Anime (US: /ˈænəˌmeɪ/, UK: /ˈænɪˌmeɪ/)[1] (Japanese: アニメ, Hepburn: anime, [aɲime] (About this
soundlisten), plural: anime)[a] is hand-drawn and computer animation originating from Japan. The word
anime is the Japanese term for animation, which refers to all forms of animated media.[2] Outside Japan,
anime refers specifically to animation from Japan or as a Japanese-disseminated animation style often
characterized by colorful graphics, vibrant characters and fantastical themes.[3][4] The culturally abstract
approach to the word's meaning may open up the possibility of anime produced in countries other than
Japan.[5][6][7] Many Westerners strictly view anime as a Japanese animation product.[4] Some scholars
suggest defining anime as specifically or quintessentially Japanese may be related to a new form of
Orientalism.[8]
The earliest commercial Japanese animation dates to 1917, and Japanese anime production has since
continued to increase steadily. The characteristic anime art style emerged in the 1960s with the works of
Osamu Tezuka and spread internationally in the late 20th century, developing a large domestic and
international audience. Anime is distributed theatrically, by way of television broadcasts, directly to
home media, and over the Internet. It is classified into numerous genres targeting diverse broad and
niche audiences.
Anime is a diverse art form with distinctive production methods and techniques that have been adapted
over time in response to emergent technologies. It combines graphic art, characterization,
cinematography, and other forms of imaginative and individualistic techniques.[9] The production of
anime focuses less on the animation of movement and more on the realism of settings as well as the use
of camera effects, including panning, zooming, and angle shots. Being hand-drawn, anime is separated
from reality by a crucial gap of fiction that provides an ideal path for escapism that audiences can
immerse themselves into with relative ease.[9] Diverse art styles are used, and character proportions
and features can be quite varied, including characteristically large or realistically sized emotive eyes.
The anime industry consists of over 430 production studios, including major names like Studio Ghibli,
Gainax, and Toei Animation. Despite comprising only a fraction of Japan's domestic film market, anime
makes up a majority of Japanese DVD and Blu-ray sales. It has also seen international success after the
rise of English-dubbed and subbed programming. This rise in international popularity has resulted in
non-Japanese productions using the anime art style. Whether these works are anime-influenced
animation or proper anime is a subject for debate amongst fans.[10] Japanese anime accounted for 60%
of the world's animated television shows as of 2016.[11] In 2015, the 44th President of the United
States, Barack Obama, referred to anime as one of the loved ones of American youth.[12][13]
