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<!--Please do not add Wikipetan, doing so will be a cross namespace link, a practice frowned upon in the main article space. For more info see WP:SELF.-->
'''Anime''' in [[English language|English]] usually refers to a style of [[animation]] originating in Japan,<ref>
[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anime definition of "anime"] from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
</ref> heavily influenced by the [[manga]] (Japanese comics) style and typically featuring characters with large eyes, big hair and elongated limbs, exaggerated facial expressions, brush-stroked outlines, limited motion and other distinctive features. The term may also be used{{By whom|date=February 2010}} for other animation connected to Japan or to anime proper, irrespective of style. The word comes from [[Japanese language|Japanese]] アニメ ''anime'', meaning "animation" in general, and is typically pronounced {{IPA-en|ˈænɨmeɪ||Anime-en-US-pronunciation.ogg}} or {{IPA|/ˈænɨmə/}}{{fact}} in English.

While the earliest known Japanese animation dates from 1917,<ref name="anime1917">
{{cite web |url=http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20080328TDY03102.htm |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080417024443/http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20080328TDY03102.htm |archivedate= 2 March 2008 |title=Old anime discovered, restored |accessdate=31 December 2009 }}
</ref>
and many original Japanese cartoons were produced in the ensuing decades, the characteristic anime style developed in the 1960s - notably with the work of [[Osamu Tezuka]] - and became known outside Japan in the 1980s.

Anime, like manga, has a large audience in Japan and high recognition throughout the world.{{Citation needed|date=February 2010}}<!-- Insert Numbers here with references. Also money references--> Distributors can release anime via television broadcasts, directly to [[Original video animation|video]], or theatrically, as well as [[Original net animation|online]].

Both hand-drawn and [[Computer animation|computer-animated]] anime exist. It is used in [[television series]], [[film]]s, [[video]], [[video games]], [[commercials]], and [[internet]]-based releases, and represents most, if not all, [[genre]]s of [[fiction]]. Anime gained early{{When|date=November 2009}} popularity in [[East Asia|East]] and [[Southeast Asia]] and has garnered more-recent popularity in the [[Western World]].{{Citation needed|date=February 2010}}

== History ==
{{Main|History of anime}}
[[File:Momotaro's Divine Sea Warriors-screeny.JPG|thumb|Screenshot from ''[[Momotaro's Divine Sea Warriors]]'' (1944), the first [[feature-length]] anime film]]

Anime began at the start of the 20th century, when Japanese [[Film director|filmmakers]] experimented with the [[animation]] techniques also pioneered in France, Germany, the United States, and Russia.<ref name="manga!">{{cite book |last=Schodt |first=Frederik L. | title=Manga! Manga!: The World of Japanese Comics |publisher=[[Kodansha]] International |date=Reprint edition (August 18, 1997) |location =Tokyo, Japan |isbn=0-87011-752-1 }}</ref> The oldest known anime in existence first screened in 1917 – a two-minute clip of a samurai trying to test a new sword on his target, only to suffer defeat.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://imprinttalk.com/?p=1557 |title=Japan’s oldest animation films |journal=ImprintTALK |date=2008-03-31}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hdrjapan.com/japan/japan-news/historic-91%11year%11old-anime-discovered-in-osaka/ |title=Historic 91-year-old anime discovered in Osaka |publisher=HDR Japan |date=2008-03-30 |accessdate=2008-05-12}}{{Dead link|date=August 2009}}</ref> Early pioneers included [[Shimokawa Oten]], [[Jun'ichi Kouchi]], and [[Seitarō Kitayama]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Yamaguchi|first=Katsunori|coauthors=Yasushi Watanabe|title=Nihon animēshon eigashi|publisher=Yūbunsha|year=1977|pages=8–11}}
</ref>

By the 1930s animation became an alternative format of storytelling to the [[live-action]] industry in Japan. But it suffered competition from foreign producers and many animators, such as [[Noburō Ōfuji]] and [[Yasuji Murata]] still worked in cheaper [[cutout animation|cutout]] not [[cel animation]], although with masterful results.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.midnighteye.com/features/pioneers-of-anime.shtml|title=Pioneers of Japanese Animation (Part 1)|last=Sharp|first=Jasper|date=September 23, 2004|publisher=Midnight Eye|accessdate=11 December 2009}}</ref> Other creators, such as [[Kenzō Masaoka]] and [[Mitsuyo Seo]], nonetheless made great strides in animation technique, especially with increasing help from a government using animation in education and [[propaganda]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Yamaguchi|first=Katsunori|coauthors=Yasushi Watanabe|title=Nihon animēshon eigashi|publisher=Yūbunsha|year=1977|pages=26–37}}</ref> The first [[talkie]] anime was ''[[Chikara to Onna no Yo no Naka]]'', produced by Masaoka in 1933.<ref name="animeguide">{{cite book |title=Anime: A Guide to Japanese Animation (1958-1988) |last=Baricordi |first=Andrea |coauthors=de Giovanni, Massimiliano; Pietroni, Andrea; Rossi, Barbara; Tunesi, Sabrina |date=December 2000 |publisher=[[Protoculture Inc.]] |location=[[Montreal, Quebec]], Canada |isbn=2-9805759-0-9 |page=12}}</ref><ref name="kodanasha1993">{{cite book |title=Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia |year=1993 |publisher=[[Kodansha]] |location=Tokyo, Japan |isbn=9784062064897}}</ref> The first feature length animated film was ''[[Momotaro's Divine Sea Warriors]]'' directed by Seo in 1945 with sponsorship by the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]].<ref>Official booklet, ''The Roots of Japanese Anime'', DVD, Zakka Films, 2009.
</ref>

