and Aska's song "On Your Mark" by Studio Ghibli.
AMVs should not be confused with professional and original animated films produced as music videos for such groups as Daft Punk, or with such short music video films as Japanese musical duo Chage and Aska's song "On Your Mark" by Studio Ghibli.
Influence on Western animation
Anime-influenced animation refers to non-Japanese works of animation that emulate the visual style of anime. Though most of these works are created by and primarily shown in the United States, many also involve production studios from Europe and non-Japanese Asia. These generally adapted anime stylizations and anime methods described in anime physics into their own. Such examples exist in Totally Spies!, The Boondocks, W.I.T.C.H. and Megas XLR. In addition, works such as Avatar: The Last Airbender features Asian themes. While these examples are not considered anime by the fanbase majority, they are best noted for being "influenced by anime".
Fansubs
Although it is a violation of copyright laws in many countries, some fans watch fansubs, recordings of anime series that have been subtitled by fans. Watching subtitled Japanese versions, though not necessarily downloaded fansubs, is seen by many enthusiasts as the preferred method of watching anime. The ethical implications of producing, distributing, or watching fansubs are topics of much controversy even when fansub groups do not profit from their activities and cease distribution of their work once the series has been licensed outside of Japan.
Licensing
Anime is available outside of Japan in localized form. Licensed anime is modified by distributors through dubbing into the language of the country. The anime may also be edited to alter cultural references that may not be understood by a non-Japanese person and certain companies may remove what may be perceived as objectionable content. This process was far more common in the past (e.g. One Piece), when anime was largely unheard of in the west, but its use has declined in recent years because of the demand for anime in its original form. This "light touch" approach to localization has proved popular with fans as well as viewers formerly unfamiliar with anime. The popularity of such methods is evident by the success of Naruto and Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming block, both of which employ minor edits. The "light touch" approach also applies to DVD releases as they often include both the dubbed audio and the original Japanese audio with subtitles, are typically unedited. Anime edited for television is usually released on DVD "uncut," with all scenes intact.
Anime has also been a commercial success in Asia, Europe and Latin America, where anime has become even more mainstream than in the United States. For example, the Saint Seiya video game was released in Europe due to the popularity of the show even years after the series has been off-air.
Anime has also been a commercial success in Asia, Europe and Latin America, where anime has become even more mainstream than in the United States. For example, the Saint Seiya video game was released in Europe due to the popularity of the show even years after the series has been off-air.
Commercial appeal
Anime has become commercially profitable in western countries as early commercially successful western adaptations of anime, such as Astro Boy, have revealed.[11] The phenomenal success of Nintendo's multi-billion dollar Pokémon franchise[12] was helped greatly by the spin-off anime series that, first broadcast in the late 1990s, is still running worldwide to this day.
Current reception in the United States
AnimeNation’s John Oppliger had this to say on the matter:
The support for anime among American anime fans is very strong. The availability of anime in America is truly impressive, especially within the anime fan community. Awareness of Japanese animation in America is at an all time high. However, mainstream acceptance of anime in America lags far behind the advances anime has made in other respects. A close examination of the support for anime on American television may provide a revealing and realistic gauge of the actual penetration of anime into America and American culture. Anime may seem like it's tremendously successful in America because its high profile, but the facts tell another story.
According to AC Nielsen, Pixar's The Incredibles sold 16 million copies on DVD in America last year. Shark Tale sold nearly 10 million copies. Even the DVD release of Bambi sold 6 million copies in 2005. In comparison, all four Inuyasha movies combined have sold just over 1 million copies in the past year and a half. Evidently, the success of anime in America is very relative. American anime fans are very devoted. Through underground means hardcore American fans now have access to brand new Japanese anime before even many Japanese residents do. America's anime fan community is influential because it's affluent, intelligent, and motivated; but it's not very large.[10]
—20px, 20px
Despite assessments like that, and its rare and limited release in American theaters, anime's legitimacy and respect in North America has grown well enough to garner major native artistic awards such as the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2002 for Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki. Anime has a dedicated fan following in English speaking countries, particularly active on the internet, and at conventions regularly held throughout the US and UK.
