Anime (アニメ) is a style of animation originating in Japan. It is sometimes
referred to by the portmanteau Japanimation. Anime is characterized by stark,
colorful graphics and stylized, colorful images depicting vibrant characters in a
variety of different settings and story-lines, aimed at a wide range of audiences.
Anime may be broadcast on television, distributed on media such as DVDs or
published as console and computer games. Anime is often influenced by
Japanese comics known as manga.
Though filmmakers in Japan experimented with animation earlier, the first widely
popular anime series was Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy(1963). During the 1970s,
anime developed further, separating itself from its Western roots, and developing
unique genres such as mecha. Notable shows in this period include Lupin III and
Mazinger Z. During this period several filmmakers became famous, especially
Hayao Miyazaki and Mamoru Oshii.
In the 1980s, anime was accepted in the mainstream in Japan, and experienced
a boom in production. The start of the Gundam franchise, and the beginnings of
Rumiko Takahashi's career began in this decade. Akira set records in 1988 for
the production costs of an anime.
The 1990s and 2000s saw an increased acceptance of anime in overseas
markets. Akira and Ghost in the Shell (1995) became famous worldwide. Series
like Neon Genesis Evangelion and Cowboy Bebop were popular in Japan and
attracted attention from the West. Spirited Away shared the first prize at the 2002
Berlin Film Festival and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in
2003, and Innocence: Ghost in the Shell was featured at the 2004 Cannes Film
Festival.
Types of Anime
Films -
which are generally released in theaters, represent the highest budgets and
generally the highest video quality. Popular anime movies include Akira, and
Spirited Away. Some anime films are only released at film or animation festivals
and are shorter and sometimes lower in production values. Some examples of
these are Winter Days, and Osamu Tezuka's Legend of the Forest. Other types
of films include compilation movies, which are television episodes edited together
and presented in theaters for various reasons, and are hence a concentrated
form of a television serial. These may, however, be longer than the average
movie. There are also theatrical shorts derived from existing televisions series
and billed in Japanese theaters together to form feature-length showing.
Television series -
Anime is syndicated and broadcast on television on a regular schedule.
Television series are generally low quality compared to OVA (Original Video
Animation) and film titles, because the production budget is spread out over
many episodes rather than a single film or a short series. Most episodes are
about 23 minutes in length, to fill a typical thirty-minute time slot with added
commercials. One full season is 26 episodes, and many titles run half seasons,
or 13 episodes. Most TV series anime episodes will have opening credits, closing
credits, and often an "eyecatch", a very short scene, often humorous or silly, that
is used to signal the start or end of the commercial break (as "bumpers" in the
United States are used in a similar fashion). "Eyecatch" scenes are often found in
TV series anime and are generally similar throughout the series.
OVA -
(Original Video Animation; sometimes OAV, or Original Animated Video) anime is
often similar to a television miniseries. OVAs are typically two to twenty episodes
in length; one-shots are particularly short, usually less than film-length. They are
most commonly released directly to video. As a general rule OVA anime tends to
be of high quality, approaching that of films. Titles often have a very regular,
continuous plot best enjoyed if all episodes are viewed in sequence. Popular
OVA titles include FLCL, Bubblegum Crisis, and Tenchi Muyo!. Opening credits,
closing credits, and eyecatches may sometimes be found in OVA releases, but
not universally.
Manga
Is the Japanese word for comics and/or cartoons (not necessarily animated, this
includes print cartoons); outside of Japan, it usually refers specifically to
Japanese comics. Manga developed from a mixture of ukiyo-e and Western
styles of drawing, and took its current form shortly after World War II. It comes
mainly in black and white, except for the covers and maybe the first few pages.
A small amount of the total manga output of Japan is adapted into anime, which
is usually created afterwards, once a market interest has been established.
Stories are often modified to appeal to a more mainstream market or meet
broadcast regulations
referred to by the portmanteau Japanimation. Anime is characterized by stark,
colorful graphics and stylized, colorful images depicting vibrant characters in a
variety of different settings and story-lines, aimed at a wide range of audiences.
Anime may be broadcast on television, distributed on media such as DVDs or
published as console and computer games. Anime is often influenced by
Japanese comics known as manga.
Though filmmakers in Japan experimented with animation earlier, the first widely
popular anime series was Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy(1963). During the 1970s,
anime developed further, separating itself from its Western roots, and developing
unique genres such as mecha. Notable shows in this period include Lupin III and
Mazinger Z. During this period several filmmakers became famous, especially
Hayao Miyazaki and Mamoru Oshii.
In the 1980s, anime was accepted in the mainstream in Japan, and experienced
a boom in production. The start of the Gundam franchise, and the beginnings of
Rumiko Takahashi's career began in this decade. Akira set records in 1988 for
the production costs of an anime.
The 1990s and 2000s saw an increased acceptance of anime in overseas
markets. Akira and Ghost in the Shell (1995) became famous worldwide. Series
like Neon Genesis Evangelion and Cowboy Bebop were popular in Japan and
attracted attention from the West. Spirited Away shared the first prize at the 2002
Berlin Film Festival and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in
2003, and Innocence: Ghost in the Shell was featured at the 2004 Cannes Film
Festival.
Types of Anime
Films -
which are generally released in theaters, represent the highest budgets and
generally the highest video quality. Popular anime movies include Akira, and
Spirited Away. Some anime films are only released at film or animation festivals
and are shorter and sometimes lower in production values. Some examples of
these are Winter Days, and Osamu Tezuka's Legend of the Forest. Other types
of films include compilation movies, which are television episodes edited together
and presented in theaters for various reasons, and are hence a concentrated
form of a television serial. These may, however, be longer than the average
movie. There are also theatrical shorts derived from existing televisions series
and billed in Japanese theaters together to form feature-length showing.
Television series -
Anime is syndicated and broadcast on television on a regular schedule.
Television series are generally low quality compared to OVA (Original Video
Animation) and film titles, because the production budget is spread out over
many episodes rather than a single film or a short series. Most episodes are
about 23 minutes in length, to fill a typical thirty-minute time slot with added
commercials. One full season is 26 episodes, and many titles run half seasons,
or 13 episodes. Most TV series anime episodes will have opening credits, closing
credits, and often an "eyecatch", a very short scene, often humorous or silly, that
is used to signal the start or end of the commercial break (as "bumpers" in the
United States are used in a similar fashion). "Eyecatch" scenes are often found in
TV series anime and are generally similar throughout the series.
OVA -
(Original Video Animation; sometimes OAV, or Original Animated Video) anime is
often similar to a television miniseries. OVAs are typically two to twenty episodes
in length; one-shots are particularly short, usually less than film-length. They are
most commonly released directly to video. As a general rule OVA anime tends to
be of high quality, approaching that of films. Titles often have a very regular,
continuous plot best enjoyed if all episodes are viewed in sequence. Popular
OVA titles include FLCL, Bubblegum Crisis, and Tenchi Muyo!. Opening credits,
closing credits, and eyecatches may sometimes be found in OVA releases, but
not universally.
Manga
Is the Japanese word for comics and/or cartoons (not necessarily animated, this
includes print cartoons); outside of Japan, it usually refers specifically to
Japanese comics. Manga developed from a mixture of ukiyo-e and Western
styles of drawing, and took its current form shortly after World War II. It comes
mainly in black and white, except for the covers and maybe the first few pages.
A small amount of the total manga output of Japan is adapted into anime, which
is usually created afterwards, once a market interest has been established.
Stories are often modified to appeal to a more mainstream market or meet
broadcast regulations
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