The success of [[The Walt Disney Company]]'s 1937 feature film ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]]'' influenced Japanese animators.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.corneredangel.com/amwess/papers/history.html |title=A Brief History of Anime |year=1999 |accessdate=2007-09-11 |work=Michael O'Connell, Otakon 1999 Program Book}}</ref> In the 1960s, manga artist and animator [[Osamu Tezuka]] adapted and simplified many Disney animation-techniques to reduce costs and to limit the number of frames in productions. He intended this as a temporary measure to allow him to produce material on a tight schedule with inexperienced animation-staff.

The 1970s saw a surge of growth in the popularity of [[manga]] – many of them later animated. The work of [[Osamu Tezuka]] drew particular attention: he has been called{{By whom|date=October 2009}} a "legend"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200605110157.html |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20060520053910/http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200605110157.html |archivedate=2006-05-20 |title=5 missing manga pieces by Osamu Tezuka found in U.S.|accessdate=2006-08-29 |last=Ohara |first=Atsushi |publisher=[[Asahi Shimbun]] |date=2006-05-11}}</ref> and the "god of manga".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abcb.com/ency/t/tezuka_osamu.htm |title=Dr. Osamu Tezuka |accessdate=2006-08-29 |date=2000-03-14 |work=The Anime Encyclopedia |publisher=The Anime Café}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.paulgravett.com/articles/006_tezuka/006_tezuka.htm |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20071231013227/http://www.paulgravett.com/articles/006_tezuka/006_tezuka.htm |archivedate=2007-12-31 |title=Osamu Tezuka: The God of Manga |accessdate=2006-08-29 |last=Gravett |first=Paul |year=2003}}</ref>
His work – and that of other pioneers in the field – inspired characteristics and genres that remain fundamental elements of anime today. The giant [[robot]] genre (known as "[[Mecha]]" outside Japan), for instance, took shape under Tezuka, developed into the [[Super Robot]] genre under [[Go Nagai]] and others, and was revolutionized at the end of the decade by [[Yoshiyuki Tomino]] who developed the [[Real Robot]] genre. Robot anime like the ''[[Gundam]]'' and ''[[The Super Dimension Fortress Macross]]'' series became instant classics in the 1980s, and the robot genre of anime is still one of the most common in Japan and worldwide today. In the 1980s, anime became more accepted in the [[Mainstream (terminology)|mainstream]] in Japan (although less than [[manga]]), and experienced a boom in production. Following a few successful adaptations of anime in overseas markets in the 1980s, anime gained increased acceptance in those markets in the 1990s and even more at the turn of the 21st century.

== Terminology ==
Japanese write the English term "animation" in ''[[katakana]]'' as アニメーション (''animēshon'', pronounced {{IPA-ja|animeːɕoɴ|}}), and it is widely assumed{{By whom|date=February 2010}} that the term アニメ (''anime'', pronounced {{IPA-ja|anime||Anime.ogg}} in Japanese) emerged in the 1970s as an abbreviation.{{Citation needed|date=January 2010}} Others claim that the word derives from the French phrase ''dessin animé''.<ref name="manga!"/><ref>
{{cite web |url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=anime |title=Etymology Dictionary Reference: Anime accessdate=2007-09-13 |work=Etymonline}}
</ref>
Japanese-speakers use both the original and abbreviated forms interchangeably, but the shorter form occurs more commonly.

The pronunciation of ''anime'' in Japanese, {{IPA|[anime]}}, differs significantly from the [[Standard English]] {{IPA-en|ˈænɪmeɪ|}}, which has different vowels and [[stress (linguistics)|stress]]. (In Japanese each [[mora (linguistics)|mora]] carries equal stress.) As with a few other Japanese words such as ''[[saké]]'', ''[[Pokémon]]'', and ''[[Kobo Abé]],'' English-language texts sometimes spell ''anime'' as ''animé'' (as in French), with an [[acute accent]] over the final ''e'', to cue the reader to pronounce the letter, not to leave it silent as English orthography might suggest.

