What is the History and Appeal of Anime?

What is the History and the Appeal of Anime?

Anime has been around for a very long time and has amassed a gigantic fan base. Anime at its core is animation done in a more (for lack of a term) emotional style. But, what history does it have to tell and how has it become so popular? Anime’s use of its rich history, the size of the “Otaku” fan base, and it’s unfortunate overuse of fan service has led to a massive fan base over the years that stretches to the four corners of the world.

Anime’s history reaches from as far back as the 18th century, to the Second World War, to present day. Unlike a lot of western media most anime has a source a material to insure a profit, some being visual novels* (a text based “choose your own adventure”-esc game that is told through still images with little animation) or more likely than not a “Manga” series* (Japanese comic books with frame to frame illustration as opposed to American action to action illustration) which has its roots dug in Japanese culture as far back as the 18th century. The journal History of Manga explains, “The legendary artist Hokusai (1760-1849) was the first to coin the term “manga” to describe his a collection of his lesser works.” Second, although manga had existed in Japan before WW2 it was not until Osamu Tezuka (1928-1989) that the manga industry (and later the anime industry) became popular with the major success of his Astro Boy series. According to the article Major Manga Artists of Japan Osamu Tezuka “Often refered to as ‘The Father of Manga’ he began working on comics when he was still a teenager, creating a four panel comic called ‘Diary of Ma-chan”. Third, it was not until the late 90’s early 00’s that anime became big in the west (specifically the US). This pe...

... middle of paper ...

... related to the Otaku culture. Finally, the essay explained what fan service is, the different types and how it is viewed and its controversy. In conclusion anime continues to build upon its massive popularity in the east and fortifying its underground fame in the west and solidifying its name in the history of media.

Works Cited

"History of Manga." Gale Student Resources in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2007. Student Resources in Context. Web. 4 Mar. 2014.

"Major Manga Artists in Japan." Gale Student Resources in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2007. Student Resources in Context. Web. 5 Mar. 2014

"Manga Fan Organizations and Conventions." Gale Student Resources in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2007. Student Resources in Context. Web. 4 Mar. 2014.

"Overview of Manga Genres." Gale Student Resources in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2007. Student Resources in Context. Web. 4 Mar. 2014.