Editing Anime

[[File:Japantoday-com-sazae-san-guinness.jpg|thumb|''Sazae-san'' set a Guinness World Record for longest-running at over 2200 episodes back in 2013.]]
[[File:Astro_Boy_original.jpg|thumb|''Astro Boy'' is an early recognizable anime from the 1960s.]]
{{translation|'''Anime'''|アニメ}}, <span style="color:gray;">an abbreviated Japanese pronunciation of "animation", pronounced in Japanese</span>, is [[Wikipedia:Animation|animation]] originating in Japan. For a long time, the rest of the world regarded ''anime'' as "Japanese animation",<ref>[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anime anime - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> but lately the terms have become interchangeable. Anime originated around about 1917.<ref name="anime1917">[https://web.archive.org/web/20080417024443/http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20080328TDY03102.htm "Old anime discovered, restored"] archive (17-Apr-2008) of [http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20080328TDY03102.htm original], ''Daily Yomiuri Online.'' March 28, 2008.</ref>

Anime, like [[manga]] (Japanese comics), is extremely popular in Japan and well known throughout the world. Distributors can release anime via television broadcasts, directly to [[Original video animation|video]], or theatrically, as well as [[Original net animation|online]].  

Both hand-drawn and [[Wikipedia:Computer animation|computer animated]] ([[CG]]) anime exist. It is used in television series, [[film]]s, video, video [[game]]s, commercials, and internet-based releases, and represents most, if not all, genres of fiction.

== History ==
Anime began at the start of the 20th century, when Japanese filmmakers experimented with the animation techniques also pioneered in France, Germany, the United States, and Russia.<ref name="manga!">{{cite book |last=Schodt |first=Frederik L. | title=Manga! Manga!: The World of Japanese Comics |publisher=[[Kodansha]] International |date=Reprint edition (August 18, 1997) |location =ToKyo, Japan |isbn= 0-87011-752-1 }}</ref>
The oldest known anime in existence was screened in 1917 - a two minute clip of a samurai trying to test a new sword on his target, only to suffer defeat.<ref>[http://imprinttalk.com/?p=1557 "Japan’s oldest animation films,"] ''ImprintTALK.'' March 31, 2008; {{cite web | url = http://www.hdrjapan.com/japan/japan-news/historic-91%11year%11old-anime-discovered-in-osaka// | title = Historic 91-year-old anime discovered in Osaka | publisher = HDR Japan | date = 2008-03-30 | accessdate = 2008-05-12}}</ref> The first talkie anime was ''Chikara to Onna no Yo no Naka'', released in 1933.<ref name="animeguide">{{cite book |title=Anime: A Guide to Japanese Animation (1958-1988) |last=Baricordi |first=Andrea |coauthors=de Giovanni, Massimiliano; Pietroni, Andrea; Rossi, Barbara; Tunesi, Sabrina |date=December 2000 |publisher=[[Protoculture Inc.]] |location=Montreal, Quebec, Canada |isbn=2-9805759-0-9 |page= 12}}</ref><ref name="kodanasha1993">{{cite book |title=Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia |year=1993 |publisher=[[Kodansha]] |location=Tokyo, Japan |isbn=9784062064897 |page= |pages= }}</ref>

By the 1930s, animation became an alternative format of storytelling to the underdeveloped live-action industry in Japan. Unlike in the United States, the live-action industry in Japan remained a small market and suffered from budgeting, location, and casting restrictions. The lack of Western-looking actors, for example, made it next to impossible to shoot films set in Europe, America, or fantasy worlds that do not naturally involve Japan. Animation allowed artists to create any characters and settings.<ref name="manga characters look white">{{cite web|title=Do Manga Characters Look "White"?|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20060517194357sh_re_/www.matt-thorn.com/mangagaku/faceoftheother.html <!-- ([[Internet Archive]] backup) --> | dateformat = mdy | accessdate = December 11 2005 }}
</ref>

