The Wonderful World of Japanese Animation Table of Contents: What is Anime? What is Manga? What is Doujinshi? Where can I find Anime, Manga, and Doujinshi? Recommended Anime Dubbing vs Subbing About Yaoi and Shounen-ai Where can I find out more? What is Anime? Anime is the Japanese word for what we call Japanese animation or Japanimation. Very simply put, anime is a Japanese cartoon, though not in the way we normally think of cartoons here in the States. Anime is taken far more seriously in Japan and encompasses a wide variety of genres including: action, sci fi, western, romantic comedy, adventure, fantasy, slapstick, and adult themes. Anime can be aimed at children, adults, men, women, or all of the above. In contrast to American cartoons, Japanese anime is a much bigger business. There are as many anime series in Japan as sitcom series here, if not more. Anime mainly appears in half-hour televised episodes, though often are presented as a mini-series with several hour-long episodes. Some are stand-alone movies or movies based off popular series. Anime, in general, is more meticulously crafted than American cartoons, but this is not a hard and fast rule. There is a great range of animation quality, so do not assume that just because it is anime, it is quality animation. Case in point: Marmalade Boy - This is fun anime, but nothing special in the animation department. The figures are very simple, almost stick-like, and flashbacks are used intensively. Disney beats this, and many pre-teen-aimed anime, any day. Case in point: Akira - This is a rather violent and gory anime, but it has some pretty incredible animation especially of the main character spinning his bike through Mega-Tokyo. Cases in point: any Miyazaki movie - Look beyond the simple faces to watch how carefully each frame, even in-betweeners, are drawn; there are no shortcuts here. A lot of times, Japanese animation will have a comic book feel (speed lines and the like). This is because often, but not always, anime is based off stories and characters drawn in manga. What is Manga? Manga is, in simplest terms, a Japanese comic book. Like anime, manga is far more extensive than its American counterpart and aimed at a wider audience. In fact, the section for comics aimed at girls and women is often larger than the section for comics aimed at boys and men. In turn, there are likely as many female artists as there are male artists. There are thick weekly manga magazines (you will often see men reading them on the train) but manga is mostly sold in graphic novel form. Entire chains of stores are dedicated to selling manga, art books by well-known artists, drama CDs based off manga, music CDs, and extensive merchandise (everything from pencil cases to calendars to keychains). There is great demand for used manga and used doujinshi. What is Doujinshi? Doujinshi, or dj for short, is amateur manga that is sometimes, but not always, based off a popular series or it's characters. Often the stories explore love and/or sexual relationships between characters that in the original series, are merely acquaintances or friends. Just because it is amateur, however, does not mean that professionals do not dib their hand into the doujinshi world occasionally as well. Unlike manga, doujinshi are sold in thin magazine-type editions, not thick graphic novels. The only place to buy new doujinshi is at a doujinshi convention (twice a year at the Tokyo Convention Center). Because of the scarcity of doujinshi (amateurs do not have the means to mass market), used doujinshi is in high demand and can often fetch high prices on auction sites incluing Yahoo Japan and eBay. Popular doujinshi-ized series include Gundam Wing and Slam Dunk. Where can I find Anime, Manga, and Doujinshi? UNITED STATES: Popular anime series like Slayers, Sailor Moon, Dragonball Z, Ranma 1/2, Fushigi Yuugi, Utena, and Escaflowne can be found at most major video stores (Suncoast, Blockbuster,) on video or DVD. A small selection of translated manga can be found at comic book stores across the country. In cities with large Japanese populations (San Francisco or Los Angeles for example), you will find a much greater selection of manga, anime, CDs, posters, etc in stores owned by Japanese who can import goods directly. Japantown in a major city is a good place to start. A greater variety of anime, manga, merchandise and the occasional doujinshi issue can be found at Anime conventions. If all else fails, try Amazon Japan, specific publishers web sites, or auction sites. JAPAN: The largest chain (that I've found) that sells new anime, manga and related items is Animate. There is an 8-story Animate in Tokyo near Ikebukuro station (see the link above for a map). For used manga, anime, and doujinshi, look for K-Books, Mandarake or Book-off, all of which have several locations in Tokyo (maps are on the sites) as well as