=== Word usage ===
In Japan, the term ''anime'' does not specify an animation's nation of origin or style; instead, it serves as a [[blanket term]] to refer to all forms of animation from around the world.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art4260.asp |title=What is Anime? |publisher=Bellaonline |accessdate=2007-10-28 |work=Lesley Aeschliman}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/__data/page/9842/Tezuka_Kit_1.pdf |format=PDF |title=Tezuka: The Marvel of Manga - Education Kit |year=2007 |publisher=Art Gallery New South Wales |accessdate=2007-10-28}}</ref> English-language dictionaries define ''anime'' as "a Japanese style of motion-picture animation" or as "a style of animation developed in Japan".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/anime |title=Anime Dictionary Definition |accessdate=2006-10-09 |work=[[Reference.com|Dictionary.com]]}}
</ref>
Non-Japanese works that borrow stylization from anime are commonly referred to as "[[anime-influenced animation]]" but it is not unusual for a viewer who does not know the country of origin of such material to refer to it as simply "anime". Some works result from co-productions with non-Japanese companies, such as most of the traditionally animated [[Rankin/Bass]] works, the [[Cartoon Network (US)|Cartoon Network]] and [[Production I.G]] series ''[[IGPX]]'' or ''[[Ōban Star-Racers]]''; different viewers may or may not consider these anime.

In the UK, many video shops will classify all adult-oriented animated videos in the "Anime" section for convenience, regardless of whether they show any stylistic similarities to Japanese animation. No evidence suggests that this has led to any change in the use of the word.{{fact|date=March 2010}}

In English, ''anime'', when used as a common [[noun]], normally functions as a [[mass noun]] (for example: "Do you watch anime?", "How much anime have you collected?").<ref>[[American Heritage Dictionary]], 4th ed.; Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1).</ref> However, in casual usage the word also appears as a [[count noun]]. ''Anime'' can also be used as a [[suppletive]] [[adjective]] or classifier noun ("The anime ''[[Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor|Guyver]]'' is different from the movie ''[[The Guyver|Guyver]]''").

=== Synonyms ===
English-speakers occasionally refer to anime as "Japanimation", but this term has fallen into disuse.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/lexicon.php?id=46 |title=ANN: Japanimation |publisher=Anime News Network |accessdate=2007-11-11}}</ref> "Japanimation" saw the most usage during the 1970s and 1980s, but the term "anime" supplanted it in the mid-1990s as the material became more widely known in English-speaking countries.<ref name="bookref2">{{cite book |last=Patten |first=Fred |title=Watching Anime, Reading Manga: 25 Years of Essays and Reviews |publisher=Stone Bridge Press |year=2004 |isbn=1880656922}}</ref>
In general, the term now only appears in nostalgic contexts.<ref name="bookref2" /> Although the term was coined{{By whom|date=August 2009}} outside Japan to refer to animation imported from Japan, it is now used primarily ''in'' Japan, to refer to domestic animation{{Citation needed|date=February 2010}}; since "anime" does not identify the country of origin in Japanese usage, "Japanimation" is used to distinguish Japanese work from that of the rest of the world.<ref name="bookref2" />

In Japan, "[[manga]]" can additionally refer to both animation and comics (although the use of "manga" to refer to animation mostly occurs only among non-fans).{{Citation needed|date=February 2008}} Among English speakers, "manga" usually has the stricter meaning of "Japanese comics", in parallel to the usage of "anime" in and outside of Japan. The prominence of [[Manga Entertainment]], a distributor of anime to the US and UK markets, may have influenced this usage. Because Manga Entertainment originated in the UK, the term occurs commonly outside Japan.{{Citation needed|date=February 2008}} The term "[[ani-manga]]" has been used{{By whom|date=February 2010}} to collectively refer to anime and manga, though it is also a term used to describe comics produced from animation cels.<ref>[http://www.animecornerstore.com/inuyaanno.html]
</ref>

== Visual characteristics ==
[[File:Modernanime.jpg|thumb|An example of the wide range of drawing styles anime can adopt]]

Many commentators refer to anime as an [[art form]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.animenation.net/blog/2006/04/07/ask-john-do-japanese-viewers-treat-anime-shows-as-fads/ |title=Ask John: Do Japanese Viewers Treat Anime Shows as Fads? |date=2006-04-07 |publisher=AnimeNation |accessdate=2008-01-23 |work=Ask John}}</ref> As a visual medium, it can emphasize visual styles. The styles can vary from artist to artist or from studio to studio. Some titles make extensive use of common stylization: ''[[FLCL]]'', for example, has a reputation for wild, exaggerated stylization. Other titles use different methods: ''[[Only Yesterday (film)|Only Yesterday]]'' or ''[[Jin-Roh]]'' take much more realistic approaches, featuring few stylistic exaggerations; ''[[Pokémon]]'' uses drawings which specifically do not distinguish the nationality of characters.<ref>{{cite book|last=Tobin|first=Joseph Jay|year=2004|title=Pikachu's Global Adventure: The Rise and Fall of Pokémon|publisher=Duke University Press|page=88|isbn=0-822-33287-6}}
</ref>