The success of Disney's 1937 feature film ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' influenced Japanese [[animator]]s.<ref>
{{cite web|url=http://www.corneredangel.com/amwess/papers/history.html|title=A Brief History of Anime|year=1999|accessdate=2007-09-11|work=Michael O'Connell, Otakon 1999 Program Book}}</ref>
In the 1960s, [[Osamu Tezuka]] adapted and simplified many Disney animation techniques to reduce costs and number of frames in the production. 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]]—which were often later animated—especially those of [[Osamu Tezuka]], who has been called a "legend"<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200605110157.html| archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20060520053910/http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200605110157.html| archivedate=2006-05-20| title = 5 missing manga pieces by Osamu Tezuka found in U.S.| accessdate = 2006-08-29| last = Ohara| first = Atsushi| authorlink = | coauthors = Asahi Shimbun| date = May 11, 2006| publisher = Asahi.com}}</ref> and the "god of manga".<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.abcb.com/ency/t/tezuka_osamu.htm| title = Dr. Osamu Tezuka| accessdate = 2006-08-29| date = 2000-03-14| work = The Anime Encyclopedia| publisher = The Anime Café}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.paulgravett.com/articles/006_tezuka/006_tezuka.htm| title = Osamu Tezuka: The God of Manga| accessdate = 2006-08-29| last = Gravett| first = Paul|year = 2003}}</ref> His work and that of other pioneers in the field, inspired characteristics and genres that are fundamental elements of anime today. The giant robot genre (known as "[[Mecha]]" outside Japan), for instance, took shape under Tezuka, developed into the Super Robot genre under Go Nagai and others, and was revolutionized at the end of the decade by Yoshiyuki Tomino who developed the Real Robot genre. Robot anime like the ''[[Gundam]]'' and ''Macross'' series 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 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 in the 2000s.

== Terminology ==
Japanese write the English term "animation" in ''katakana'' as アニメーション (''animēshon,''), and the term anime (アニメ) emerged in the 1970s as an abbreviation, though some state that the word derives from the French phrase ''dessin animé''.<ref name="manga!" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=anime|title=Etymology Dictionary Reference: Anime|date=|accessdate=2007-09-13|work=Etymonline}}</ref>
Both the original and abbreviated forms are valid and interchangeable in Japanese, but the shorter form is more commonly used.

The pronunciation of ''anime'' in Japanese, differs significantly from the Standard English, which has different vowels and stress. (In Japanese each mora carries equal stress.) As with a few other Japanese words such as ''saké'', ''[[Pokémon]]'', and ''Kobo Abé,'' ''anime'' is sometimes spelled ''animé'' in English (as in French), with an acute accent over the final ''e'', to cue the reader that the letter is pronounced, not silent as English orthography might suggest.

=== Word usage ===
In Japan, the term does not specify an animation's nation of origin or style; instead, it serves as a blanket term to refer to all forms of animation from around the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art4260.asp|title=What is Anime?|date=|publisher=Bellaonline|accessdate=2007-10-28|work=Lesley Aeschliman}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/__data/page/9842/Tezuka_Kit_1.pdf|format=PDF|title=Tezuka: The Marvel of Manga - Education Kit|year=2007|publisher=Art Gallery New South Wales|accessdate=2007-10-28|work=}}</ref>
In English, dictionary sources define ''anime'' as "a Japanese style of motion-picture animation" or "a style of animation developed in Japan".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/anime|title=Anime Dictionary Definition|accessdate=2006-10-09|work=Dictionary.com}}</ref> 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 are co-productions with non-Japanese companies, such as most of the traditionally animated Rankin/Bass works, the Cartoon Network and [[Production I.G]] series ''IGPX'' or ''[[Ōban Star-Racers]]''; different viewers may or may not considered these anime.

In English, ''anime'', when used as a common noun, normally functions as a mass noun ("Do you watch anime?", "How much anime have you collected?").<ref>American Heritage Dictionary, 4th ed.; Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1).</ref> However, in casual usage, the word also appears as a count noun. ''Anime'' can also be used as a suppletive adjective or classifier noun ("The anime ''Guyver'' is different from the movie ''Guyver''").

=== Synonyms ===

English-speakers occasionally refer to anime as '''Japanimation''', but this term has fallen into disuse.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/lexicon.php?id=46|title=ANN: Japanimation|date=|publisher=Anime News Network|accessdate=2007-11-11|work=}}</ref> ''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.<ref name="bookref2">{{cite book|last=Patten|first=Fred|title=Watching Anime, Reading Manga: 25 Years of Essays and Reviews|publisher=Stone Bridge Press|year=2004|isbn=1880656922}}</ref> In general, the term now only appears in nostalgic contexts.<ref name="bookref2" /> Although the term was coined outside Japan to refer to animation imported from Japan, it is now used primarily ''in'' Japan, to refer to domestic animation; since ''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.<ref name="bookref2" />

In Japan, manga can additionally refer to both animation and comics (although the use of ''manga'' to refer to animation is mostly restricted to non-fans). Among English speakers, manga usually has the stricter meaning of "Japanese comics". An alternate explanation is that it is due to the prominence of Manga Entertainment, a distributor of anime to the US and UK markets. Because Manga Entertainment originated in the UK the use of the term is common outside of Japan. The term "animanga" has been used to collectively refer to anime and manga, though it is also a term used to describe comics produced from animation cels.

