Anime began at the start of the 20th century, when Japanese Film_directorexperimented with the Animationtechniques also pioneered in France, Germany, the United States, and Russia.Answers.comThe 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.Answers.com Answers.comEarly pioneers included Shimokawa_Oten, http://wiki.answers.com/w/index.php?title=Jun'ichi_Kouchi&action=edit&redlink=1, and http://wiki.answers.com/w/index.php?title=SeitarÅ_Kitayama&action=edit&redlink=1.Answers.com

By the 1930s animation became an alternative format of storytelling to the Live-actionindustry in Japan. But it suffered competition from foreign producers and many animators, such as NoburÅ_ÅŒfuji and Yasuji_Muratastill worked in cheaper Cutout_animationnot Cel_animation, although with masterful results.Answers.comOther creators, such as KenzÅ_Masaoka and Mitsuyo_Seo, nonetheless made great strides in animation technique, especially with increasing help from a government using animation in education and Propaganda.Answers.comThe first Talkieanime was Chikara_to_Onna_no_Yo_no_Naka, produced by Masaoka in 1933.Answers.com Answers.comThe first feature length animated film was Momotaro's_Divine_Sea_Warriorsdirected by Seo in 1945 with sponsorship by the Imperial_Japanese_Navy.Answers.com

The success of The_Walt_Disney_Company's1937 feature film Snow_White_and_the_Seven_Dwarfs_(1937_film)influenced Japanese animators.Answers.comIn the 1960s, manga artist and animator Osamu_Tezukaadapted 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_Tezukadrew particular attention: he has been called a "legend"Answers.comand the "god of manga".Answers.com Answers.comHis work - and that of other pioneers in the field - inspired characteristics and genres that remain fundamental elements of anime today. The giant Robotgenre (known as "Mecha" outside Japan), for instance, took shape under Tezuka, developed into the Super_Robotgenre under Go_Nagaiand others, and was revolutionized at the end of the decade by Yoshiyuki_Tominowho developed the Real_Robotgenre. Robot anime like the Gundamand The_Super_Dimension_Fortress_Macrossseries 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) 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.

TerminologyJapanese write the English term "animation" in Katakanaas アニメーション (animēshon, pronounced Wikipedia:IPA_for_Japanese), and the term アニメ (anime, pronounced Wikipedia:IPA_for_Japanese( listen) in Japanese) emerged in the 1970s as an abbreviation.Answers.comOthers claim that the word derives from the French phrase dessin animé.Answers.comJapanese-speakers use both the original and abbreviated forms interchangeably, but the shorter form occurs more commonly.

The pronunciation of anime in Japanese, [anime], differs significantly from the Standard_English Wikipedia:IPA_for_English, which has different vowels and Stress_(linguistics). (In Japanese each Mora_(linguistics) carries equal stress.) As with a few other Japanese words such as SakÃ©, PokÃ©mon, and Kobo_AbÃ©,English-language texts sometimes spell anime as animé(as in French), with an Acute_accentover the final e, to cue the reader to pronounce the letter, not to leave it silent as English orthography might suggest.

Word usageIn Japan, the term anime does not specify an animation's nation of origin or style; instead, it serves as a Blanket_termto refer to all forms of animation from around the world.Answers.com Answers.comEnglish-language dictionaries define anime as "a Japanese style of motion-picture animation" or as "a style of animation developed in Japan".Answers.com Answers.com

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 http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Rankin/Bassworks, the Cartoon_Network_(US) and Production_I.Gseries IGPXor http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/ÅŒban_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.[Wikipedia:Citation_needed]

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?").Answers.comHowever, in casual usage the word also appears as a Count_noun. Anime can also be used as a Suppletive Adjectiveor classifier noun ("The anime Guyver:_The_Bioboosted_Armoris different from the movie The_Guyver").

SynonymsEnglish-speakers occasionally refer to anime as "Japanimation", but this term has fallen into disuse. "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.Answers.comIn general, the term now only appears in nostalgic contexts.Answers.comSince "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.Answers.com

In Japan, "Manga" can refer to both animation and comics. Among English speakers, "manga" has the stricter meaning of "Japanese comics", in parallel to the usage of "anime" in and outside of Japan. The term "Ani-manga" is used to describe comics produced from animation cels.Answers.com

Visual characteristicsFile:Modernanime.jpg File:Modernanime.jpg

Anime artists use many distinct visual styles.