The support for anime among American anime fans is very strong. The availability of anime in America is truly impressive, especially within the anime fan community. Awareness of Japanese animation in America is at an all time high. However, mainstream acceptance of anime in America lags far behind the advances anime has made in other respects. A close examination of the support for anime on American television may provide a revealing and realistic gauge of the actual penetration of anime into America and American culture. Anime may seem like it's tremendously successful in America because its high profile, but the facts tell another story.
According to AC Nielsen, Pixar's The Incredibles sold 16 million copies on DVD in America last year. Shark Tale sold nearly 10 million copies. Even the DVD release of Bambi sold 6 million copies in 2005. In comparison, all four Inuyasha movies combined have sold just over 1 million copies in the past year and a half. Evidently, the success of anime in America is very relative. American anime fans are very devoted. Through underground means hardcore American fans now have access to brand new Japanese anime before even many Japanese residents do. America's anime fan community is influential because it's affluent, intelligent, and motivated; but it's not very large.[10]
—20px, 20px
Despite assessments like that, and its rare and limited release in American theaters, anime's legitimacy and respect in North America has grown well enough to garner major native artistic awards such as the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2002 for Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki. Anime has a dedicated fan following in English speaking countries, particularly active on the internet, and at conventions regularly held throughout the US and UK.
Anime beyond Japan
Early anime in the United States
The United States saw its first exposure to anime in June of 1961, when Shônen Sarutobi Sasuke (Magic Boy) was released by MGM, followed a few weeks later by Hakuja den (Panda and the Magic Serpent, or The Tale of the White Serpent). Anime then got its running jump in September of 1963, when NBC syndicated a dubbed version of the Japanese series Astro Boy. Not counting such Japanese/American co-productions as The King Kong Show and Johnny Cypher in Dimension Zero[1], only seven more anime TV series were released in the United States in the 1960s. These were 8 Man (1965), Gigantor (1966), Kimba the White Lion (1966), Prince Planet (1966), Marine Boy (1966), The Amazing 3 (1967) and Speed Racer (1967). Speed Racer would be the last anime series released in the United States until 1978 when the 1972 series Kagaku ninja tai Gatchaman was adapted for American audiences as Battle of the Planets.[9] Many anime series that made it to American television from the 1960s through the 1980s tended to be science fiction or action-oriented, such as Star Blazers (the English dub of Space Battleship Yamato) and Robotech and Voltron (both Americanized amalgamations of unrelated anime series cobbled together into a single story).
As the 1980s wore on, more anime series and films targeted at very young children also found their way to U.S. TV screens, often on cable television channels or in syndication. Nickelodeon broadcast many mostly Canadian-made English dubs of anime films during its early years, including TV series such as Mysterious Cities of Gold, Adventures of the Little Koala, Belle and Sebastian, The Adventures of the Little Prince, Noozles, Maya the Bee, Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics, and The Littl' Bits, many of which were aired on "Nick Jr.", the network's block of programming for very young viewers. The Disney Channel broadcast both of the feature-length anime films starring Osamu Tezuka's popular unicorn character Unico, and CBN redubbed and broadcast its Bible-based anime TV series co-produced with Tatsunoko, Superbook and The Flying House. HBO also showed juvenile-targeted anime on occasion, including TV series such as Tales of Little Women, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and Saban's Adventures of Pinocchio and feature films such as Gisaburo Sugii's 1974 Jack and the Beanstalk.
A great many anime films and feature-length TV series compilations were also released direct-to-video in the U.S., and were often available for rental at mainstream video stores. Some titles which were distributed in the U.S. in this fashion included Candy Candy, Captain Future, Angel, Serendipity the Pink Dragon, Taro the Dragon Boy, Robby the Rascal (Cybot Robotchi), and Ninja the Wonder Boy (Manga Sarutobi Sasuke).
