EXPLORING ANIME

An overview of some aspects of Japanese animation.

This short introduction to anime, like the genre itself, diverges in many directions. Six chapters highlight aspects of the industry, beginning with “The Anime Renaissance,” a chapter establishing the contemporary context of Japanese animation. The author argues that anime is central to Japanese culture; the robot cat Doraemon holds an official government position as “anime ambassador.” Internationally, the streaming service Crunchyroll has played a huge part in bringing anime to viewers outside Japan. Later chapters explore stylistic features of anime, the world of anime voice acting, anime’s influence on international animation culture, cosplay, and 2.5D adaptations of animated shows as live-action plays. The final chapter on fan culture centers on the ongoing popularity of Pokémon video games and trading cards and the growing worldwide demand for licensed character merchandise. Overall, this work feels incomplete, and the audience is unclear. There are curiosity-inducing points that will encourage deeper research, but for an introductory reference guide, it assumes more knowledge than readers new to the topic may have and lacks the robust historical perspective and artistic analysis that would make it a stronger resource. Each chapter is loosely organized; end-of-chapter summaries would have supported greater comprehension of the material. For young anime fans, this work only scratches the surface.

Full of fun facts and interesting statistics, but a neither cohesive nor easily navigable read.