== Visual characteristics ==
Many commentators refer to anime as an art form.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.animenation.net/news/askjohn.php?id=1292|title=Ask John: Do Japanese Viewers Treat Anime Shows as Fads?|date=2006-04-07|publisher=AnimeNation|accessdate=2008-01-23|work=Ask John}}</ref> As a visual medium, it naturally places a large emphasis on visual styles. The styles can vary from artist to artist or by studio to studio. Some titles make extensive use of common stylization: ''[[FLCL]]'', for example, is known for its wild, exaggerated stylization. In contrast, titles such as ''Only Yesterday'' or ''[[Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade]]'' take much more realistic approaches, featuring few stylistic exaggerations.

While different titles and different artists have their own artistic styles, many stylistic elements have become so common that they are described as being 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 are "exaggerated physical features such as large eyes, big hair and elongated limbs... and dramatically shaped speech bubbles, speed lines and onomatopoeic, exclamatory typography."<ref>[http://search.japantimes.co.jp/print/fl20060528x1.html Japan Times]. Retrieved February 6, 2008.</ref>
The influences of Japanese calligraphy and Japanese painting also characterize linear qualities of the anime style. The round Ink brush traditionally used for writing Kanji and for painting produces a stroke of widely varying thickness.

Anime also tends to borrow many elements from [[manga]] including text in the background, and borrowing panel layouts from the manga as well. For example, an opening may employ manga panels to tell the story, or to dramatize a point for humorous effect. This is best demonstrated in the anime ''[[Kare Kano]]''.

=== Character design ===
Body proportions emulated in anime come from the human anatomy. The height of the head is considered 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.<ref name="headheight">{{cite web|url=http://animeworld.com/howtodraw/bodies1.html|title=Body Proportion|accessdate=2007-08-16|work=Akemi's Anime World}}</ref>

Variations to proportion can be modded. Super deformed characters feature a non-proportionally small body compared to the head. Sometimes specific body parts, like legs, are shortened or elongated for added emphasis. Mostly super deformed characters are two to four heads tall. Some anime works like ''[[Crayon Shin-chan]]'' completely disregard these proportions. It is enough such that it resembles a Western cartoon. For exaggeration, certain body features are increased in proportion.<ref name="headheight" />

A common approach is the large eyes style drawn on many anime and [[manga]] characters. 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''.<ref name="manga!" /><ref name="Dreamland">{{cite book |last=Schodt |first=Frederik L. | title=Dreamland Japan: Writings on Modern Manga |publisher=Stone Bridge Press |year=1996 |location=Berkeley, California |isbn=1-8806562-3-X }}</ref> Tezuka 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.biorust.com/tutorials/detail/141/en/|title=Basic Anime Eye Tutorial|accessdate=2007-08-22|work=Centi, Biorust.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyJ9yfYl_Fc|title=How to color anime eye (YouTube)|date=2007-06-06|accessdate=2007-08-22|work=Carlus}}</ref> Cultural anthropologist Matt Thorn argues that Japanese animators and audiences do not perceive such stylized eyes as inherently more or less foreign.<ref name="manga characters look white"/>

However, not all anime have large eyes. For example, some of the work of Hayao Miyazaki and Toshiro Kawamoto are known for not having realistically proportioned eyes, as well as realistic hair colors on their characters.<ref name="companion">{{cite book |last=Poitras |first=Gilles | title=Anime Companion |publisher=Stone Bridge Press |year=1998 |location =Berkeley, California |isbn=ISBN 1-880656-32-9 }}</ref> In addition many other productions also have been known to use smaller eyes. This design tends to have more resemblance to traditional Japanese art. Some characters have even smaller eyes, where simple black dots are used.

Anime characters may employ a wide variety of facial expressions to denote moods and thoughts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mangatutorials.com/tut/expressions.htm|title=Manga Tutorials: Emotional Expressions|accessdate=2008-08-22|work=Rio}}</ref> These techniques are often different in form than their counterparts in western animation.