other major cities in Japan. Keep in mind that a manga can be found in almost any Japanese bookstore, the only difference is the selection. One place with a particularly good selection (as well as a great selection of English-language books and manga) is Kinokuniya Recommended Anime So much anime exists out there that what I know enough about to recommend does not even scratch the surface. All I can say is go to it and have fun! Vision of Escaflowne This is my top recommendation. Not only is it my personal favorite, but it is an anime with something for everyone: Love Triangles, High-Tech Cities, Swordfights, Mecha Battles, Plot Twists, Dragons, Complex and Gorgeous Characters, and (my favorite) Men With Wings! The story is about a high school girl from the present who enjoys fortunetelling with Tarot and running track. On the last day of school, she is suddenly transported into a fantastical world (where the earth sits in the distance like the moon) where she finds herself involved in a young, displaced king's search for the enemy who destroyed his city. (Note: This refers to the original 26-episode series. I have yet to see the Escaflowne movie) Ranma 1/2 This was the very first anime I saw. Since it led me to discover the amazing world of anime, I have a special place for it in my heart. The story is very funny, often wacky, and always original. Ranma 1/2 is about a young man who, while studying ancient martial arts techniques, finds himself cursed to turn into a female version of himself whenever he is splashed with cold water (hot water reversing the effect). The story gets complicated when his father (cursed in similar way to turn into a panda) informs him that he is engaged to the daughter of his good friend, whom he hasn't seen in years. The story develops quickly and as the episodes move into the dozens and hundreds, the number of colorful characters increase similarly. Fushigi Yuugi This anime is intended more at young women, but the story is good enough to be enjoyed by everyone. This fantasy invovles a high-school girl from the present thrust into a fantastical world of the past where it turns out, she is a prophesized leader. That synopsis alone describes the plot to quite a few series, however, Fushigi Yuugi is especially well-written and funny (though the series gets quite serious about half way through it's 56-episode length). The beginning of the story involves the heroine's quest for her seven destined male protectors. Yum. Rurouni Kenshin This is an excellent and serious long-running series that takes place in a historically accurate time period in Japan's feudal history. The main character is Kenshin who has turned away from a brutal assassin's life, swearing never to kill again. However, his past catches up with him and he finds himself faced with enemies who threaten the lives of the people he has grown to care for. The episodes get increasingly intense as the story progresses and it becomes clear why Rurouni Kenshin has such a large following, despite that serious, historical tales are not often popular. Slayers For the humor alone, Slayers is worth watching, but even without it the story stands on it's own. Slayers is about a dark sorceress and her dim-witted, sword-wielding companion who travel around, looking for food, money and adventure, though more often than not, have adventure thrust upon them. Lina Inverse is a unique heroine. She is refreshingly strong, single minded, powerful and, amazingly, does not have certain over-sized body parts nor is scantily-clad. The Slayers, Slayers NEXT, and Slayers TRY series become progressively brilliant and all three are worth watching. Miyazaki Hayao Movies I highly recommend every movie ever made by Miyazaki or Studio Ghibli. I have yet to see one that is not original and brilliant. My personal favorites include: Kurenai no Buta(Porco Rosso or The Crimson Pig) is about a inexplicably pig-faced pilot and his attempt to fix his plane and make a living during wartime Europe, meeting a very talented girl who designs his new plane and a rival pilot from America along the way. Tenkuu no Shiro Lapyuta (Laputa: Castle in the Sky) is about a girl on the run from a strange group of miscreants because of a mysterious jewel she wears around her neck. The humor and the adventure are unique and great fun. Mimi o Sumeseba (Whispers of the Heart or If You Listen Closely) is a very sweet tale about a young girl curious about a boy's name she keeps finding in books she's checked out from the library. She discovers a passion for writing along the way, encouraged by the owner of an antique store. The cat is the real star of the show. Kaze no Tani no Naushika (Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind) takes place on an amazing world with amazing creatures. One village is in danger and the key to its rescue lies in the hands of a smart young girl. This