Anime/Manga 101

To understand the history of anime or what it is really about, one must know what manga or Japanese comics is. One of the most difficult things for western audiences to understand is that anime and manga are not designed strictly for children in Japan. In the western world, comics have only been around for a comparatively short period of time and have been almost exclusively marketed toward young people. In Japan, however, artists have been telling stories through the use of drawings for several centuries, so its appeal is much more widespread as the average Japanese person views comics and animation as just another way to tell a story without an age stigma attached to it.

Historians and knowledgeable fans alike agree that Osamu Tezuka was the precursor to both manga and anime, and there's definitely good reasoning and evidence behind it. He was heavily influenced by the early animation of Disney and the Flesicher Brothers in the West. It was his early love for animation that brought about the introduction and growth of both anime and manga.

He was the first to come out with a novel-length drawn story (titled "Shintakarajima", or "New Treasure Island") in 1947, the very first well-known "tankoubon" or "graphic novel" as the West calls them. In 1963, he was the first to produce an internationally successful animation series in "Testuwan Atom", or, as we know it, "Astro Boy". Along with Toei Animation (which Tezuka had worked with as a character designer), Tezuka's Mushi Productions was among the first in Japanese animation studios.

Anime (アニメ, Anim) is an abbreviation of the English word "animation" originating in Japan through the roots of manga. Although the term is used in Japan to refer to animation in general, in English usage the term most popularly refers to material originating from Japan, a subset of animation.

Anime is traditionally hand drawn, but computer-assisted techniques have become quite common in recent years. It is used in television series, films, video, video games and Internet-based releases, and represents all genres of fiction.

While available throughout the beginning of the 20th century, manga (japanese for "Comics" or "Whimsical images") was not a very popular medium until after World War II. Beginning in the 50's, manga, followed by anime, became very popular ways for artists and writers to deal with the devastation of the war in a new way. From this point on, manga and anime became an important part of Japanese society.

Manga is generally read by adult commuters on their way to and from work. It is a cheap and relaxing entertainment for most people who read it. Most of the manga is published weekly as large collections, usually in black and white. The high volume of published manga generally means that the artists have to work exceptionally hard to produce enough material each week, sometimes as much as sixteen or more pages each day.

Manga and anime is read and enjoyed by men, women, boys and girls across Japan. And nowadays, the unstoppable growth of anime and manga is already widespread and one who doesnt know anything about it or neverheard of it must have been buried in a deep pit for a very long time (c'mon?!..even aliens are aware of it dude!..wake up!..lol) There are a wide variety of storylines to appeal to a huge variety of readers. Everything from complex social issues, the future, humanity, and fun topics are found in the pages of manga and on the screens with anime.

Today, Japanese Animation (anime) is a recognized media and viewed by many as the top alternative to traditional "cartoons" of the West. As anime expands to non-Japanese markets such as the United States and Europe, the cycle of cultural influence inevitably extends into these markets. Thus, some Western animation companies have produced works of some anime resemblance.

The Animatrix, series from the Nickelodeon "Avatar: The Last Airbender and other animated series such as the Teen Titans and Powerpuff Girls were influenced by anime. These animated series were not considered anime but thy do show some characteristics found in a typical anime series.

Now that I've come to introduce you the basics of what anime is, maybe you have come to realize why is it making such a big bang in the world of so many fanatics. It is because animation itself is the living of what truly is inside our hearts. It is giving life to our fantasies and "impossible dreams". The perfection of the physical appearances of the characters and the strong nature that they always portray are those that's motivating us to do exactly what we ought to do. Believe it or not, but anime do inspires. The childish nature in each of us is what's keeping all these stuff kicking alive. whether you like it or not, you have to feed that childish appetite of yours be it with anime or just plain cartoons and the like.