What Is Anime?

Anime is a type of animation that originated in Japan. In Japan, the word “anime” is used to describe all cartoons, regardless of their country of origin. However, outside Japan, anime refers specifically to animated movies and shows that come from Japan. Anime is known for its vibrant visuals, lively characters, and engaging themes like science fiction, romance, and supernatural elements. To put it simply: all anime shows are cartoons, but not all cartoons are anime.

Anime has a unique and easy-to-spot art style. You might notice characters with big eyes, wild hair, long limbs, and other distinctive features. This exaggerated design helps characters express their feelings more vividly, which is a common trait in anime.

Anime also uses specific animation techniques like dramatic close-ups, zooms, bright lighting, and vibrant colors to create an emotional atmosphere. But it's not just about the unusual look – people love anime for its well-developed characters and interesting storylines.

History Of Anime

Anime has been around for nearly 100 years. The first confirmed anime, Namakura Gatana, came out in 1917 and was only four minutes long. Since then, anime has faced ups and downs, overcoming challenges both in Japan and worldwide.

Various artists have used anime to tell all sorts of stories, exploring different genres. Many people in the West have a certain idea of how anime looks.

The artistic styles in anime seem limitless, and artists can express themselves in many ways. However, regardless of the different types, one thing stays the same: making anime takes a lot of time and effort.

The Evolution Of Anime

The Process Of Creating Anime

Making anime is a lot like creating cartoons in the West, but it's a pretty time-consuming process. It involves writing, storyboarding, workshops, animation, voice acting, and more. This whole journey can take many months, sometimes even years. A team of artists, usually led by a director, works on these projects.

Even with today's cool digital tools, making anime is still a tough job. Technology has allowed artists to get really creative with lighting and other cool tricks, but it hasn't made the hard work any easier.

What makes anime special is the creativity of the artists. They can bend genres and tell stories that might be tricky to show in any other kind of video storytelling. If you're curious, some videos take you inside anime studios, like Toei, Madhouse, and Pierrot.

Popularity Of Anime In The USA

Anime has been loved in Japan for almost 100 years, and now it's found fans all over the world, especially in the USA. Americans got into anime in the 1960s with shows like Speed Racer on TV. In the 1990s, Studio Ghibli became a big hit, with movies like Spirited Away even winning an Oscar in 2001.

Even though anime wasn't always super popular with everyone, it got so big in the West that American studios started making shows with anime vibes, like The Boondocks and Avatar: The Last Airbender.

People still argue if American cartoons that look like anime should be called anime, but most agree that anime means Japanese-made stuff. However, the lines are getting blurry as artists from both countries team up for new shows and movies.

Thanks to its Japanese roots, anime tells stories in a unique way that has caught the world's attention. Big names like Hayao Miyazaki, Makoto Shinkai, and Satoshi Kon made some of the best animated films ever.

If you grew up in the 2000s, you probably caught Pokemon and DragonBall Z on TV. Nowadays, you can watch anime on Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and more. It just shows that anime is getting even more popular.

The Downsides Of Anime

Do grown-ups watch anime? In the United States, most animated shows are made for kids, but there are exceptions. Adults usually prefer live-action stuff over animation. In Japan, though, animated shows are for people of all ages, and folks in their 40s, 50s, and even older enjoy anime characters and series. Anime can cover adult themes, from serious drama to explicit content, but it's all animated.

How To Protect Your Kid From The Downsides Of Anime?

Now, there's a downside to anime. Since many shows are made for adults, there's a chance kids might see things they shouldn't – like violence, bad language, nudity, drugs, and adult content you'd find in an R-rated live-action movie.

The good news is, with anime getting more popular, it's easy to Google if a show is okay for kids. There's plenty of anime made just for children too.

Where Can Anime Be Watched?

If your kid is into anime, it's a good idea to learn more about it together. Figure out what they like and set some family rules on what's okay to watch. You can even use parental controls on streaming services like Netflix and Hulu to make sure they see age-appropriate stuff. And always let your kids know they can talk to you if they see something that bothers them.

Anime is everywhere on the internet, from full movies and TV episodes to social media hashtags, fan fiction, and more. You can find a bunch of anime on streaming services like Amazon, Hulu, and Netflix. They have both old classics and new releases.

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