movie has a good message about the dangers of pollution and, like other Miyazaki films, has plenty of Nifty Flying Machines. Omohide Poro Poro (Only Yesterday) is a simple story about a city woman deciding to move out to the country and revisiting, in interesting flashbacks, her fifth grade year during her journey. Majou no Takyubin (Kiki's Delivery Service) has been commercially released in America. It is about a 13-year old witch who, like tradition dictates, must go out into the world for a year on her own. She flies into a big city and manages to find a job with a friendly bakery as a delivery person. Along the way, she meets a boy her age and questions what it means to be a witch. Family friendly and entertaining, I highly recommend this. Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi (Spirited Away) is one of the more amazing pieces of animation ever seen but, like Mononoke Hime (Princess Mononoke), is made more sensical by the knowledge of folklore and Japanese legends. It is about a girl who enters a dream-like realm during a move from home and must work in a giant lodge/bathhouse for spirits and rely on her wits to find her way back and rescue her parents who trapped themselves within. Tonari no Totoro (My Neighbor Totoro) is extraordinarily popular both in the U.S. and Japan. It is about two young children with an ill mother who move out to the country and meet some of the strange creatures that dwell there in secret. Hauru no Ugoku Shiro (Howl's Moving Castle) is coming out soon! I want to see! Other Heroic Legend of Arislan is a nicely done medieval-age fantasy about a prince and his sword-bearing protector trying to regain his kingdom. If you like mecha (driven by some nice-looking boys), try Gundam Wing. The futuristic story keeps you interested, and even the side military characters have interesting subplots as well. Marmalade Boy is an addictive multi-love-triangle soap-opera revolving around a Junior High School girl whose parents do a marriage 'swap' with another couple who happen to have a sexy teenage son... Trigun is a great sci-fi western about a modest but extraordinarily skilled fellow with an infamous reputation but a habit for doing good. Yuu Yuu Hakusho (The Poltergeist Report) is a high action story involving Yuusuke, a tough, high-school gangster type who finds himself dead but in brief limbo after the spontaneous saving of a child's life cancels out the violence marring his spirit. As the story develops, it involves Yuusuke and his small group combating and/or helping creatures and demons, good and bad, of both the upper and lower realms. Please Save My Earth is about a shy girl who finds out her dreams are actually visions of a past life as a researcher who was studying Earth along with a small, select group. But she's not the only one with visions... Magic Users Club is a funny 6-episode series about a group of high-school students who meet to practice magic, broom-riding, and spells to quite amusing effects for themselves and the rival classmates who own the other half of their allocated room at school. Kareshi Kano no Jijou (His and Her Circumstances) is fast-moving, hilarious, and strangely real all at once. It's about a girl who works hard at maintaining her status at high school as a calm-mannered, helpful, beautiful girl with good grades by preparing and studying like crazy in her sweats at home with her joking family. Everything gets complicated when a suave new boy at school threatens her spotlight. RG Veda is a fantastic fantasy drawn by the extraordinarily talented group of female artists known as CLAMP (more widely known for Card Captor Sakura and Magic Knight Rayearth). They Were 11 is an enjoyable 80s movie taking place in the future. The final part of an intense, extensive scientific exam involves a situation where 10 candidates must cooperate, in this case, on an abandoned ship. Only there's an 11th person... Meitantei Conan (Detective Conan) is a currently ongoing series (they have gone through hundreds of episodes and at least 4 movies) about a brilliant teenage detective whose body was transformed into that of an 8-year-old boy by some bad guys. He manages to stay with his girlfriend (who does not know the 'boy's real identity) and her father, who is a lesser detective, helping them out on various cases. This is an always an enjoyable series to catch on TV. Neon Genesis Evangelion and Revolutionary Girl Utena are on many people's list as the greatest (and most mind-bending) anime stories in existence. I've been meaning to watch both these series through to completion, but have not yet (bad Melf). I'll highly recommend them anyway. Dubbing vs Subbing With the advent of DVD where you can choose your preference, this has become a moot point. Dubbing (where English voice actors translate out loud) has the advantage that one can watch the animation without the