While different titles and different artists have their own artistic styles, many stylistic elements have become so common that people{{Who|date=August 2009}} describe them as definitive of anime in general. However, this does not mean that all modern anime share one strict, common art-style. Many anime have a very different art style from what would commonly be called "anime style", yet fans still use the word "anime" to refer to these titles. Generally, the most common form of anime drawings include "exaggerated physical features such as large eyes, big hair and elongated limbs... and dramatically shaped speech bubbles, [[speed line]]s and onomatopoeic, exclamatory typography."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/print/fl20060528x1.html |title=Japan Times |accessdate=2008-02-06}}</ref>
<!-- These elements have been given names of their own. (names such as?) --> <!-- Previous Text used under "Animation Process" See:Discussion. This passage can be reincorporated somewhere -->
<!-- Osamu Tezuka adapted and simplified many Disney animation precepts to reduce the budget costs and the number of frames in a production. This was intended to be a temporary measure to allow him to produce one episode every week with an inexperienced animation staff. Some animators in Japan overcome production budgets by utilizing different techniques than the Disney or the old Tezuka/Otsuka methods of animating anime. Due to reduced frame rate, several still shots and scrolling backgrounds, more time can be spent on detail in each drawing. -->
<!-- Will need to work these parts in here somehow, otherwise, omit most of it -->
The influences of [[Japanese calligraphy]] and [[Japanese painting]] also characterize linear qualities of the anime style. The round [[ink brush]] traditionally used for writing [[kanji]] and for painting, produces a stroke of widely varying thickness.

Anime also tends to borrow many elements from [[manga]], including text in the background and panel layouts. For example, an opening may employ manga panels to tell the story, or to dramatize a point for humorous effect. See for example the anime ''[[Kare Kano]]''.

=== Character design ===
==== Proportions ====
Body proportions emulated in anime come from proportions of the human body. The height of the head is considered{{By whom|date=February 2010}} as the base unit of proportion. Head heights can vary as long as the remainder of the body remains proportional. Most anime characters are about seven to eight heads tall, and extreme heights are set{{whom}} around nine heads tall.<ref name="headheight">{{cite web |url=http://animeworld.com/howtodraw/bodies1.html |title=Body Proportion |accessdate=2007-08-16 |work=Akemi's Anime World}}
</ref>

Variations to proportion can be modded{{By whom|date=November 2009}}. [[Super deformed|Super-deformed]] characters feature a non-proportionally small body compared to the head. Sometimes specific body parts, like legs, are shortened{{By whom|date=February 2010}} or elongated for added emphasis. Most super deformed characters are two to four heads tall. Some anime works like ''[[Crayon Shin-chan]]'' completely disregard these proportions, such that they resemble Western cartoons. For exaggeration, certain body features are increased{{By whom|date=February 2010}} in proportion.<ref name="headheight"/>

==== Eye styles ====
Many anime and [[manga]] characters feature large [[eye]]s. [[Osamu Tezuka]], who is believed to have been the first to use this technique, was inspired by the exaggerated features of American cartoon characters such as [[Betty Boop]], [[Mickey Mouse]], and Disney's ''[[Bambi]]''.<ref name="manga!"/><ref name="Dreamland">{{cite book |last=Schodt |first=Frederik L. | title=Dreamland Japan: Writings on Modern Manga |publisher=Stone Bridge Press |year=1996 |location=Berkeley, California |isbn=1-8806562-3-X}}</ref> Tezuka found that large eyes style allowed his characters to show emotions distinctly. When Tezuka began drawing ''[[Princess Knight|Ribbon no Kishi]]'', the first manga specifically targeted at young girls, Tezuka further exaggerated the size of the characters' eyes. Indeed, through ''Ribbon no Kishi'', Tezuka set a stylistic template that later ''shōjo'' artists tended to follow.

Coloring is added to give eyes, particularly to the cornea, some depth. The depth is accomplished by applying variable color shading. Generally, a mixture of a light shade, the tone color, and a dark shade is used.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.biorust.com/tutorials/detail/141/en/ |title=Basic Anime Eye Tutorial |accessdate=2007-08-22 |work=Centi, Biorust.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyJ9yfYl_Fc |title=How to color anime eye |date=2007-06-06 |accessdate=2007-08-22 |author=Carlus |publisher=YouTube}}</ref> Cultural anthropologist [[Matt Thorn]] argues that Japanese animators and audiences do not perceive such stylized eyes as inherently more or less foreign.<ref name="manga characters look white">{{cite web |title=Do Manga Characters Look "White"? |url=http://web.archive.org/web/20060517194357sh_re_/www.matt-thorn.com/mangagaku/faceoftheother.html <!-- ([[Internet Archive]] backup) --> |accessdate=2005-12-11}}
</ref>

