What does the term "anime" mean?
Q: What does the term "anime" mean?
A: Anime is a Japanese word for 'animation'. It is used to refer to all animation in Japan, and outside of Japan it refers specifically to Japanese animation.
Q: How is anime typically produced?
A: Anime can be drawn by hand or made with CGI computer animation. It is often based on Japanese comics called manga and graphic novels.
Q: Where can anime be found?
A: Anime can be found on television, DVD, VHS, the Internet, and in video games. Some anime cartoons are movies that feature cartoon characters and animation instead of real people and places.
Q: When did the history of anime begin?
A: The history of anime began around 1900 when Japanese filmmakers experimented with ways of creating animation at the same time as other countries such as the United States, Russia, Germany and France.
Q: Who was an important figure in the development of anime?
A: Osamu Tezuka was an important figure in the development of anime who became very popular during this time period. He has been referred to as a "legend" and the "god of manga". He created many types of stories and styles that are common to modern day anime.
Q: What genre did Tezuka help create?
A: Tezuka helped create the giant robot genre (known as "mecha" outside Japan). Robot anime like Gundam and Macross became classics in the 1980s due to his influence.
Q: How do people living outside Japan watch translated versions of manga or anime?
A: Popular stories from manga or anime are often translated into other languages so that people who don't understand Japanese can still understand them. Sometimes these translations are done by companies while others may be done by individuals before a company translates it for public use.