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 "stressmark" effect, where lines representing bulging veins will appear on their forehead. Angry women will sometimes summon a mallet from nowhere and strike someone with it, leading to the concept of Hammerspace and cartoon physics. Male characters will develop a bloody nose around their female love interests (typically to indicate arousal, based on an old wives' tale).<ref name="bloody">{{cite web|url=http://www.umich.edu/~anime/info_emotions.html|title=Emotional Iconography in Animae|author=University of Michigan Animae Project|date=Current}}</ref> Embarrassed characters either produce a massive sweat-drop (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. Some anime, usually with political plots and other more serious subject matters, have abandoned the use of these techniques.

===Animation technique===
Like all [[Wikipedia:Animation|animation]], the production processes of [[Wikipedia:Storyboard|storyboard]]ing, voice acting, character design, cel production and so on still apply. With improvements in computer technology, [[Wikipedia:Computer animation|computer animation]] increased the efficiency of the whole production process.

Anime is often considered a form of [[Wikipedia:Limited animation|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.<ref name="manga!" /> Many 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.<ref name="manga!" /> For example, anime often puts emphasis on changing seasons, as can be seen in numerous anime, such as ''Tenchi Muyo!''. Sometimes actual settings have been duplicated into an anime. The backgrounds for ''the'' ''Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya'' are based on various locations within the suburb of Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://infinitemirai.wordpress.com/2012/04/27/nishinomiya-hyogo-home-of-the-melancholy-of-suzumiya-haruhi/|title=Reference pictures to actual places|accessdate=2007-01-25}}</ref>

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.<ref name="production">{{cite web|url=http://www.huitula.com/productionIG2_page2.htm|title=Anime production process - feature film|year=2000|accessdate=2007-08-27|work=PRODUCTION I.G}}</ref> Directors can also choose camera effects within cinematography, such as panning, zooming, facial closeup, and panoramic.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.understandinganime.com/cinematography.php|title=Cinematography: Looping and Animetion Techniques |year=1999|accessdate=2007-08-29|work=Understanding Anime}}</ref>

The large majority of anime uses traditional animation, which better allows for the division of labour, pose to pose approach and checking of drawings before they are shot favoured by the industry.<ref name="Jouvanceau2004">{{cite book
 | last = Jouvanceau
 | first = Pierre
 | authorlink = Pierre Jouvanceau
 | coauthors = Clare Kitson (translator)
 | title = The Silhouette Film
 | publisher = [[Le Mani]]
 | year = 2004
 | location = Genoa
 | pages = 103,
 | url = http://www.heeza.fr/description.php?lang=2&path=64&sort=Article&page=0&id=296
 | doi =
 | id =
 | isbn = 88-8012-299-1}}
</ref> Other mediums are mostly limited to independently-made short films,<ref name="Sharp2003">{{cite web
 | last = Sharp
 | first = Jasper
 | authorlink = Jasper Sharp
 | title = Beyond Anime: A Brief Guide to Experimental Japanese Animation
 | work = Midnight Eye
 | publisher =
 | year = 2003
 | url = http://www.midnighteye.com/features/beyond_anime.shtml
 | doi =
 | accessdate = 2008-07-21}}</ref> examples of which are the silhouette and other cutout animation of Noburo Ofuji,<ref name="Jouvanceau2004"/><ref name="Cinémathèque2008">{{cite web
 | last =
 | first =
 | authorlink =
 | title = Tribute to Noburo Ofuji
 | work = To the Source of Anime: Japanese Animation
 | publisher = Cinémathèque québécoise
 | year = 2008
 | url = http://www.cinematheque.qc.ca/animation_japonaise.pdf
 |format=PDF| doi =
 | accessdate = 2008-07-21}}</ref> the stop motion puppet animation of Tadahito Mochinaga, Kihachirō Kawamoto<ref name="Sharp2004">{{cite web
 | last = Sharp
 | first = Jasper
 | authorlink = Jasper Sharp
 | title = Interview with Kihachirō Kawamoto
 | work = Midnight Eye
 | publisher =
 | year = 2004
 | url = http://www.midnighteye.com/interviews/kihachiro_kawamoto.shtml
 | doi =
 | accessdate = 2008-07-21}}</ref> and Tomoyasu Murata<ref>{{cite web
 | last = Hotes
 | first = Catherine
 | authorlink = Catherine Munroe Hotes
 | title = Tomoyasu Murata and Company
 | work = Midnight Eye
 | publisher =
 | year = 2008
 | url = http://www.midnighteye.com/features/tomoyasu-murata-and-company.shtml
 | doi =
 | accessdate = 2008-07-21}}</ref> and the computer animation of Satoshi Tomioka<ref>{{cite book
 | last = Walters
 | first = Helen
 | authorlink = Helen Walters
 | coauthors =
 | title = Animation Unlimited: Innovative Short Films Since 1940
 | publisher = Laurence King
 | year = 2004
 | location = London
 | pages =
 | url = http://lib.leeds.ac.uk/record=b2662684
 | doi =
 | id =
 | isbn = 18-5669-346-5}}</ref> (most famously ''Usavich'').<ref>{{cite web
 | last =
 | first =
 | authorlink =
 | title = Works
 | work = KANABAN-Web
 | publisher = Kanaban Graphics
 | year = 2008
 | url = http://www.kanaban.com/html/Kanaban_E.html
 | doi =
 | accessdate = 2008-07-21}}</ref>