However, not all anime have large eyes. For example, some of the work of [[Hayao Miyazaki]] and [[Toshiro Kawamoto]] are known for having realistically proportioned eyes, as well as realistic hair colors on their characters.<ref name="companion">{{cite book |last=Poitras |first=Gilles |title=Anime Companion |publisher=Stone Bridge Press |year=1998 |location=Berkeley, California |isbn=1-880656-32-9}}</ref> In addition many other productions also have been known to use smaller eyes. This design tends to have more resemblance to traditional Japanese art.{{Or|date=February 2009}} Some characters have even smaller eyes, where simple black dots are used. However, many western audiences associate anime with large detailed eyes.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}

==== Facial expressions ====
Anime characters may employ wide variety of facial expressions to denote moods and thoughts.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mangatutorials.com/tut/expressions.php |title=Manga Tutorials: Emotional Expressions |accessdate=2008-08-22 |work=Rio}}</ref> These techniques are often different in form than their counterparts in western animation.

There are a number of other stylistic elements that are common to conventional anime as well but more often used in comedies. Characters that are shocked or surprised will perform a "[[face fault]]", in which they display an extremely exaggerated expression. Angry characters may exhibit a "vein" or "stress mark" effect, where lines representing bulging veins will appear on their forehead. Angry women will sometimes summon a mallet from nowhere and strike someone with it, leading to the concept of [[Hammerspace]] and [[cartoon physics]]. Male characters will develop a [[bloody nose]] around their female love interests (typically to indicate arousal, based on an old wives' tale).<ref name="bloody">{{cite web |url=http://www.umich.edu/~anime/info_emotions.html |title=Emotional Iconography in Animae |author=University of Michigan Animae Project |date=Current |accessdate=2009-08-08}}</ref> Embarrassed characters either produce a massive [[Manga iconography|sweat-drop]] (which has become one of the most widely recognized motifs of conventional anime) or produce a visibly red blush or set of parallel (sometimes squiggly) lines beneath the eyes, especially as a manifestation of repressed romantic feelings. Some anime, usually with political plots and other more serious subject matters, have abandoned the use of these techniques.

=== Animation technique ===
{{Main|Animation}}
Like all [[animation]], the production processes of [[storyboard]]ing, [[voice acting]], character design, cel production and so on still apply. With improvements in computer technology, [[computer animation]] increased the efficiency of the whole production process.

Anime is often considered a form of [[limited animation]]. That means that stylistically, even in bigger productions the conventions of limited animation are used to fool the eye into thinking there is more movement than there is.<ref name="manga!"/> Many of the techniques used are comprised with cost-cutting measures while working under a set budget.

Anime scenes place emphasis on achieving three-dimensional views. Backgrounds depict the scenes' atmosphere.<ref name="manga!"/> For example, anime often puts emphasis on changing seasons, as can be seen in numerous anime, such as ''[[Tenchi Muyo!]]''. Sometimes actual settings have been duplicated into an anime. The backgrounds for the ''[[The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (anime)|Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya]]'' are based on various locations within the suburb of [[Nishinomiya, Hyogo]], Japan.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rinku.zaq.ne.jp/p_v/haruhi.html |title=Reference pictures to actual places |accessdate=2007-01-25}}</ref>

Camera angles, camera movement, and lighting play an important role in scenes. Directors often have the discretion of determining viewing angles for scenes, particularly regarding backgrounds. In addition, camera angles show [[Perspective (graphical)|perspective]].<ref name="production">{{cite web|url=http://www.huitula.com/productionIG2_page2.htm|title=Anime production process - feature film|year=2000|accessdate=2007-08-27|work=PRODUCTION I.G}}</ref> Directors can also choose camera effects within [[cinematography]], such as panning, zooming, facial closeup, and panoramic.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.understandinganime.com/cinematography.php |title=Cinematography: Looping and Animetion Techniques |year=1999 |accessdate=2007-08-29 |work=Understanding Anime}}</ref>

