anime

Japanese animation (or anime) has been part of the movie industry since its earliest years, but it wasn't until the 1960's that the art form found a worldwide audience. Osama Tezuka's 1963 sci-fi children's television series Astro Boy was the first international success. The first giant robot series, Gigantor (original title: Tetsujin 28-go) was released not long afterwards. In both can be seen the beginnings of the giant robot genre (often called "Mecha" by Western fans) as exemplified by the popular Gundam series and its spin-offs.

Though the earliest international anime successes were aimed at children, its audience has since expanded. Directors like Isao Takahata (Only Yesterday) and Satoshi Kon (Tokyo Godfathers) have demonstrated the form's capacity to deal with mature themes and storylines – even as children's television anime like Pokémon and Sailor Moon have found worldwide popularity. Anime aimed at a teen or young-adult audience (e.g., Cowboy Bebop, Death Note) is also plentiful, with many of these showing up on American television via basic cable networks like Cartoon Network or IFC.

Anime can be created as theatrical features, television series, and as Original Video Animation (OVA). In features, Hiyao Miyazaki (Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle) has seen the greatest international critical success. His 2001 Spirited Away was the first anime to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

by Bill Sherman Are you a writer, passionate about this or any other topic? Join Blogcritics!

Latest blogosphere posts tagged “anime”

• Darker than BLACK: Ryuusei no Gemini - Episode 7

  
  Anime — Authority: 149
  Post from: Anime Darker than BLACK: Ryuusei no Gemini - Episode 7 Episode seven of Darker than BLACK: Ryuusei no Geminii certainly wastes no time in throwing some surprising information our way, opening with a scene which suggests that Suou and Shion’s father is still alive and well (and at large in Tokyo no ...
  51 minutes ago

• The Book of Bantorra - Episode 8 - A Pond, Comrades, and a Seashell

  
  Anime — Authority: 149
  Post from: Anime The Book of Bantorra - Episode 8 - A Pond, Comrades, and a Seashell The Book of Bantorra - Episode 8 - A Pond, Comrades, and a Seashell
  51 minutes ago

• REBORN! - Episode 160 - Gaining Mobility

  
  Anime — Authority: 149
  Post from: Anime REBORN! - Episode 160 - Gaining Mobility REBORN! - Episode 160 - Gaining Mobility
  51 minutes ago

• Shugo Chara! - Party 8 - The Miraculous Character Change

  
  Anime — Authority: 149
  Post from: Anime Shugo Chara! - Party 8 - The Miraculous Character Change Shugo Chara! - Party 8 - The Miraculous Character Change
  51 minutes ago

• Review: Baccano! 1

  
  GamingAngels — Authority: 540
  Release Date: 24/06/2009 Languages: English, Japanese Genre: Action/Adventure , Anime , Mystery/Thriller , Occult/Supernatural Subtitles: English subtitles Runtime: 100.0 mins Format: DVD, Region 4 ( PAL ) Aspect Ratio: 16:9 ...
  1 hour ago

• The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces Info Explosion!

  
  Nine Inch Sandwich — Authority: 139
  A new trailer for the Wii flight sim The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces was recently released to accompany the announcement that the game will be coming out in Europe this February. Namco Bandai will be self-publishing the title for the region. A little odd seeing as how they decided to let XSEED handle the North ...
  6 hours ago

• 11 Minutes of Mai Mai Miracle Online

  
  AnimeNation Anime News Blog — Authority: 531
  Japanese entertainment producer/distributor Avex has officially released the first 5 minutes, and a 6 minute scene, from new anime film Mai Mai Miracle (Mai Mai Shinko to Sennen no Maho) on YouTube. The Madhouse produced film is an adaptation of Nobuko Takagi’s novel about two girls who have a magical and moving ...
  6 hours ago

• Trigun Movie Teaser Online

  
  AnimeNation Anime News Blog — Authority: 531
  The official Japanese website for the next year’s Trigun: Badlands Rumble motion picture now features a streaming teaser trailer. The film based on Yasuhiro Nightow’s Trigun manga is an original story not drawn from or related to the original manga or the 1998 TV anime. The primary cast and most of the core staff ...
  6 hours ago

• New Katanagatari TV Spot Online

  
  AnimeNation Anime News Blog — Authority: 531
  The official website for the upcoming Katanagatari anime television series now hosts a new 15 second TV spot (in 3 slight variations for the Fuji TV, BS Fuji, and MBS networks). The series, similar to the 2001 Figure 17 television series, will air as 12 monthly hour long episodes beginning in January. Each episode ...
  6 hours ago