For the most part, though, these TV series and films were not actively promoted as being of Japanese origin; in fact, many of them went so far as to remove most or all Japanese names from the credits except for credits to the animation studios. In the series themselves, character names were often changed and Japanese cultural references removed to make them more accessible to English-speaking audiences, such as Genshi being changed to Flint in Space-Time Detective Genshi-kun. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, this trend began to change as more openly Japanese works, such as Sailor Moon, Gundam Wing, Pokémon, Dragon Ball Z, Digimon, and Yu-Gi-Oh! achieved mainstream popularity on American television. Although many of these shows did undergo some kind of "Americanization" in the form of character name changes and edits for violence, language, and the occasional nudity, viewers were more aware of the shows' country of origin, which might perhaps pique their curiosity to seek out other works in a similar style
The United States saw its first exposure to anime in June of 1961, when Shônen Sarutobi Sasuke (Magic Boy) was released by MGM, followed a few weeks later by Hakuja den (Panda and the Magic Serpent, or The Tale of the White Serpent). Anime then got its running jump in September of 1963, when NBC syndicated a dubbed version of the Japanese series Astro Boy. Not counting such Japanese/American co-productions as The King Kong Show and Johnny Cypher in Dimension Zero[1], only seven more anime TV series were released in the United States in the 1960s. These were 8 Man (1965), Gigantor (1966), Kimba the White Lion (1966), Prince Planet (1966), Marine Boy (1966), The Amazing 3 (1967) and Speed Racer (1967). Speed Racer would be the last anime series released in the United States until 1978 when the 1972 series Kagaku ninja tai Gatchaman was adapted for American audiences as Battle of the Planets.[9] Many anime series that made it to American television from the 1960s through the 1980s tended to be science fiction or action-oriented, such as Star Blazers (the English dub of Space Battleship Yamato) and Robotech and Voltron (both Americanized amalgamations of unrelated anime series cobbled together into a single story).
As the 1980s wore on, more anime series and films targeted at very young children also found their way to U.S. TV screens, often on cable television channels or in syndication. Nickelodeon broadcast many mostly Canadian-made English dubs of anime films during its early years, including TV series such as Mysterious Cities of Gold, Adventures of the Little Koala, Belle and Sebastian, The Adventures of the Little Prince, Noozles, Maya the Bee, Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics, and The Littl' Bits, many of which were aired on "Nick Jr.", the network's block of programming for very young viewers. The Disney Channel broadcast both of the feature-length anime films starring Osamu Tezuka's popular unicorn character Unico, and CBN redubbed and broadcast its Bible-based anime TV series co-produced with Tatsunoko, Superbook and The Flying House. HBO also showed juvenile-targeted anime on occasion, including TV series such as Tales of Little Women, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and Saban's Adventures of Pinocchio and feature films such as Gisaburo Sugii's 1974 Jack and the Beanstalk.
A great many anime films and feature-length TV series compilations were also released direct-to-video in the U.S., and were often available for rental at mainstream video stores. Some titles which were distributed in the U.S. in this fashion included Candy Candy, Captain Future, Angel, Serendipity the Pink Dragon, Taro the Dragon Boy, Robby the Rascal (Cybot Robotchi), and Ninja the Wonder Boy (Manga Sarutobi Sasuke).
For the most part, though, these TV series and films were not actively promoted as being of Japanese origin; in fact, many of them went so far as to remove most or all Japanese names from the credits except for credits to the animation studios. In the series themselves, character names were often changed and Japanese cultural references removed to make them more accessible to English-speaking audiences, such as Genshi being changed to Flint in Space-Time Detective Genshi-kun. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, this trend began to change as more openly Japanese works, such as Sailor Moon, Gundam Wing, Pokémon, Dragon Ball Z, Digimon, and Yu-Gi-Oh! achieved mainstream popularity on American television. Although many of these shows did undergo some kind of "Americanization" in the form of character name changes and edits for violence, language, and the occasional nudity, viewers were more aware of the shows' country of origin, which might perhaps pique their curiosity to seek out other works in a similar style
Style
While different titles and different artists have their own artistic styles, many stylistic elements have become so common such that they are described as being definitive of anime in general. These elements have been given names of their own. The anime drawing style can be learned, particularly with the aid of books such as How to Draw Manga. Such books come complete with information and instructions on the styles used in anime.
A common approach is the large eyes style drawn on many anime characters, credited to the influence of Osamu Tezuka, who was inspired by the exaggerated features of American cartoon characters such as Betty Boop and Mickey Mouse and from Disney's Bambi. Tezuka found that large eyes style allowed his characters to show emotions distinctly. Cultural anthropologist Matt Thorn argues that Japanese animators and audiences do not perceive such stylized eyes as inherently more or less foreign.[1] When Tezuka began drawing Ribbon no Kishi, the first manga specifically targeted at young girls, Tezuka further exaggerated the size of the characters' eyes. Indeed, through Ribbon no Kishi, Tezuka set a stylistic template that later shōjo artists tended to follow. Another variation of this style is "chibi" or "super deformed"; which usually feature huge eyes, an enlarged head, and small body.