Many commentators refer to anime as an Art_form.Answers.comAs 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)or Jin-Rohtake much more realistic approaches, featuring few stylistic exaggerations; PokÃ©monuses drawings which specifically do not distinguish the nationality of characters.Answers.com

While different titles and different artists have their own artistic styles, many stylistic elements have become so common that people[Wikipedia:Avoid_weasel_words] 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, http://wiki.answers.com/w/index.php?title=Speed_line&action=edit&redlink=1and onomatopoeic, exclamatory typography."Answers.com

The influences of Japanese_calligraphyand Japanese_paintingalso characterize linear qualities of the anime style. The round Ink_brushtraditionally used for writing Kanjiand 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 designProportions

Body proportions emulated in anime come from proportions of the human body. The height of the head is considered by the artist 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 around nine heads tall.Answers.com

Variations to proportion can be modded by the artist. Super_deformedcharacters feature a non-proportionally small body compared to the head. Sometimes specific body parts, like legs, are shortened or elongated for added emphasis. Most super deformed characters are two to four heads tall. Some anime works like Crayon_Shin-chancompletely disregard these proportions, such that they resemble Western cartoons. For exaggeration, certain body features are increased in proportion.Answers.com

Eye styles

Many anime and Mangacharacters feature large Eye. 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.Answers.com Answers.comTezuka found that large eyes style allowed his characters to show emotions distinctly. When Tezuka began drawing Princess_Knight, 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.Answers.com Answers.comCultural anthropologist Matt_Thornargues that Japanese animators and audiences do not perceive such stylized eyes as inherently more or less foreign.Answers.com

However, not all anime have large eyes. For example, some of the work of Hayao_Miyazakiand http://wiki.answers.com/w/index.php?title=Toshiro_Kawamoto&action=edit&redlink=1are known for having realistically proportioned eyes, as well as realistic hair colors on their characters.Answers.comIn addition many other productions also have been known to use smaller eyes. This design tends to have more resemblance to traditional Japanese art.[Wikipedia:No_original_research] Some characters have even smaller eyes, where simple black dots are used. However, many western audiences associate anime with large detailed eyes.[Wikipedia:Citation_needed]

Facial expressionsSee also: Manga_iconography

Anime characters may employ a variety of predetermined facial expressions to denote moods and thoughts.Answers.comThese techniques are often different in form than their counterparts in western animation, and they include a fixed iconography that's used as shorthand for certain emotions and moods.Answers.com

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 Malletfrom nowhere and strike another character with it, mainly for the sake of Slapstickcomedy. Male characters will develop a Bloody_nosearound their female love interests (typically to indicate arousal, which is a play on an Old_wives'_tale).Answers.comEmbarrassed or stressed characters either produce a massive Manga_iconography(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. Characters who want to childishly taunt someone may pull an Akanbeface (by pulling an eyelid down with a finger to expose the red underside). Characters may also have large "X" eyes to show a knockout, or in some cases, even illness. This is typically used for comedic purposes.

Animation techniqueMain article: Animation

Like all Animation, the production processes of Storyboard, Voice_acting, character design, cel production and so on still apply. With improvements in computer technology, Computer_animationincreased 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.Answers.comMany 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.Answers.comFor example, anime often puts emphasis on changing seasons, as can be seen in numerous anime, such as http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Tenchi_Muyo!. Sometimes actual settings have been duplicated into an anime. The backgrounds for the The_Melancholy_of_Haruhi_Suzumiya_(anime)are based on various locations within the suburb of Nishinomiya,_Hyogo, Japan.Answers.com

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).Answers.comDirectors can also choose camera effects within Cinematography, such as panning, zooming, facial closeup, and panoramic.Answers.com