The large majority of anime uses [[traditional animation]], which better allows for [[division of labor]], [[12 basic principles of animation#Straight ahead action and pose to pose|pose to pose]] approach and checking of drawings before they are shot – practices favoured by the anime industry.<ref name="Jouvanceau2004">{{cite book |last=Jouvanceau |first=Pierre |coauthors=Clare Kitson (translator) |title=The Silhouette Film |publisher=[[Le Mani]] |year=2004 |location=Genoa |page=103 |url=http://www.heeza.fr/description.php?lang=2&path=64&sort=Article&page=0&id=296 |isbn=88-8012-299-1 |accessdate=2009-08-08}}</ref> Other mediums are mostly limited to independently-made [[Short subject|short films]],<ref name="Sharp2003">{{cite web|last=Sharp|first=Jasper|title=Beyond Anime: A Brief Guide to Experimental Japanese Animation|work=Midnight Eye|year=2003|url=http://www.midnighteye.com/features/beyond_anime.shtml|accessdate=2008-07-21}}</ref> examples of which are the [[Silhouette animation|silhouette]] and other [[cutout animation]] of [[Noburō Ōfuji]],<ref name="Jouvanceau2004"/><ref name="Cinémathèque2008">{{cite web |title=Tribute to Noburō Ōfuji |work=To the Source of Anime: Japanese Animation |publisher=Cinémathèque québécoise |year=2008 |url=http://www.cinematheque.qc.ca/animation_japonaise.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-07-21}}</ref> the [[stop motion]] puppet animation of [[Tadahito Mochinaga]], [[Kihachirō Kawamoto]]<ref name="Sharp2004">{{cite web|last=Sharp|first=Jasper|title=Interview with Kihachirō Kawamoto|work=Midnight Eye|year=2004|url=http://www.midnighteye.com/interviews/kihachiro_kawamoto.shtml|accessdate=2008-07-21}}</ref> and [[Tomoyasu Murata]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Hotes|first=Catherine Munroe|title=Tomoyasu Murata and Company |work=Midnight Eye|year=2008|url=http://www.midnighteye.com/features/tomoyasu-murata-and-company.shtml|accessdate=2008-07-21}}</ref> and the [[computer animation]] of [[Satoshi Tomioka]]<ref>{{cite book|last=Walters|first=Helen|title=Animation Unlimited: Innovative Short Films Since 1940|publisher=Laurence King|year=2004 |location=London|url=http://lib.leeds.ac.uk/record=b2662684|isbn=18-5669-346-5|accessdate=2009-08-08}}</ref> (most famously ''[[Usavich]]'').<ref>{{cite web |title=Works |work=KANABAN-Web |publisher=Kanaban Graphics |year=2008 |url=http://www.mtvjapan.com/usavich/about.html |accessdate=2008-07-21}}</ref>

== Distribution ==
{{See also|Anime licensing}}
While anime had entered markets beyond Japan in the 1960s, it grew as a major cultural export during its market expansion during the 1980s and 1990s. The anime market for the United States alone is "worth approximately $4.35 billion, according to the [[Japan External Trade Organization]]".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118851157811713921.html?mod=googlenews_wsj |title=Manga Mania |date=2007-08-31 |accessdate=2007-08-31 |work=Bianca Bosker (Wall Street Journal)}}</ref> Anime has also been a commercial success in Asia, Europe and Latin America, where anime has become even more mainstream than in the United States. For example, the ''[[Saint Seiya]]'' video game was released in Europe due to the popularity of the show even years after the series has been off-air.

Anime distribution companies handled the [[Anime industry|licensing and distribution]] of anime outside Japan. Licensed anime is modified by distributors through [[Dubbing (filmmaking)|dubbing]] into the language of the country and adding language subtitles to the Japanese language track. Using a similar [[Regional lockout|global distribution pattern]] as [[Hollywood, Los Angeles, California|Hollywood]], the world is divided into [[Anime industry|five regions]].

Some [[Re-edited film|editing]] of cultural references may occur to better follow the references of the non-Japanese culture.<ref>[http://w3.salemstate.edu/~poehlkers/Emerson/Pokemon.html Pokemon Case Study<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Certain companies may remove any objectionable content, complying with domestic law. This editing process was far more prevalent in the past (e.g. ''[[Voltron]]''), but its use has declined because of the demand for anime in its original form. This "light touch" approach to localization has favored viewers formerly unfamiliar with anime. The use of such methods is evident by the success of ''[[Naruto]]'' and [[Cartoon Network (United States)|Cartoon Network's]] [[Adult Swim]] programming block, both of which employ minor edits.{{Citation needed|date=August 2007}} ''[[Robotech]]'' and ''[[Star Blazers]]'' were the earliest attempts to present anime (albeit still modified) to North American television audiences without harsh censoring for violence and mature themes.

With the advent of [[DVD]], it became possible to include multiple language tracks into a simple product. This was not the case with [[VHS|VHS cassette]], in which separate VHS media were used and with each VHS cassette priced the same as a single DVD. The "light touch" approach also applies to DVD releases as they often include both the dubbed audio and the original Japanese audio with [[Subtitle (captioning)|subtitles]], typically unedited. Anime edited for television is usually released on DVD "uncut", with all scenes intact.

TV networks regularly broadcast anime programming. In Japan, major national TV networks, such as [[TV Tokyo]] broadcast anime regularly. Smaller regional stations broadcast anime under the [[UHF anime|UHF]]. In the United States, cable TV channels such as [[Cartoon Network (United States)|Cartoon Network]], [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]], [[Syfy]], and others dedicate some of their timeslots to anime. Some, such as the [[Anime Network]] and the [[FUNimation Channel]], specifically show anime. [[Sony]]-based [[Animax]] and Disney's [[Jetix]] channel broadcast anime within many countries in the world. [[AnimeCentral]] solely broadcasts anime in the UK.