Other stylistic elements are common as well; often in comedic anime, characters that are shocked or surprised will perform a "face fault", in which they display an extremely exaggerated expression. Angry characters may exhibit a "vein" or "stressmark" effect, where lines representing bulging veins will appear on their forehead. Angry women will sometimes summon a mallet from nowhere and strike someone with it, leading to the concept of Hammerspace and cartoon physics. Male characters will develop a bloody nose around their female love interests (typically to indicate arousal, based on an old wives' tale).[8] Embarrassed characters will invariably produce a massive sweat-drop, which has become one of the most widely recognized stereotype motifs of anime.
The degree of stylization varies from title to title. Some titles make extensive use of common stylization: FLCL, for example, is known for its wild, exaggerated stylization. In contrast, titles such as Only Yesterday, a film by Isao Takahata, take a much more realistic approach, and feature few stylistic exaggerations
A common approach is the large eyes style drawn on many anime characters, credited to the influence of Osamu Tezuka, who was inspired by the exaggerated features of American cartoon characters such as Betty Boop and Mickey Mouse and from Disney's Bambi. Tezuka found that large eyes style allowed his characters to show emotions distinctly. Cultural anthropologist Matt Thorn argues that Japanese animators and audiences do not perceive such stylized eyes as inherently more or less foreign.[1] When Tezuka began drawing Ribbon no Kishi, the first manga specifically targeted at young girls, Tezuka further exaggerated the size of the characters' eyes. Indeed, through Ribbon no Kishi, Tezuka set a stylistic template that later shōjo artists tended to follow. Another variation of this style is "chibi" or "super deformed"; which usually feature huge eyes, an enlarged head, and small body.
Other stylistic elements are common as well; often in comedic anime, characters that are shocked or surprised will perform a "face fault", in which they display an extremely exaggerated expression. Angry characters may exhibit a "vein" or "stressmark" effect, where lines representing bulging veins will appear on their forehead. Angry women will sometimes summon a mallet from nowhere and strike someone with it, leading to the concept of Hammerspace and cartoon physics. Male characters will develop a bloody nose around their female love interests (typically to indicate arousal, based on an old wives' tale).[8] Embarrassed characters will invariably produce a massive sweat-drop, which has become one of the most widely recognized stereotype motifs of anime.
The degree of stylization varies from title to title. Some titles make extensive use of common stylization: FLCL, for example, is known for its wild, exaggerated stylization. In contrast, titles such as Only Yesterday, a film by Isao Takahata, take a much more realistic approach, and feature few stylistic exaggerations
Characteristics
Anime features a wide variety of artistic styles. They vary from artist to artist or by studio to studio. They are generally characterized by detailed backgrounds and stylized characters in a variety of different settings and storylines, aimed at a wide range of audiences.
Genres
Anime has many genres typically found in any mass media form. Such genres include action, adventure, children's stories, comedy, drama, erotica (hentai), medieval fantasy, occult/horror, romance, and science fiction.
Most anime includes content from several different genres, as well as a variety of thematic elements. Thus, some series may be categorized under multiple genres. A show may have a seemingly simple surface plot, but at the same time may feature a far more complex, deeper storyline and character development. It is not uncommon for an action themed anime to also involve humor, romance, and even social commentary. The same can be applied to a romance themed anime in that it may involve an action element, or in some cases brutal violence. Like the genres, no two characters are ever the same.
The following is a list of the major genres and designations that are specific to anime and manga.[7]
For other possible genres, see film genre.
Action/Adventure: style of anime that primarily focuses on martial arts and or sword fighting such as Ninja Scroll.
Bishōjo: Japanese for 'beautiful girl', blanket term that can be used to describe any anime that features pretty girl characters, for example Magic Knight Rayearth.
Bishōnen: Japanese for 'beautiful boy' blanket term that can be used to describe any anime that features "pretty" and elegant boys and men, for example Fushigi Yūgi or most CLAMP shows.