The large majority of anime uses Traditional_animation, which better allows for Division_of_labor, 12_basic_principles_of_animationapproach and checking of drawings before they are shot - practices favoured by the anime industry.Answers.comOther mediums are mostly limited to independently made Short_subject,Answers.comexamples of which are the Silhouette_animationand other Cutout_animationof NoburÅ_ÅŒfuji,Answers.com Answers.comthe Stop_motionpuppet animation of Tadahito_Mochinaga, KihachirÅ_KawamotoAnswers.comand http://wiki.answers.com/w/index.php?title=Tomoyasu_Murata&action=edit&redlink=1 Answers.comand the Computer_animationof http://wiki.answers.com/w/index.php?title=Satoshi_Tomioka&action=edit&redlink=1 Answers.com(most famously Usavich).Answers.com

DistributionSee 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".Answers.comAnime has also had commercial success in Asia, Europe and Latin America, where anime has become more mainstream than in the United States. For example, the Saint_Seiyavideo 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_industryof anime outside Japan. Licensed anime is modified by distributors through Dubbing_(filmmaking) into the language of the country and adding language subtitles to the Japanese language track. Using a similar Regional_lockoutas Hollywood, the world is divided into Anime_industry.

Some Re-edited_filmof cultural references may occur to better follow the references of the non-Japanese culture.Answers.comCertain 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 Narutoand Cartoon_Network Adult_Swimprogramming block, both of which employ minor edits.[Wikipedia:Citation_needed] Robotechand Star_Blazerswere 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, 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), typically unedited. Anime edited for television is usually released on DVD "uncut", with all scenes intact.

Some fans add subtitles to anime on their own and distribute the episodes. These are known as Fansub. Often, people will collect these fansubs and upload them to websites which they also put advertisements on so as to earn money, which violates Copyrightlaws in many countries. The ethical implications of 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_Factoryrequested that no fansubs of their material be made, which was respected by the fansub community.Answers.comIn another instance, Bandai specifically thanked fansubbers for their role in helping to make The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya popular in the English speaking world.Answers.com

The Internethas 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.Answers.comAs the Internet gained more widespread use, Internet advertising revenues grew from 1.6 billion yen to over 180 billion yen between 1995 and 2005.Answers.com

BroadcastingSee also: Television_in_Japan

See also: UHF_anime

TV networks regularly broadcast anime programming. In Japan, major national TV networks, such as TV_Tokyobroadcast anime regularly. Smaller regional stations broadcast anime under the UHF_anime. In the United States, cable TV channels such as Cartoon_Network_(United_States), The_Walt_Disney_Company, Syfy, and others dedicate some of their timeslots to anime. Some, such as the Anime_Networkand the FUNimation_Channel, specifically show anime. Sony-based Animaxand Disney's Jetixchannel broadcast anime within many countries in the world. AnimeCentralsolely broadcasts anime in the UK.

Influence on world cultureAnime has become commercially profitable in western countries, as early commercially successful western adaptations of anime, such as Astro_Boy, have revealed.Answers.comThe phenomenal success of Nintendo'smulti-billion United_States_dollarPokÃ©monfranchiseAnswers.comwas helped greatly by the PokÃ©mon_(anime) 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. Anime dramatically exposed more Westerners to the culture of Japan. Aside from anime, other facets of Japanese culture increased in popularity.Answers.comWorldwide, the number of people studying Japanese increased. In 1984, the Japanese_Language_Proficiency_Testwas devised to meet increasing demand.Answers.com Anime-influenced_animationrefers to non-Japanese works of animation that emulate the visual style of anime.Answers.comMost 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, as in the case of Avatar:_The_Last_Airbender. Often, production crews either are fans of anime or are required to view anime.Answers.comSome creators cite anime as a source of inspiration with their own series.Answers.com Answers.comFurthermore, a French production team for http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/ÅŒban_Star-Racersmoved to Tokyo to collaborate with a Japanese production team from Hal_Film_Maker.Answers.comCritics and the general anime fanbase do not consider them as anime.Answers.com

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", 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_conventionbegan 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_conventionsacross the Americas, Asia, and Europe.Answers.comMany 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_clubhave become prevalent in colleges, high schools, and community centers as a way to publicly exhibit anime as well as broadening Culture_of_Japancultural understanding.Answers.com

Anime and American audiencesThe 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 PokÃ©monand Dragon_Ballprovided a pivotal introduction of anime's conventions, animation methods, and Shintoinfluences 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 http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Tenchi_Muyo!might not understand that the pleated ropes wrapped around the "space trees" are influenced by the ancient legend of Amaterasu and Susano.Answers.com

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