Exactly what is anime, you ask?

Well, why don't you know already, peasant? Nay, I kid, I kid. However unfortunate it may be, it is entirely possible for one to go about one's daily Western life without knowing what anime is, where it came from, or why one ought to give a flying rabbit's patootie about it.

Basically, anime (say it: "AH-nee-may") is a term for an often highly stylized form of animation originating in Japan. Anime can take the form of television series, films, comic books (known in Japan as "manga"), and countless other forms of static visual art. Its subjects and genres, just like live action genres, are highly varied: serious drama, romantic comedy, science-fiction, fantasy, cerebral, erotic . . . In anime, anything goes.

And yes, I did say erotic. Interestingly enough, the Disney-reared Western world often equates animation with cartoons, and thus believes any animated form of media to be designed only for children. However, a great deal of anime is certainly not meant for children, just as a great deal of live action programming (read: adult language, adult situations, and adult, er, "baggage") is certainly not intended for children. Predictably enough, there are not very many Western distribution companies willing to put faith in any kind of marketable animation for adults. This philosophy often gives rise to abnormally chopped-up anime series on Western television -- such as the infamous English-dubbed Sailor Moon, which, however hacked to pieces, is perhaps the most recognizable of all anime series to have made the crossover into Western recognition. And no, anime is not only (or even mostly) "animated porn." That oddly predominant falsehood is only another uninformed Western notion.

Anime first began to emerge in the 1970's. Without the big budget of comparatively giant Western world film companies, Japanese animators developed a way of doing more with less. "They worked with static shots enhanced by slight motions: winds rustling a dress, a tear rolling down a cheek, even just a shimmer in a character's eyes. Directors also concentrated on 'mecha' figures: robots and giant machines, which with their chunky outlines and stiff movements are easier to animate than the flexible human body. When required to animate humans, the Japanese often encased them in hardbody space suits or rendered them as fairly flat shapes, as in comic strips. And many works of anime explored subtle changes in color produced by light, liquid, mist, and reflections -- all easier [and arguably more visually focused] than a landscape teeming with figures." (Thank you, insightful Film Art: An Introduction textbook by Bordwell and Thompson!)

Anime influences other media as well. Many anime soundtracks feed into popular Japanese music, namely "j-pop" and "j-rock." (Both of which I've yet to check out.) Many video games are also based on anime, most notably the role-playing games of the Final Fantasy series.

It can be difficult to locate, purchase, or even actually see anime in the Western world, particularly if you're after the original, subtitled, and uncut Japanese versions. (I recommend comic book stores. Some have surprisingly satisfying and varied collections.) Video is the chief source of anime for Western "otaku" (a somewhat derogatory and thus rarely-used term for obsessive anime fans), as are nationally-held conventions and in-depth websites.

I respect anime's great passion for art. Anime has a unique flair for telling a moving, multifaceted, otherworldly story. I believe anime pushes our preconceived notions of what makes up animation, what makes up a story, what makes up art. Anime pushes the limits of art just as it pushes the boundaries of age, storytelling, and culture. To me, animation is one of the ultimate forms of art: visuals, music, drama, movement, philosophy, interpretation . . . all combining to create a truly fascinating form of expression.

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