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Anime
Anime (アニメ, Anime? IPA pronunciation: /ɑnime/ listen (help·info) in
Japanese, but typically /ˈćnɪˌme(ɪ)/ or /ˈćnɪmə/ 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.
History
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.
Animation became notable 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 heard of 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.
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 borrowed from the French word for animation, "l'animé"
(it's lacking the article--both are pronounced similarly). Both the words
"animation" and "l'animé" come from the Latin word "anima" which means to
move. [5] The Japanese term is spelled アニメ (anime, pronounced /ɑnime/). Both
the original and abbreviated forms are valid and interchangeable in
Japanese, but as could be expected the shorter 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: /ć/ 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/.
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.[6] In English, main dictionary sources define anime as "a
Japanese style of motion-picture animation" or "a style of animation
developed in Japan".[7] 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".[6] However, some anime are co-productions with non-Japanese
companies like the Cartoon Network. Thus, anime is no longer specific to the
Japanese market.
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?").
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.
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. It is usually coloured and
designed to look as realistic as possible. Unlike Manga and Chibi, which use
slightly exaggerated colours and designs. But, anime fantasy creatures, (e.g
witches, spirits etc.) can have exaggerated facial and physical features.
But, they will always be designed to look as realistic as possible, and
bright colours would be rarely used unless needed to.
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. For example, Neon Genesis Evangelion might be considered to
fall into the genres of post-apocalyptic, mecha, drama, and shonen-ai. 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.
The following is a list of the major genres and designations that are
specific to anime and manga.[8]
For other possible genres, see film genre.
Genres with Western Counterparts:
* Action/Adventure: Anime that primarily focuses on martial arts, sword
fighting, or other action oriented material. Examples: Ninja Scroll.
* Horror: Anime or manga which contains darker themes or science-fictional
characters. Examples: Vampire Hunter D series or Wicked City.
* Progressive: "Art films" or extremely stylized anime. Examples: Voices of
a Distant Star or Byōsoku 5 Centimetre.
Demographic Genres:
* Shōjo: Japanese for 'young lady' or 'little girl'. Refers to anime or
manga targeted at girls. Examples: Fruits Basket or Mermaid Melody Pichi
Pichi Pitch.
* Shōnen: Japanese for 'young boy'. Refers to anime or manga targeted at
younger boys. Examples: Dragon Ball Z or Digimon.
* Seinen: Japanese for 'young man'. Anime or manga targeted at teenage or
young male adults. Examples: Oh My Goddess!, Outlaw Star or Cowboy Bebop.
* Josei: Japanese for 'young woman'. Anime or manga that is aimed at young
women. Examples: Gokusen.
* Kodomo: Japanese for 'child'. Anime or manga that is aimed at young
children. Examples: Doraemon, Hello Kitty, Keroppi, Pokémon or Panda-Z.
Thematic Genres
* Bishōjo: Japanese for 'beautiful girl'. A blanket term that can be used to
describe any anime that features pretty girl characters. Examples: Magic
Knight Rayearth.
* Bishōnen: Japanese for 'beautiful boy'. A blanket term that can be used to
describe any anime that features "pretty" and elegant boys and men.
Examples: Fushigi Yūgi or most CLAMP shows.
* Sentai: Literally "fighting team" in Japanese. Refers to any show that
involves a superhero team. Examples: Cyborg 009.
* Robot/Mecha: Anime or manga featuring super robots. Examples: Mobile Suit
Gundam or Mazinger Z.
* Post-Apocalyptic: Anime dealing with a post-apocalyptic world. Examples:
Neon Genesis Evangelion, Trigun, Akira, Wolf's Rain, or Nausicaä of the
Valley of the Wind
* Mahō shōjo: Subgenre of shōjo known for 'Magical Girl' stories. Examples:
Sailor Moon.
* Mahō shōnen: Male equivalent of Mahō Shōjo. Examples: D.N.Angel.
* Moe: Anime or manga featuring characters that are extremely perky or cute.
Examples: A Little Snow Fairy Sugar.
* Expertise: Anime that deals with a specific topic in depth, such as
Eyeshield 21 and football, Hikaru no Go and the game Go, Yakitate! Japan and
bread-making, etc.
Romantic Genres
* Harem: A genre where several girl characters are attracted to a single boy
character (or sometimes to multiple boy characters). It is more often than
not a Shonen Anime and may be considered a sub-genre. Examples: Ranma ˝ or
Love Hina.
o Reverse Harem: As a Harem anime, but where several boy characters are
attracted to a single girl character (or sometimes to multiple girl
characters). It is more often than not a Shojo Anime and may be considered a
sub-genre. Examples: Ouran Host Club or Fruits Basket.
* Ecchi: Japanese for 'indecent sexuality', derived from the pronunciation
of the letter 'H', (the origin of the term is not well known, even in Japan.