Ecchi: Derived from the pronunciation of the letter 'H', Japanese for 'indecent sexuality' (although its origin not well known, even in Japan. Someone says it's because it's the previous letter to 'I', which is a homophone of 'love' in Japanese. It happens to be the first letter of the word 'Hentai' too but the relationship here is rather doubtful).Contains mild sexual humor, and some fan service, for example Love Hina or He Is My Master.
Harem: Is a genre where several girl characters are attracted to a single, or sometimes multiple, boy characters. It is more often than not a Shonen and may be considered a sub-genre. Examples: Ranma 1/2
Hentai: Japanese for 'abnormal' or 'perverted', and used by Western Audiences to refer to pornographic anime or erotica. However, in Japan the term used to refer to the same material is typically Poruno or Ero, for example: La Blue Girl.
Horror: Anime or manga which contains darker themes or science fictional characters such as the Vampire Hunter D series and Wicked City.
Josei: Japanese for 'young woman', this is anime or manga that is aimed at young women and is one of the rarest forms, for example Gokusen.
Kodomo: Japanese for 'child', this is anime or manga that is aimed at young children, for example Doraemon, Hello Kitty, Keroppi, or Panda-Z.
Robot/Mecha: Anime or manga featuring super robots, for example Mobile Suit Gundam. The first of these super robots was Mazinger Z
Moe: Anime or manga featuring characters that are extremely perky or cute, for example A Little Snow Fairy Sugar.
Progressive: "Art films" or extremely stylized anime, for example Voices of a Distant Star or Byōsoku 5 Centimetre.
Seinen: Anime or manga targeted at teenage or young male adults, for example Oh My Goddess!, Outlaw Star or Cowboy Bebop.
Sentai: Literally "fighting team" in Japanese, refers to any show that involves a superhero team, for example Cyborg 009.
Shōjo: Japanese for 'young lady' or 'little girl', refers to anime or manga targeted at girls, for example Fruits Basket or Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch
Mahō shōjo: Subgenre of shōjo known for 'Magical Girl' stories, for example Sailor Moon.
Shōnen: Japanese for 'boys', Shōnen is like Seinen, but refers to anime or manga targeted at younger boys, for example Dragon Ball Z or Naruto .
Mahō shōnen: Male equivalent of Mahō Shōjo, for example DNAngel.
Shōjo-ai/Yuri: Japanese for 'girl-love', refers to anime or manga that focus on love and romance between female characters, for example Revolutionary Girl Utena or Kannazuki no Miko. It is often being replaced by the term "Girls Love" (GL). Yuri is more intimate girl love than that of Shōjo-ai, often sexual.
Shōnen-ai/Yaoi: Japanese for 'boy-love', refers to anime or manga that focus on love and romance between male characters. The term "Shōnen-ai" is being phased out in Japan due to its other meaning of pederasty, and is being replaced by the term "Boys Love" (BL). An example of this style is Loveless. Yaoi is more intimate than that of Shōnen-ai, often sexual.
Some anime titles are written for a very specific audience, even narrower than those described above. For example, Initial D, Wangan Midnight and éX-Driver concern street racing and car tuning. Ashita No Joe, Hajime no Ippo were about boxing. Hanaukyo Maid Team is based on the French maid fantasy.
Genres
Anime has many genres typically found in any mass media form. Such genres include action, adventure, children's stories, comedy, drama, erotica (hentai), medieval fantasy, occult/horror, romance, and science fiction.
Most anime includes content from several different genres, as well as a variety of thematic elements. Thus, some series may be categorized under multiple genres. A show may have a seemingly simple surface plot, but at the same time may feature a far more complex, deeper storyline and character development. It is not uncommon for an action themed anime to also involve humor, romance, and even social commentary. The same can be applied to a romance themed anime in that it may involve an action element, or in some cases brutal violence. Like the genres, no two characters are ever the same.
The following is a list of the major genres and designations that are specific to anime and manga.[7]
For other possible genres, see film genre.
Action/Adventure: style of anime that primarily focuses on martial arts and or sword fighting such as Ninja Scroll.
Bishōjo: Japanese for 'beautiful girl', blanket term that can be used to describe any anime that features pretty girl characters, for example Magic Knight Rayearth.
Bishōnen: Japanese for 'beautiful boy' blanket term that can be used to describe any anime that features "pretty" and elegant boys and men, for example Fushigi Yūgi or most CLAMP shows.