== Sources and inspiration ==
* Audio dramas
* Folklore, myths, and legends
* [[Games]]
* History
* [[Light novel]]s
* [[Manga]] / [[manhua]] / [[manhwa]]
* Movies
* Music
* Toys
* TV shows
* [[Webtoon]]s / [[wikipedia:webcomic|Web comic]]s (web manhwa)
* [[Web novel]]s

== Creation and production ==
=== Pre-production ===
{{Sectionstub}}
;Targeting
Planners often start off with a target demographic:
* [[Shōnen]], or tween to teenage boys, is the most popular
* [[Seinen]], for older males, has been gaining popularity recently
* [[Shōjo]], or tween to teenage girls, is historically the second most known demographic which includes most of the very popular "magical girl" series
* [[Kodomo]], or kids usually younger than tween, is actually the most popular demographic in Japan, but just not exported much overseas
* [[Josei]], for older females, is sadly probably the lease popular, but has some very good anime

;Conceptualization
Most importantly, planners need to decide what kind of story they want to tell. Is it based on:
* Existing print media ([[light novel]]s, [[manga]], novels, etc.)
* Digital media ([[web manga]], [[web novel]]s, social media comics, etc.)
* [[Games]] (card/board games, console/PC games, mobile games, etc.)
* Music (music videos, promotion, mixed media for live events, etc.)
* [[Toys]] (usually figures or mecha, but can include stuff like animals, cars, trains, or even buildings)
* Advertising or business (print media promotional videos, commercial product tie-ins, mixed media commercials, corporate event or training, etc.)
* Lastly, sometimes original stories result in anime, sometimes as a spinoff of an existing source or written right before or sometimes even in parallel with the anime. Original stories are often driven by a writer/director or a mixed media project.

;Production committee
...

;Raising funds
...

=== Design and prototyping phase ===
{{Sectionstub}}

=== Animation phase ===
{{Sectionstub}}

=== Sound and adjustment phase ===
{{Sectionstub}}

=== Finalizing and promotion ===
{{Sectionstub}}

=== Localization and further distribution ===
{{Sectionstub}}

=== Physical media ===
{{Sectionstub}}

== Distribution ==
{{seealso|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]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118851157811713921.html?mod=googlenews_wsj|title=Manga Mania|date=2007-08-31|accessdate=2007-08-31|work=Bianca Bosker (Wall Street Journal)}}</ref> Anime has also been a commercial success in Asia, Europe and Latin America, where anime has become even more mainstream than in the United States. For example, the ''[[Saint Seiya]]'' video 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 industry|licensing and distribution]] of anime beyond Japan. Licensed anime is modified by distributors through [[dubbing]] into the language of the country and adding language subtitles to the Japanese language track. Using a similar [[Wikipedia:Regional lockout|global distribution pattern]] as [[Wikipedia:Hollywood, Los Angeles, California|Hollywood]], the world is divided into [[Anime industry|five regions]].

Some [[Wikipedia:Re-edited film|editing]] of cultural references may occur to better follow the references of the non-Japanese culture.<ref>[http://w3.salemstate.edu/~poehlkers/Emerson/Pokemon.html Pokemon Case Study<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Certain companies may remove any objectionable content, complying with domestic law. This editing process was far more prevalent in the past (e.g. ''[[Robotech]]''), 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 ''[[Naruto]]'' and [[Cartoon Network]]'s [[Adult Swim]] programming block, both of which employ minor edits.{{Fact|date=August 2007}}

With the advent of [[Wikipedia:DVD|DVD]], it became possible to include multiple language tracks into a simple product. This was not the case with [[Wikipedia:VHS|VHS cassette]], 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 [[subtitles]], typically unedited. Anime edited for television is usually released on DVD "uncut", with all scenes intact.