See main article for more information.) Contains sexual humor, and some fan
service. Examples: Love Hina, Oruchuban Ebichu or He Is My Master.
* Hentai: Japanese for 'abnormal' or 'perverted'. While Western audiences
may use the term to refer to pornographic anime or erotica, in Japan the
term used to refer to the same material is typically Poruno or Ero.
Examples: La Blue Girl or "Bible Black".
* Shōjo-ai/Yuri: Japanese for 'girl-love'. Refers to anime or manga that
focus on love and romance between female characters. It is often being
replaced by the term "Girls Love" (GL). Yuri is like Shōjo-ai, but sometimes
involves older characters or explicit sexual activity. Examples:
Revolutionary Girl Utena or Kannazuki no Miko.
* Shōnen-ai: 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). Examples: Loveless, Gravitation
* Yaoi: Like "Shōnen-ai" but often involving older characters and explicit
sexual activity. Examples: "Sensitive Pornograph"
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.
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 and manga
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).[9] 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.
Distribution
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.
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.
Television
TV networks regularly broadcast anime programming. Cable channels such as
Cartoon Network, Disney, Sci-Fi, and others dedicate some of their time
slots for anime. Then the Anime Network specifically shows anime. In Japan,
major national TV networks broadcast anime regularly.
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.[10] 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 famous 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.
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.[11]
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.
Commercial appeal
Anime has become commercially profitable in western countries as early
commercially successful western adaptations of anime, such as Astro Boy,
have revealed.[12] The phenomenal success of Nintendo's multi-billion dollar
Pokémon franchise[13] was helped greatly by the spin-off anime series that,
first broadcast in the late 1990s, is still running worldwide to this day.
Influence on Western culture
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".
Conventions
Fan-based conventions have long existed. Conventions for anime began to
appear in the early 1990's, starting with Anime Expo, Animethon, Otakon, and
JACON. Eventually, anime conventions are held annually in various cities
across the United States, Canada, and Europe.
Notes
1. ^ a b Do Manga Characters Look "White"?. Retrieved on 11 December, 2005.
2. ^ Ohara, Atsushi; Asahi Shimbun (May 11, 2006). 5 missing manga pieces by
Osamu Tezuka found in U.S. (English). Asahi.com. Retrieved on 2006-08-29.
3. ^ Dr. Osamu Tezuka (English). The Anime Encyclopedia. The Anime Café
(2000-03-14). Retrieved on 2006-08-29.
4. ^ Gravett, Paul (2003). Osamu Tezuka: The God of Manga. Retrieved on
2006-08-29.
5. ^ Schodt, Frederik L. Manga! Manga!: The World of Japanese Comics
Kodansha International; Reprint edition (August 18, 1997) 978-0870117527
6. ^ a b AniDB Definition:Anime. AniDB. Retrieved on 2006-10-09.
7. ^ Anime Dictionary Definition. Dictionary.com. Retrieved on 2006-10-09.
8. ^ Anime News Network – Lexicon. Retrieved on 2006-11-17.
9. ^ The concept of a bloody nose is supposedly due to blood rushing to the
face in an exaggerated blush. Sometimes the character will even be propelled
up into the air by a fountain of blood. (See Nosebleeds in fiction.)
10. ^ Patten, Fred; editor John A. Lent (2001). "Anime in the United States"
in Animation in Asia and the Pacific. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University
Press. ISBN 0-253-34035-7.
11. ^ Oppliger, John (2006-01-13). Why Does Anime Have So Little Exposure on
American TV?. Ask John. AnimeNation News. Retrieved on 2006-09-05.
12. ^ Progress Against the Law: Fan Distribution, Copyright, and the
Explosive Growth of Japanese Animation. Retrieved on 1 May, 2006.
13. ^ "Pokemon (sic) Franchise Approaches 150 Million Games Sold", PR
Newswire, 2005-10-04. Retrieved on 2006-09-16.
References
* Clements, Jonathan; McCarthy, Helen (2001). The Anime Encyclopedia.
Berkeley, California: Stone Bridge Press. ISBN 1-880656-64-7.
* Napier, Susan J. (2001). Anime: From Akira to Princess Mononoke. New York:
Palgrave. ISBN 0-312-23862-2.
* Poitras, Gilles (1998). Anime Companion. Berkeley, California: Stone
Bridge Press. ISBN 1-880656-32-9.
* Poitras, Gilles (2000). Anime Essentials. Berkeley, California: Stone
Bridge Press. ISBN 1-880656-53-1.
* Baricordi, Andrea; Pelletier, Claude (2000). Anime: A Guide to Japanese
Animation (1958–1988). Montreal, Canada: Protoculture. ISBN 2-9805759-0-9.
* Schodt, Frederik L. (1996). Dreamland Japan, Writings on Modern Manga.
Berkeley, California: Stone Bridge Press.
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