Ecchi: Derived from the pronunciation of the letter 'H', Japanese for 'indecent sexuality' (although its origin not well known, even in Japan. Someone says it's because it's the previous letter to 'I', which is a homophone of 'love' in Japanese. It happens to be the first letter of the word 'Hentai' too but the relationship here is rather doubtful).Contains mild sexual humor, and some fan service, for example Love Hina or He Is My Master.
Harem: Is a genre where several girl characters are attracted to a single, or sometimes multiple, boy characters. It is more often than not a Shonen and may be considered a sub-genre. Examples: Ranma 1/2
Hentai: Japanese for 'abnormal' or 'perverted', and used by Western Audiences to refer to pornographic anime or erotica. However, in Japan the term used to refer to the same material is typically Poruno or Ero, for example: La Blue Girl.
Horror: Anime or manga which contains darker themes or science fictional characters such as the Vampire Hunter D series and Wicked City.
Josei: Japanese for 'young woman', this is anime or manga that is aimed at young women and is one of the rarest forms, for example Gokusen.
Kodomo: Japanese for 'child', this is anime or manga that is aimed at young children, for example Doraemon, Hello Kitty, Keroppi, or Panda-Z.
Robot/Mecha: Anime or manga featuring super robots, for example Mobile Suit Gundam. The first of these super robots was Mazinger Z
Moe: Anime or manga featuring characters that are extremely perky or cute, for example A Little Snow Fairy Sugar.
Progressive: "Art films" or extremely stylized anime, for example Voices of a Distant Star or Byōsoku 5 Centimetre.
Seinen: Anime or manga targeted at teenage or young male adults, for example Oh My Goddess!, Outlaw Star or Cowboy Bebop.
Sentai: Literally "fighting team" in Japanese, refers to any show that involves a superhero team, for example Cyborg 009.
Shōjo: Japanese for 'young lady' or 'little girl', refers to anime or manga targeted at girls, for example Fruits Basket or Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch
Mahō shōjo: Subgenre of shōjo known for 'Magical Girl' stories, for example Sailor Moon.
Shōnen: Japanese for 'boys', Shōnen is like Seinen, but refers to anime or manga targeted at younger boys, for example Dragon Ball Z or Naruto .
Mahō shōnen: Male equivalent of Mahō Shōjo, for example DNAngel.
Shōjo-ai/Yuri: Japanese for 'girl-love', refers to anime or manga that focus on love and romance between female characters, for example Revolutionary Girl Utena or Kannazuki no Miko. It is often being replaced by the term "Girls Love" (GL). Yuri is more intimate girl love than that of Shōjo-ai, often sexual.
Shōnen-ai/Yaoi: Japanese for 'boy-love', refers to anime or manga that focus on love and romance between male characters. The term "Shōnen-ai" is being phased out in Japan due to its other meaning of pederasty, and is being replaced by the term "Boys Love" (BL). An example of this style is Loveless. Yaoi is more intimate than that of Shōnen-ai, often sexual.
Some anime titles are written for a very specific audience, even narrower than those described above. For example, Initial D, Wangan Midnight and éX-Driver concern street racing and car tuning. Ashita No Joe, Hajime no Ippo were about boxing. Hanaukyo Maid Team is based on the French maid fantasy.
Synonyms
Anime is sometimes referred to as Japanimation, but this term has fallen into disuse. Japanimation saw the most usage during the 1970s and 1980s, which broadly comprise the first and second waves of anime fandom, and had continued use up until before the mid-1990s anime resurgence. In general, the term now only appears in nostalgic contexts. The term is much more commonly used within Japan to refer to domestic animation. Since anime or animēshon is used to describe all forms of animation, Japanimation is used to distinguish Japanese work from that of the rest of the world.
In more recent years, anime has also frequently been referred to as manga in European countries, a practice that may stem from the Japanese usage: In Japan, manga can refer to both animation and comics (although the use of manga to refer to animation is mostly restricted to non-fans). Among English speakers, manga usually has the stricter meaning of "Japanese comics". An alternate explanation is that it is due to the prominence of Manga Entertainment, a distributor of anime to the US and UK markets. Because Manga Entertainment originated in the UK the use of the term is common outside of Japan. The portmanteau "animanga" has been used to collectively refer to anime and manga, though it is also a term used to describe comics produced from animation cels.
