What is Anime?

Anime (ah-NIH-may) is a term used for Japanese animation. Anime often covers more serious topics than the typical cartoon. The term anime refers to a distinctive tradition of Japanese animation that is almost immediately recognizable by its superior artistic quality as well as by the somewhat mannered artistic conventions anime artists employ, such as the preference for child-like, large eyes. But it's not just the art that grabs one's attention. In America, cartoons are considered a form of entertainment meant for children. In Japan, people of all ages watch anime. Most shows and movies are centered for kids, adolescents, or young adults, but there are also many anime that are made for the older crowd, even businessmen. There are many genres in anime with basic categories like comedy, romance, action, or drama. There are also anime with content meant specifically for boys (shounen), girls (shoujo), and businessmen.

Just as anime is the Japanese equivalent of cartoons, "manga" is the Japanese counterpart to comic books. Traditional manga is read from right to left and is most often presented in black-and-white. Manga is often considered an artistic and storytelling style that can also encompass non-Japanese works. Manga is a popular form of Japanese entertainment, and in fact, many anime shows are based on an original manga, giving fans another way to enjoy some of their favorite stories. In Japan, manga is either read in serialized form in monthly magazines or comic books, or in graphic novels, which are book-length comics. All formats exist in translation, but graphic novels are much more common and can fill a number of shelves at the local comic shop or bookstore.