• Production I.G Collaborating on Titan Rain

  
  AnimeNation Anime News Blog — Authority: 531
  Singapore based entertainment IP development company Storm Lion has announced plans to collaborate with Japan’s Production I.G on the production of an original 3D CG anime film titled Titan Rain. The sci-fi film’s concept was created by Storm Lion CEO Edmund Shern and Japanese author Tow Ubukata (Chevalier, Heroic ...
  6 hours ago

• Tono to Issho Anime Announced

  
  AnimeNation Anime News Blog — Authority: 531
  Monthly Comic Flapper magazine has formally announced an anime adaptation of Ohba Kai’s 4-panel gag manga Tono to Issho (Along with the Feudal Lord). The manga follows the comical exploits of Japanese warlords during the country’s historical sengoku (Era of the Warring States) era. The first collected manga volume ...
  6 hours ago

• Fourth KISSxSIS OAD Announced

  
  AnimeNation Anime News Blog — Authority: 531
  Shortly after formally announcing the development of a KISSxSIS anime television series, Japanese publisher Kodansha also announced that the sixth volume of Bow Ditama’s original KISSxSIS manga will be released in a limited edition including a fourth OAD. The anime episode will be “episode 3″ because the first ...
  6 hours ago

• Latest Pokemon Movie on CN Now

  
  AnimeNation Anime News Blog — Authority: 531
  The 12th and most recent Japanese Pocket Monster theatrical feature, Pokemon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life, will premiere on the North American Cartoon Network at 5:30 pm ET/PT on Friday, November 20. The film hit Japanese theaters just this past July. The movie will ship on American DVD next spring.Source: ICv2
  6 hours ago

• English Sukashi Kashipanman Online

  
  AnimeNation Anime News Blog — Authority: 531
  The first live action episode of the English language version of creator Shoko “Shokotan” Nakagawa’s super hero series Sukashi Kashipanman is now available. The Go Sukashi! homepage has opened, and its first 5 minute episode is now streaming.Anime voice actress and otaku celebrity Shoko Nakagawa created the ...
  6 hours ago

• Japanese Government Proposes Visual Culture Archive

  
  AnimeNation Anime News Blog — Authority: 531
  A proposal to utilize a number of Japanese and international educational institutions to archive and research Japanese pop culture art has surfaced in the Japanese government. The proposal estimates spending 250 million yen ($2.3 million USD) a year to have 13 Japanese universities, museums, and other institutions, ...
  6 hours ago

• Die-Cast 1/6 Replica of Kaneda’s Bike from ‘Akira’ with Working LED Lights

  
  A Little Bit On The Awesome Side — Authority: 602
  Kaaanedaaa!!! Can you believe that the classic anime Akira is over 20 years old!? Produced by Sideshow Toy , this Die-Cast replica of Kaneda’s bike from Katsuhiro Otomo’s  groundbreaking manga and anime feature is just over 6 inches tall and nearly 20 freaking inches long! When it comes to awesomenss of ...
  9 hours ago

• Second Halo: Legends episode hits Nov. 21

  
  Blast: Boston's Online Magazine — Authority: 588
  Microsoft’s Halo studio, 343, recently released the first episode in the Halo: Legends anime series, but today the company gushed details on the second episode, exclusively available on Xbox Live tomorrow, Nov. 21. That’s right, the second showing, “The Duel,” will come to Xbox Live’s Halo Waypoint ...
  9 hours ago

• Ha Neul Seom on Oh Edo Rocket

  
  ?????? — Authority: 535
  The post focuses on the evocative backgrounds, but also mentions the characters. IMHO, the best thing about Oh Edo Rocket is the portrayal of the life in the long houses in general, and not specifically anime backgrounds or other technical components. In fact, the layout of Oh Edo Rocket is quite bold this way. ...
  9 hours ago

• Inuyasha: Final Act - 07

  
  AstroNerdBoy's Anime and Manga Blog — Authority: 133
  Inuyasha Kanketsu-hen Ep. 07 犬夜叉 完結編 Episode 07 ReviewSPOILER Summary/Synopsis: Naraku retrieves his human heart in order to carry out a new plan to take down Kikyou and Inuyasha. Meanwhile, Kikyou has healed Miroku and taken her leave with Kohaku but soon becomes aware of spiderwebs emanating from ...
  10 hours ago

• Japanese TMNT (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) Intro Clip. Super Mutant Mutation FTW!

  
  Loyal K*N*G — Authority: 521
  I thought you guys would enjoy this intro in one of the TMNT (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) episode from Japan from a long time ago. Everything about this video just made me pee my pants. Did you see that kick-ace Super Mutation? I’ve never been so mystified in my life. They made the turtles radical on a whole new ...
  12 hours ago

Comments about anime