interruption of looking down to read the subtitles. However, I prefer subtitling (subbing). The main reason is simply because I'm trying to learn Japanese. But also, it is distracting for me when an American voice actor is painful to listen to. I can't tell when a Japanese voice actor is bad, but I *can* tell when their American counterpart is. Also, the translation in subtitling is often more complete since, in dubbing, the actor has to speak roughly within the same time frame as the animated character is moving its mouth, which can be limiting. In addition, though this is not a deciding factor for me, the Japanese voice actors were probably given more direction from the original authors and artists of the series and, therefore, are more true to the original vision. Despite all this, one series in particular where I thought the dubbing was quite well done is The Heroic Legend of Arislan, though I imagine this is only because the actors had British accents. About Yaoi and Shounen-ai (Note: this section is intended to be read by people over the age of 18) A popular sub-genre of the manga, anime and especially the doujinshi world is shounen-ai, also referred to as 'yaoi' or 'boys love.' Stories in these genres often revolve around romantic and sexual relationships between men. Because they are entirely produced by and for women, the stories have a tendency to be angstful and intense with very little of the sleaze and gratuitous sex found in hentai and similar genres offered for men. The spectrum of shounen-ai goes from relationships that are only hinted at to the occasional kiss and romantic words. More graphic ones are very sexual and range from the occasional encounter to full on D&S and S&M. Some have more plot than others and a number feature tall, beautiful men with long hair. In the majority of cases, there is a dominant or 'top' character (seme) and a submissive or 'bottom' character (uke). Although early shounen-ai efforts involved more effeminate-looking men, that is not always the case today. Often, in these series, everyone is presumed to be gay. Most of the time, the fact that it is a relationship between two men is not at all unusual and in the occasional case, the fact that two men having a relationship is somewhat unusual is mentioned. Some anime featuring male-male relationship elements include (in order from barely-there to full-on): Earthian (about two angels on assignment on earth - there is no mention they are anything more than partners until one scene in episode 3), Fake (about two kissy detectives on vacation at an isolated house when suddenly a dead body turns up), Fujimi Symphony Orchstra (a flashback-intensive story about a violin player and the leader of the school orchestra), Kizuna (about a high school kendo star that all the guys have a crush on and his loving relationship with the son of a yakuza), Song of the Wind and Trees (one of the first yaoi anime made involves the goings on in the dormitories of a boys school),Level-C (a tale in modern Japan of the seductive relationship between a young man and his more experienced partner), Bronze and it's sequel Zetsuai (about an rock star obsessed with a soccer player), Ai no Kusabi (about a world with a power caste system where the highly-ranked Blonds own lesser beings for their (sexual and otherwise) pleasure. One Blond actually falls for his plaything.) As for manga, the boys love section is just as big as most other sections. There are too many series to list, but check out the following publishers: For light, cute or suggested shounen-ai, try Wings. For fantasy related shounen-ai, try Racish or Ichisuki comics. For some of each, try Chara or Gust. For guaranteed sex scenes, try Be-Boy Comics The world of doujinshi is where 'yaoi' (the japanese acronym "yama nashi, ochi nashi, imi nashi" that is basically the equivalent to 'Plot, What Plot?') takes off. The Gundam Wing boys and the basketball players of Slam Dunk are two popular series where the male-to-male relationships become much more erotic than originally intended. Where can I find out more? The Anime Turnpike This site, still updated weekly, as been around for over 15 years and not only has links to thousands of fan sites on every conceivable anime series in existence, it also has links to fanfiction and fansub distributors among other things. If it has something to do with anime, even in the remotest sense, it is here. Aestheticism The best site dedicated to yaoi and shonen-ai including definitions, recommended anime, and manga translations. Manga and anime book stores in Japan (some with mail order): K-Books (used manga, dj, videos, merchandise) Mandarakae (used manga, dj, videos, merchandise) Book Off (used manga, books, CDs, videos, DVDs) Animate (new manga, anime, CDs and merchandise) Kinokuniya (new manga) Futaba Booksellers (new and used manga, anime, CDs, DVDs, and video games)