In more recent years, anime has also frequently been referred to as manga in European countries, a practice that may stem from the Japanese usage: In Japan, manga can refer to both animation and comics (although the use of manga to refer to animation is mostly restricted to non-fans). Among English speakers, manga usually has the stricter meaning of "Japanese comics". An alternate explanation is that it is due to the prominence of Manga Entertainment, a distributor of anime to the US and UK markets. Because Manga Entertainment originated in the UK the use of the term is common outside of Japan. The portmanteau "animanga" has been used to collectively refer to anime and manga, though it is also a term used to describe comics produced from animation cels.
Syntax and morphology
Anime can be used as a common noun, "Do you watch anime?" or as a suppletive adjective, "The anime Guyver is different from the movie Guyver." It may also be used as a mass noun, as in "How much anime have you collected?" and therefore is never pluralized "animes" (nouns are never pluralized in Japanese). However, in other languages where anime has been adopted as a loan word, it is sometimes used as a count noun in singular and in plural as in Danish "Jeg tror, jeg vil se en anime" ("I think I'll watch an anime") and "Hvor mange anime'er har du nu?" ("How many animes do you have now?").
Definition
Linguistically, the anime definition is subject to interpretation. In Japan, the term does not specify an animation's nation of origin or style; instead, it is used as a blanket term to refer to all forms of animation from around the world.[5] In English, main dictionary sources define anime as "a Japanese style of motion-picture animation" or "a style of animation developed in Japan".[6] Thus, non-Japanese works are sometimes called anime-influenced animation if they borrow stylistically from Japanese animation.
In western countries the word is used usually only to refer to animated programming of Japanese origin, with the term "cartoon" or "animated series" used for most other visual styles. The online anime database AniDB generally defines anime (in the singular form) as "an animated, professionally produced, feature film created by a Japanese company for the Japanese market".[5] However, some anime are co-productions with non-Japanese companies like the Cartoon Network. Thus, anime is no longer specific to the Japanese market.
In western countries the word is used usually only to refer to animated programming of Japanese origin, with the term "cartoon" or "animated series" used for most other visual styles. The online anime database AniDB generally defines anime (in the singular form) as "an animated, professionally produced, feature film created by a Japanese company for the Japanese market".[5] However, some anime are co-productions with non-Japanese companies like the Cartoon Network. Thus, anime is no longer specific to the Japanese market.
Terminology
Etymology and pronunciation
Note: This page or section contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. See IPA chart for English for a pronunciation key.
The Japanese term for animation is アニメーション (animēshon, pronounced /ɑnime:ɕoɴ/), written in katakana. It is a direct transliteration and re-borrowed loanword (see gairaigo) of the English term "animation." The Japanese term is abbreviated as アニメ (anime, pronounced /ɑnime/). Both the original and abbreviated forms are valid and interchangeable in Japanese, but as could be expected the abbreviated form is more commonly used.
The pronunciation of anime in English differs significantly from Japanese. The first vowel is further forward in English than Japanese: /æ/ is more likely than /ɑ/. As English stresses words differently than Japanese, the second vowel is likely to emerge as an unstressed schwa /ə/ or /I/ in English, whereas in Japanese each mora carries equal stress. As with a few other Japanese words such as Pokémon and Kobo Abé, anime is sometimes spelled as animé in English with an acute accent over the final e to cue the reader that the letter is pronounced as a Japanese /e/. However, this accent does not appear in any commonly used system of romanized Japanese, and English native speakers may produce /eI/.
Note: This page or section contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. See IPA chart for English for a pronunciation key.
The Japanese term for animation is アニメーション (animēshon, pronounced /ɑnime:ɕoɴ/), written in katakana. It is a direct transliteration and re-borrowed loanword (see gairaigo) of the English term "animation." The Japanese term is abbreviated as アニメ (anime, pronounced /ɑnime/). Both the original and abbreviated forms are valid and interchangeable in Japanese, but as could be expected the abbreviated form is more commonly used.