TV networks regularly broadcast anime programming. In Japan, major national TV networks, such as [[TV Tokyo]] broadcast anime regularly. Smaller regional stations broadcast anime under the [[UHF]]. In the United States, cable TV channels such as [[Cartoon Network]], [[Disney]], [[Sci Fi Channel|Sci-Fi]], and others dedicate some of their timeslots to anime. Some, such as the [[Anime Network]] and the [[FUNimation Channel]], specifically show anime. [[Sony]]-based [[Animax]] and Disney's [[Jetix]] channel broadcast anime within many countries in the world. [[AnimeCentral]] solely broadcasts anime in the UK.

Although it violates [[copyright]] laws in many countries, some fans add subtitles to anime on their own. These are distributed as [[fansub]]s. The ethical implications of producing, 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 Factory]] requested that no fansubs of their material be made, which was respected by the fansub community.<ref>{{cite web|title=Anxious times in the cartoon underground|work=CNet|url=http://news.cnet.com/Anxious-times-in-the-cartoon-underground/2100-1026_3-5557177.html | accessdate=2007-09-06|date=2005-02-01}}</ref> In another instance, Bandai specifically thanked fansubbers for their role in helping to make ''The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya'' popular in the English speaking world.<ref>{{cite web | title=Adventures of the ASOS Brigade Episode 00: Made by Fans for Fans | work= | url=http://asosbrigade.com/ | accessdate=2006-12-23}}</ref>

The Internet has 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.<ref name="anime-internet">{{cite web|url=http://comipress.com/article/2006/07/20/489|title=100 Questions About Anime & Manga Overseas|date=2006-07-20|accessdate=2007-08-23|work=Comipress}}</ref> As the Internet gained more widespread use, Internet advertising revenues grew from 1.6 billion yen to over 180 billion yen between 1995 and 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.j-cast.com/2005/12/21000171.html|title=Free Anime: Providers Bear Losses to Build Business|date=2005-12-21|accessdate=2007-08-27|work=J-Cast Business News}}</ref>

== Influence on world culture ==
Anime has become commercially profitable in western countries, as early commercially successful western adaptations of anime, such as ''[[Astro Boy]]'', have revealed.<ref name="commercially successful">{{cite web | title = Progress Against the Law: Fan Distribution, Copyright, and the Explosive Growth of Japanese Animation | url = http://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/classes/6.805/student-papers/fall03-papers/Progress_Against_the_Law.html | dateformat = mdy | accessdate = May 1 2006 }}</ref><!-- This appears to be a student paper that was not peer reviewed or published in a journal or conference proceeding. --> The phenomenal success of Nintendo's multi-billion dollar ''[[Pokémon]]'' franchise<ref>{{cite news | title = Pokemon (sic) Franchise Approaches 150 Million Games Sold | url = http://sev.prnewswire.com/entertainment/20051004/LATU06404102005-1.html | publisher = PR Newswire | date = 2005-10-04|accessdate = 2006-09-16 }}</ref> was helped greatly by the spin-off anime series 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 particular interest towards Japan. Anime dramatically exposed more Westerners to the culture of Japan. Aside from anime, other facets of Japanese culture increased in popularity<!-- need better word -->.<ref>{{cite news | last = Faiola| first = Anthony| title = Japan's Empire of Cool| work = [[w:c:The Washington Post]]| page = A1| publisher = [http://www.washingtonpost.com/ Washington Post Company]|date=2003-12-27| url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A33261-2003Dec26?language=printer| accessdate = 2007-08-17 }}</ref> Worldwide, the number of people studying Japanese increased. In 1984, the Japanese Language Proficiency Test was devised to meet increasing demand.<ref>{{cite web |title=Introduction |publisher=The Japan Foundation |url=http://www.jlpt.jp/e/about/index.html |accessdate=2009-05-01}}</ref> Anime-influenced animation refers to non-Japanese works of animation that emulate the visual style of anime.<ref name="whatisanime">{{cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/editorial/2002-07-26|title=What is anime?|date=2002-07-26|accessdate=2007-08-18|work=ANN}}</ref> Most 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 anime physics, as in the case of ''Avatar: The Last Airbender''. Often, production crews either are fans of anime or are required to view anime.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scifi.com/sfw/anime/sfw12366.html|title=SciFi Channel Anime Review|accessdate=2006-10-16|work=SciFi}}</ref> Some creators cite anime as a source of inspiration with their own series.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ugo.com/ugo/html/article/?id=17924|title=Aaron McGruder - The Boondocks Interview|date=|accessdate=2007-10-14|work=Troy Rogers|publisher=UnderGroundOnline}}</ref><ref>[http://www.g4tv.com/screensavers/features/49962/Ten_Minutes_with_Megas_XLR.html], ''Ten Minutes with "Megas XLR"'', October 13, 2004</ref> Furthermore, a French production team for ''Ōban Star-Racers'' moved to Tokyo to collaborate with a Japanese production team from Hal Film Maker.<ref name="company">{{cite web|url=http://www.savtheworld.com/eng/company.php|title=''STW company background summary''}}</ref> Critics and the general anime fanbase do not consider them as anime.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.animenation.net/blog/2006/05/15/ask-john-how-should-the-word-anime-be-defined/|title=How should the word ''Anime'' be defined?|date=2006-05-15|accessdate=2008-09-26|work=AnimeNation}}</ref>

