Anime 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. Anime often draws influence from manga, light novels, and other cultures. Some anime storylines have been adapted into 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 popular in Japan as it provided an alternative format of storytelling compared to the underdeveloped live-action industry in Japan. 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.

        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” and the “god of manga”. 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. 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

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).


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.