The pronunciation of anime in English differs significantly from Japanese. The first vowel is further forward in English than Japanese: /æ/ is more likely than /ɑ/. As English stresses words differently than Japanese, the second vowel is likely to emerge as an unstressed schwa /ə/ or /I/ in English, whereas in Japanese each mora carries equal stress. As with a few other Japanese words such as Pokémon and Kobo Abé, anime is sometimes spelled as animé in English with an acute accent over the final e to cue the reader that the letter is pronounced as a Japanese /e/. However, this accent does not appear in any commonly used system of romanized Japanese, and English native speakers may produce /eI/.
History of anime
The history of anime begins at the start of the 20th century, when Japanese filmmakers experimented with the animation techniques that were being explored in France, Germany, the United States, and Russia.[citation needed]
Animation became popular in Japan as it provided an alternative format of storytelling compared to the underdeveloped live-action industry in Japan. Unlike America, where live-action shows and films have generous budgets, the live-action industry in Japan is a small market and suffered from budgeting, location, and casting restrictions. The lack of Western-looking actors, for example, made it next to impossible to shoot films set in Europe, America, or fantasy worlds that do not naturally involve Japan. The varied use of animation allowed artists to create any characters and settings.[1]
During the 1970s, there was a surge of growth in the popularity of manga— which were often later animated — especially those of Osamu Tezuka, who has been called a "legend"[2] and the "god of manga".[3][4] As a result of his work and that of other pioneers in the field, anime developed characteristics and genres that are fundamental elements of the art today. The giant robot genre (known as "mecha" outside Japan), for instance, took shape under Tezuka, developed under Go Nagai and others, and was revolutionized at the end of the decade by Yoshiyuki Tomino. Robot anime like Gundam and Macross became instant classics in the 80s, and the robot genre of anime is still one of the most popular in Japan and worldwide today. In the 1980s, anime was accepted in the mainstream in Japan, and experienced a boom in production (It should be noticed that, manga has significantly more mainstream exposure than anime in Japan). The mid-to-late '90s, on into the 2000s, saw an increased acceptance of anime in overseas markets.
Animation became popular in Japan as it provided an alternative format of storytelling compared to the underdeveloped live-action industry in Japan. Unlike America, where live-action shows and films have generous budgets, the live-action industry in Japan is a small market and suffered from budgeting, location, and casting restrictions. The lack of Western-looking actors, for example, made it next to impossible to shoot films set in Europe, America, or fantasy worlds that do not naturally involve Japan. The varied use of animation allowed artists to create any characters and settings.[1]
During the 1970s, there was a surge of growth in the popularity of manga— which were often later animated — especially those of Osamu Tezuka, who has been called a "legend"[2] and the "god of manga".[3][4] As a result of his work and that of other pioneers in the field, anime developed characteristics and genres that are fundamental elements of the art today. The giant robot genre (known as "mecha" outside Japan), for instance, took shape under Tezuka, developed under Go Nagai and others, and was revolutionized at the end of the decade by Yoshiyuki Tomino. Robot anime like Gundam and Macross became instant classics in the 80s, and the robot genre of anime is still one of the most popular in Japan and worldwide today. In the 1980s, anime was accepted in the mainstream in Japan, and experienced a boom in production (It should be noticed that, manga has significantly more mainstream exposure than anime in Japan). The mid-to-late '90s, on into the 2000s, saw an increased acceptance of anime in overseas markets.
Anime
Anime (アニメ, Anime? IPA pronunciation: /ɑnime/ listen (help·info) in Japanese, but typically /ˈænɪˌme(ɪ)/ or /ˈænɪmə/ in English) is an abbreviation of the word "animation". Outside Japan, the term most popularly refers to animation originating in Japan. To the West, not all animation is considered anime; and anime is considered a subset of animation.
While some anime is hand drawn, computer assisted animation techniques have become quite common in recent years. Like any entertainment medium, the story lines represent most major genres of fiction. Anime is broadcast on television, distributed on media such as DVD and VHS, and included in video games. Additionally, some are produced as full length motion pictures. Anime often draws influence from manga, light novels, and other cultures. Some anime storylines have been adapted into live action films and television series.
While some anime is hand drawn, computer assisted animation techniques have become quite common in recent years. Like any entertainment medium, the story lines represent most major genres of fiction. Anime is broadcast on television, distributed on media such as DVD and VHS, and included in video games. Additionally, some are produced as full length motion pictures. Anime often draws influence from manga, light novels, and other cultures. Some anime storylines have been adapted into live action films and television series.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
