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Tha Anime Zone

So you ask, "What is anime?"

Anime (pronounced "annie may," "ah-nee may") is a loanword taken from English that is used to describe the medium known to the world as Japanese animation or Japanimation. This art form is very distinctive and quite different from other animation forms. It is also superior in a few respects.

Drawn from a uniquely Japanese perspective, anime reflects the style and attitude of its homeland. Just as there are differences between computer animation and claymation, so are there differences between anime and other animation forms. The Japanese tend to be meticulous animators, and like a lot of stuff made in Japan, their animation is top of the line.

Obviously one of anime's most distinguishing features is its artwork. Very lose attention is paid to detail. Facial features are sharply drawn and clear cut, and there's also that light reflecting characteristic of eyes that is very unique to anime. Nor is detail ignored in other aspects. Bodies, backgrounds, mecha (aircraft, transforming robots, really any kind of machinery) and other interesting objects are drawn with a high degree of detail that is visually imaginative and stimulating.

Anime also deals with subjects seldom seen in Western animation on a regular basis and in such a way that nothing else comes close. The Japanese view certain things in a different light, and as a result, anime reflects cultural attitudes. Material that Western animators would think more twice about touching is present in anime (e.g. graphic violence, profanity, sex), but within a reasonable context, depending on what kind of anime it is.

Then there's also the fact that anime is exotic. It's an overseas import that speaks a different language, displays a different perspective, and is drawn in a different style. Nothing else animated comes close to being what it is, nor can duplicate it. Anime has yet to emerge into the mainstream of mass public concsiousness, but it is out there, and inroads are being made. As more people become aware of and get into anime, the number of fans continues to increase.

Anime isn't "Japanese cartoons," which implies something immature and not to be taken seriously. Anime can be comical, but there is nothing cartoonish about it. Anime exists on such a higher level that it is only fitting and proper that it is referred to as animation. To be able to see anime for what it really is, one needs to ascend to a higher plane of thought and perception, and to recognize that anime is in a league all its own. Then can the term "Japanese animation" be fully realized.

For more background info on anime:

The Sub or Dub Controversy
I discuss the pros and cons of subtitled and dubbed anime.
The O.V.A./O.A.V.
You may have heard of it, but do you know what it means?
Otaku no Video
An introduction to anime's fan base.

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This web page is dedicated to Vladimir Raguindin and Alex Obello, who introduced me to the world of anime, and to Richard Rapanut, who introduced me to its dark side. With them, I have gone far. Without them, I don't know where I would be.

Ascend to Tha Nth Level.

This web site was created by

Nestor I. Nunez

Last updated November 11, 1997

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Ascend to Tha Nth Level.

This web site was created by

Nestor I. Nunez