Welcome to our Anime Introduction Page!

A Brief History of Japanese Animation

Japanese Animation, commonly referred to as Anime, is a broad medium covering many different forms of art. The origins of Anime began in the early 1900's. The Mountain Where Old Women Are Abandoned previewed in 1924 and is the oldest example of silent Japanese Animation. More notable and recognizable titles appeared in the 1960's with Osamu Tezuka's first hit series Astro Boy and the first commercial production animation studio, Mushi Productions.

The 1970's brought the "Giant Robot" or "Mecha" craze. Animators Leiji Matsumoto and Go Nagai started the series Space Battleship Yamato, Mazinger Z, Captain Harlock and Galaxy Express 999; all of which became infamous Anime series around the world. The Mecha craze continued well into the 1980's, with series Robotech, Macross and Gundam, but the future of Anime did not just lie in Giant Robots.

In the mid 1980's, two aspiring artists, Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata started Studio Ghibli, current day Japan's most prominent animation studio. Based on the success of their title, Nausicaä, the Valley of the Wind, Studio Ghibli made over 20 full-length feature Anime films became the highest grossing film studio in Japan, and won numerous awards worldwide.

The end of the 1980's came with what is still the most popular Japanese standard Anime film in America, Akira. The story for Akira is based on Katsuhiro Otomo's scientific thriller of the same name; The film explores what other animation studios have not dared to touch.

Then throughout the 1990's, Anime became more streamlined into what most people consider Anime to be today. The series: Pokemon, Sailor Moon, Gundam Wing and Tenchi Muyo were individual successes in the American market. Also, popular films such as Ghost in the Shell, Princess Mononoke and Pokemon were released, dubbed into the English, and distributed nationwide. There are now thousands of different Anime titles available throughout America.

What Defines Anime?

When a person is asked the question: "what is Anime"? The usual response is varied to the extreme. Most define Anime by the exaggerated features of the characters, such as large eyes, gravity-defying neon-colored hair, and un-human proportions.

Modern day Anime is defined through it's artwork and the storyline. Storylines shown by well known titles such as Ghost in the Shell, Akira, Kite, Perfect Blue, Cowboy Bebop and Princess Mononoke have taken viewers into realms left unexplored by American animation.

Artwork used in modern Anime shows high quality and standards than recent years, Anime character designers have strayed from the bold hair styles and large eyes to make their characters more lifelike.

Anime is not confined to TV and movies; it is also in other markets like toys, games, costumes and figurines.

Anime Today

Anime today has exploded into the foreign market. For us, American cable services air Anime episodes at the rate of 1 per hour (http://www.Animeontv.com). Pokemon, Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Z, Yugi-Oh!, Gundam Wing and Cowboy Bebop have carried the Anime medium well into the boundaries of our culture. There are feature blocks of Anime such as "Toonami" "Adult Swim" and "Anime Unleashed" on major US cable networks. There is even an "Anime Network" which debuted in Novermber of 2002, by ADV.

Japanese Animation films have also competed well in the US market. Spirited Away, Japan's highest grossing film of all time, won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film. Pokemon movies have done consistently well in the US market, and other films such as Cowboy Bebop, Princess Mononoke, Patlabor WXIII and The Animatrix were also respectable hits.

There is an even distribution of Anime titles for all age groups to enjoy. Recentlt, the trend has been to attend Anime conventions; thousands of fans gather to share their experience. See our conventions and cosplay pages for more details.

With the current growth of Anime in America and the continuous popularity of the medium in Japan, Anime has a future all over the world, one can only imagine where Japanese animators will take us on their next adventure.