WHAT IS ANIMÉ?

    Anime (pronounced as ah-nee-meh) refers to Japanese animation.

The actual word is borrowed from the French term for animation. Japanese

animation is a distinctive form of animation that is almost always noticeable

by either the style or quality. Unlike American animation, not all anime is

targeted to young audiences. Subjects in anime range from obscene to the

insanely cute, this is because Japanese censorship laws are different from

many other countries. Related to anime is manga (pronounce as mah-n-gah).

Manga is what comics are called in Japan. The word manga was coined by the

artist Hokusai in 1815, usually translated to mean "irresponsible pictures".

    Anime and Manga are significantly different from their counterparts in America.

For the most part, cartoons and comic books in America are thought of as geared

toward youngsters. Cartoons and comic books in Japan are geared toward all

ages. While there is a large amount of American animation and comics which are

intended for older, more mature readers without the need for bulging superheroes,

they are seen as something separate from the conventional line of comic book

(hence DC Comic's Vertigo label as separate entity from its normal titles). Millions

of subway train riders in America pass their time reading novels on the train. In

Japan, you're just as likely to see someone reading a comic book.

ANIMÉ FORMATS

    As in America, Anime comes in many different formats on how it is distributed

in Japan. There are TV episodes, OVAs, and Films.

TV EPISODES: This Anime that is shown during primetime such as "ER" and

"The X-Files". The animation quality in TV episodes tends to be good, but nothing

spectacular, but it is the long story lines and character developments that tend to

make the series so enjoyable. Normal Anime TV seasons run 26 episodes, each

new episode shown once a week. Depending on how well the series does another

season will be made. Some popular series will be over 100+ episodes. Each

episodes normally lasts about 30 minutes just like any other TV series.

OAV or OVA: The letter stand for Original Animation Video. They are released

as direct to video. Disney has done this for many sequels of their popular movies.

You will find them on Video or DVD or LD only. Each OVA can run from 20-50

minutes but normally not much longer. OVAs tend to be shorter series, but with

higher quality animation.

FULL LENGTH FEATURE FILM: They are one story line that begins and ends

in one sitting. Anime of this type goes straight to the theatre and is released like

any other movie. Here of course the animation being done is the highest quality

that you will find. They can be anywhere from 60 minutes or more.

ORIGINS OF ANIME

    Animation in Japan began, strangely enough, by the Japanese military. The

Japanese military government took the first big step toward the production of

Western style animation in 1943. Fledgling Nipponese animators were

commissioned to create propaganda shorts featuring darling little animals waging

war for Japan and trashing the Allies with character designs that closely

resembled Disney's often imitated wide-eyed style of that decade. Later, after

World War II, the United States occupation of Japan brought a cultural crossover

that included comic books and animated theatrical shorts and features of the

1940s. The imports became very popular and the Western style of cartoon art

overturned all other forms of animation in Japan.