Although it violates [[copyright]] laws in many countries, some fans add subtitles to anime on their own. These are distributed as [[fansub]]s. The ethical implications of producing, distributing, or watching fansubs are topics of much controversy even when fansub groups do not profit from their activities. Once the series has been licensed outside of Japan, fansub groups often cease distribution of their work. In one case, [[Media Factory|Media Factory Incorporated]] requested that no fansubs of their material be made, which was respected by the fansub community.<ref>{{cite web |title=Anxious times in the cartoon underground |work=CNet |url=http://news.cnet.com/Anxious-times-in-the-cartoon-underground/2100-1026_3-5557177.html |accessdate=2007-09-06 |date=2005-02-01}}</ref> In another instance, Bandai specifically thanked fansubbers for their role in helping to make ''The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya'' popular in the English speaking world.<ref>{{cite web |title=Adventures of the ASOS Brigade Episode 00: Made by Fans for Fans |url=http://asosbrigade.com/ |accessdate=2006-12-23}}</ref>

The [[Internet]] has played a significant role in the exposure of anime beyond Japan. Prior to the 1990s, anime had limited exposure beyond Japan's borders. Coincidentally, as the popularity of the Internet grew, so did interest in anime. Much of the fandom of anime grew through the Internet. The combination of internet communities and increasing amounts of anime material, from video to images, helped spur the growth of fandom.<ref name="anime-internet">{{cite web |url=http://comipress.com/article/2006/07/20/489 |title=100 Questions About Anime & Manga Overseas |date=2006-07-20 |accessdate=2007-08-23 |work=Comipress}}</ref> As the Internet gained more widespread use, Internet advertising revenues grew from 1.6 billion yen to over 180 billion yen between 1995 and 2005.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://en.j-cast.com/2005/12/21000171.html |title=Free Anime: Providers Bear Losses to Build Business |date=2005-12-21 |accessdate=2007-08-27 |work=J-Cast Business News}}</ref>

== Influence on world culture ==
Anime has become commercially profitable in western countries, as early commercially successful western adaptations of anime, such as ''[[Astro Boy]]'', have revealed.<ref name="commercially successful">{{cite web |title=Progress Against the Law: Fan Distribution, Copyright, and the Explosive Growth of Japanese Animation |url=http://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/classes/6.805/student-papers/fall03-papers/Progress_Against_the_Law.html |accessdate=2006-05-01}}<!-- This appears to be a student paper that was not peer reviewed or published in a journal or conference proceeding. --></ref> The phenomenal success of [[Nintendo]]'s multi-billion [[United States dollar|dollar]] ''[[Pokémon]]'' franchise<ref>{{cite news |title=Pokemon Franchise Approaches 150 Million Games Sold |url=http://www2.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/10-04-2005/0004159206&EDATE= |agency=PR Newswire |publisher=Nintendo |date=4 October 2005 |quote= }}</ref> was helped greatly by the [[Pokémon (anime)|spin-off anime series]] that, first broadcast in the late 1990s, is still running worldwide to this day. In doing so, anime has made significant impacts upon Western culture. Since the 19th century, many Westerners have expressed a [[Japanophile|particular interest towards Japan]]. Anime dramatically exposed more Westerners to the culture of Japan. Aside from anime, other facets of Japanese culture increased in popularity<!-- need better word -->.<ref>{{cite news |last=Faiola |first=Anthony |title=Japan's Empire of Cool |work=[[The Washington Post]] |page=A1 |publisher=[[Washington Post Company]] |date=2003-12-27 |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A33261-2003Dec26?language=printer |accessdate=2007-08-17}}</ref> Worldwide, the number of people studying Japanese increased. In 1984, the [[Japanese Language Proficiency Test]] was devised to meet increasing demand.<ref>{{cite web |title=Introduction |publisher=The Japan Foundation |url=http://www.jlpt.jp/e/about/index.html |accessdate=2009-05-01}}</ref> [[Anime-influenced animation]] refers to non-Japanese works of animation that emulate the visual style of anime.<ref name="whatisanime">{{cite web |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/editorial/2002-07-26 |title=What is anime? |date=2002-07-26 |accessdate=2007-08-18 |work=ANN}}</ref> Most of these works are created by studios in the United States, Europe, and non-Japanese Asia; and they generally incorporate stylizations, methods, and gags described in [[Cartoon physics|anime physics]], as in the case of ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender#Anime|Avatar: The Last Airbender]]''. Often, production crews either are fans of anime or are required to view anime.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scifi.com/sfw/anime/sfw12366.html |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080117145951/http://www.scifi.com/sfw/anime/sfw12366.html |archivedate=2008-01-17 |title=SciFi Channel Anime Review |accessdate=2006-10-16 |work=SciFi}}</ref> Some creators cite anime as a source of inspiration with their own series.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ugo.com/ugo/html/article/?id=17924 |title=Aaron McGruder - The Boondocks Interview |accessdate=2007-10-14 |work=Troy Rogers |publisher=UnderGroundOnline}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.g4tv.com/screensavers/features/49962/Ten_Minutes_with_Megas_XLR.html |title=Ten Minutes with "Megas XLR" |date=2004-10-13}}</ref> Furthermore, a French production team for ''[[Ōban Star-Racers]]'' moved to Tokyo to collaborate with a Japanese production team from [[Hal Film Maker]].<ref name="company">{{cite web |url=http://www.savtheworld.com/eng/company.php |title=STW company background summary}}</ref> Critics and the general anime fanbase do not consider them as anime.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.animenation.net/blog/2006/05/15/ask-john-how-should-the-word-anime-be-defined/ |title=How should the word ''Anime'' be defined? |date=2006-05-15 |accessdate=2008-09-26 |work=AnimeNation}}
</ref>