Some American animated television series have singled out anime styling with satirical intent, for example ''South Park'' (with "Chinpokomon" and "Good Times with Weapons"). ''South Park'' has a notable drawing style, which was itself parodied in "Brittle Bullet", 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 conventions began to appear in the early 1990s, during the Anime boom, starting with Anime Expo, Animethon, Otakon, and JACON. Currently anime conventions are held annually in various cities across the Americas, Asia, and Europe.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.animecons.com/events/|title=Convention Schedule|accessdate=2007-09-06|work=AnimeCons}}</ref> Many 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 clubs have become prevalent in colleges, high schools, and community centers as a was to publicly exhibit anime as well as broadening Japanese cultural understanding.<ref>[http://daily.stanford.edu/article/2002/5/21/animeAchievesGrowingPopularityAmongStanfordStudents Anime achieves growing popularity among Stanford students<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

== Anime and American audiences ==
The 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 also been lost 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 ''[[Pokémon]]'' and ''[[Dragon Ball Z]]'' provided a pivotal introduction of anime's conventions, animation methods, and Shinto influences to many American children. Because anime is highly influenced by ancient Japanese myths often deriving from the animistic nature worship of Shinto, most American audiences not accustomed to anime are wholly unfamiliar to 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 ''[[Tenchi Muyo!]]'' might not understand that the pleated ropes wrapped around the "space trees" are influenced by the ancient legend of ''Amaterasu and Susano''.<ref name="understanding1996">Levi, Antonia (1996). ''Samurai from Outer Space: Understanding Japanese Animation.'' Peru, Illinois: Open Court Publishing Company. ISBN 0-8126-9332-9</ref><!-- pages? -->

It is also important to note that the Western world abandoned their ancient pagan beliefs during the middle ages, whereas Shinto has remained relatively unchanged in modern Japanese culture. Because of this, Shinto has been able to provide over eight million deities and their surrounding folklore for anime creators to utilize. A Japanese audience is thus more aware of these Shinto influences since they have existed consistently throughout Japanese society. American media creators are often confined with the most popular or basic myths to draw upon. These cultural gaps limit anime's potential impact on its foreign audience, but as anime integrates into American pop-culture the newer generations will be more in tune with anime conventions and the ideals behind Shinto.

== Media ==
=== Videos ===
<gallery captionalign="center" position="center">
File:What_is_anime%3F
</gallery>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== See also ==
* [[Afrime]]
* [[Animation studio]]
* [[Animator]]
* [[Donghua]] (Chinese animation)
* [[Light novel]]
* [[Manga]]
** [[Manhwa]]
** [[Manhua]]
** [[WEBTOON]]
* [[Production committee]]

;Categories
* [[:Category:Anime company|Anime company]]
* [[:Category:Animation Studios|Animation Studios]]
* [[:Category:Animators|Animators]]

== External links ==
* {{wplink|icon=|Anime}}

;Related
* [https://animeco.link/ アニメ制作会社データベース] (in English: Anime production company database)
* [https://www.animemangastudies.com/ Anime and Manga Studies] - a site that highlights announcements and news relevant to the anime/manga studies community
* ''NHK'' - [https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/anime_manga/ ANIME MANGA EXPLOSION] TV show (every Sunday afternoon Japan time)