Some American animated television-series have singled out anime styling with satirical intent, for example ''[[South Park]]'' (with "[[Chinpokomon]]" and with "[[Good Times with Weapons]]"). ''South Park'' has a notable drawing style, itself parodied in "[[List of FLCL episodes|Brittle Bullet]]", the fifth episode of the anime ''[[FLCL]]'', released several months after "Chinpokomon" aired. This intent on satirizing anime is the springboard for the basic premise of ''[[Kappa Mikey]]'', a Nicktoons Network original cartoon. Even clichés normally found in anime are parodied in some series, such as ''[[Perfect Hair Forever]]''. [[Anime convention]]s began to appear in the early 1990s, during the Anime boom, starting with [[Anime Expo]], [[Animethon]], [[Otakon]], and [[JACON]]. Currently anime conventions are held annually [[List of anime conventions|in various cities]] across the Americas, Asia, and Europe.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.animecons.com/events/ |title=Convention Schedule |accessdate=2007-09-06 |work=AnimeCons}}</ref> Many attendees participate in [[cosplay]], where they dress up as anime characters. Also, guests from Japan ranging from artists, directors, and music groups are invited. In addition to anime conventions, [[anime club]]s have become prevalent in colleges, high schools, and community centers as a way to publicly exhibit anime as well as broadening [[Culture of Japan|Japanese]] cultural understanding.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://web.archive.org/web/20071021222201/http://daily.stanford.edu/article/2002/5/21/animeAchievesGrowingPopularityAmongStanfordStudents |title=Anime achieves growing popularity among Stanford students}}</ref>

=== Anime and American audiences ===
The Japanese term ''otaku'' is used in America as a term for anime fans, more particularly the obsessive ones. The negative connotations associated with the word in Japan have disappeared in its American context, where it instead connotes the pride of the fans. Only in the recent decade or so has there been a more casual viewership outside the devoted ''otaku'' fan base, which can be attributed highly to technological advances. Also, shows like ''[[Pokémon]]'' and ''[[Dragon Ball|Dragon Ball Z]]'' provided a pivotal introduction of anime's conventions, animation methods, and [[Shinto]] influences to many American children.

Ancient Japanese myths – often deriving from the animistic nature worship of Shinto – have influenced anime greatly, but most American audiences not accustomed to anime know very little of these foreign texts and customs. For example, an average American viewing the live-action TV show ''Hercules'' will be no stranger to the Greek myths and legends it is based on, while the same person watching the show ''[[Tenchi Muyo!]]'' might not understand that the pleated ropes wrapped around the "space trees" are influenced by the ancient legend of ''Amaterasu and Susano''.<ref name="understanding1996">{{cite book|last=Levi|first=Antonia|year=1996|title=[[Samurai from Outer Space: Understanding Japanese Animation]]|location=Peru, Illinois|publisher=Open Court Publishing Company|ISBN=0-8126-9332-9|nopp=y}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Anime and Manga|Wikipe-tan face.svg}}
{{Wikipedia-Books|Anime and Manga}}
{{colbegin}}
* [[Anime industry]]
* [[Anime music video]]
* [[Animated cartoon]]
* [[Wikt:Glossary:Japanese film credit terms]]
* [[Original video animation]]
* [[Q-version]]
* [[Seiyū]]
* [[Hentai]]
* [[Anime and manga fandom]]
* [[List of anime companies]]
* [[List of anime conventions]]
* [[List of anime series by episode count]] (for long-running series)
* [[List of anime theatrically released in America]]
* [[List of animated television series]]
* [[List of animated feature-length films]]
{{colend}}

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

== External links ==
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{{commons|Anime}}
{{Wiktionary}}
{{wikiquote}}
* {{dmoz|Arts/Animation/Anime}}

{{Animation}}

[[Category:Anime and manga terminology]]
[[Category:Anime]]
[[Category:Art genres]]
[[Category:Cartooning]]
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[[Category:Requests for audio pronunciation (English)]]

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Revision as of 18:33, 21 April 2010

Long story short, its pretty awful.

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