;Making of info
* ''Crunchyroll News'' - [https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-feature/2023/03/20-1/feature-how-is-anime-made FEATURE: How Is Anime Made?] by [https://www.crunchyroll.com/newsfeed/writer/ceicocat Cayla Coats]March 20, 2023 9:00am PDT
** ''Crunchyroll News'' - [https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-feature/2023/03/20-1/feature-what-is-anime-pre-production FEATURE: What is Anime Pre-Production?] by [https://www.crunchyroll.com/newsfeed/writer/ceicocat Cayla Coats] March 20, 2023 9:00am PDT
** ''Crunchyroll News'' - [https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-feature/2023/03/21-1/feature-learn-about-the-building-blocks-of-anime FEATURE: Learn About the Building Blocks of Anime] by [https://www.crunchyroll.com/newsfeed/writer/ceicocat Cayla Coats] March 21, 2023 10:02am PDT
** ''Crunchyroll News'' - [https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-feature/2023/03/22-1/feature-how-anime-gets-animated FEATURE: How Anime Gets Animated] by [https://www.crunchyroll.com/newsfeed/writer/ceicocat Cayla Coats]March 22, 2023 9:00am PDT

;News
* ''Kyodo News'' - [https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2024/04/413425dd9a4e-half-of-anime-industry-workers-log-over-225-monthly-hours-survey.html Half of anime industry workers log over 225 monthly hours: survey] by [https://english.kyodonews.net/kyodo_news KYODO NEWS] - Apr 5, 2024 - 11:25
* ''Anime Hunch'' - [https://animehunch.com/new-report-urges-japanese-governments-intervention-to-resolve-anime-industry-issues/ New Report Urges Japanese Government’s Intervention To Resolve Anime Industry Issues] By [https://animehunch.com/author/editorsdesk/ A.R. Madillo] January 17, 2024
* ''The Hollywood Reporter'' - [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/chinese-distributor-road-pictures-expands-into-anime-ip-business-1235624515/ Chinese Distributor Road Pictures Makes Major Expansion Into Anime IP Business (Exclusive)] BY [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/author/patrick-brzeski/ PATRICK BRZESKI] OCTOBER 23, 2023 3:15PM
* ''Anime News Network'' - [https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2023-05-04/veteran-producer-masao-maruyama-warns-of-anime-creative-decline/.197783 Veteran Producer Masao Maruyama Warns of Anime's Creative Decline] by Kim Morrissy 2023-05-04 13:45 EDT
* ''Anime News Network'' - [https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/convention/2023/anime-boston-what-its-like-to-work-in-anime/.196948 Anime Boston 2023: What It's Like to Work in Anime] by Reuben Baron, Apr 10th 2023
* ''Unseen Japan'' - [https://unseenjapan.com/anime-viewership-popularity-japan/ How Popular Is Anime In Japan, Really?] by Jay Allen, March 14, 2023
* ''Crunchyroll News'' - [https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-feature/2023/03/15/interview-stylist-alexander-julian-on-how-anime-inspires-fashion INTERVIEW: Stylist Alexander-Julian on How Anime Inspires Fashion] by [https://www.crunchyroll.com/newsfeed/writer/brichibi Briana Lawrence] March 15, 2023 8:00am PDT
* ''Anime News Network'' - [https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interview/2023-03-01/tonari-animation-ceo-on-which-innovations-will-help-the-anime-industry/.195203 Tonari Animation's CEO on Which Innovations Will Help the Anime Industry] by Lynzee Loveridge &amp; Kim Morrissy, Mar 1st 2023
* ''Anime News Network'' - [https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2023-02-01/anime-3-episode-rule-is-it-still-valid/.194157 Anime's 3-Episode Rule: Is It Still Valid?] by Jusuf Hatic, Feb 1st 2023
* ''Anime News Network'' - [https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2022-12-16/orientalism-and-occidentalism-in-anime/.191391 Orientalism & Occidentalism in Anime] by Eric Stimson, Dec 16th 2022
* ''No Film School'' - [https://nofilmschool.com/what-anime-definition-and-style What Is Anime? A Guide to the Definition and Style] By [https://nofilmschool.com/u/jasonhellerman Jason Hellerman] December 1, 2022
* ''Areo'' - [https://areomagazine.com/2022/02/21/the-best-and-worst-of-times-for-the-japanese-anime-industry/ The Best and Worst of Times for the Japanese Anime Industry] by [https://areomagazine.com/author/mgdelc/ Carlos Miguel del Callar] 21/02/2022
* ''Animation Magazine'' - [https://www.animationmagazine.net/anime/its-time-to-redefine-what-anime-encompasses/ It’s Time to Redefine What ‘Anime’ Encompasses] By [https://www.animationmagazine.net/author/charles-solomon/ Charles Solomon] January 21, 2022
* ''Kotaku'' - [https://kotaku.com/what-anime-means-1689582070 What "Anime" Means] By [https://kotaku.com/author/brianashcraft Brian Ashcraft] 5/18/21 7:30AM
[[Category:Terminology]]