Anime
Anime is animation produced in Japan or made in a style associated with Japanese animation. It spans many genres, audiences, and production formats.
Limited animation: Animation that reduces the number of drawings or movements to control production costs or emphasize selected motion. Anime often uses held poses, repeated cycles, and selective movement to meet television schedules.
Manga: Comics or graphic narratives originating in Japan or made in a style associated with Japanese comics. Anime frequently adapts manga, while successful anime can also increase demand for its source series.
Namakura Gatana: A 1917 Japanese animated short about a hapless samurai testing a newly purchased sword. It is among the earliest surviving examples of animation produced in Japan.
Western animation: Animation produced in Western countries, encompassing diverse national traditions, styles, and audiences. Comparing production histories and visual conventions shows why anime is not simply a genre defined by appearance.
Character design: The visual planning of a character’s appearance, proportions, clothing, and expressive features. Large eyes, distinctive silhouettes, and expressive faces are recurring tools in many anime styles.
Anime film: A feature-length or short film made through animation in Japan or in an anime-associated style. Theatrical releases give anime room for standalone stories and production scales distinct from television.
Osamu Tezuka: A Japanese manga artist and animator whose work helped shape postwar manga and television animation. His production methods and television series helped establish influential anime conventions.
Cartoon: A drawn or animated image, especially one using simplified forms or humorous exaggeration. Anime is sometimes treated as synonymous with cartoons, despite its wide range of tones and audiences.
Anime music video: A fan-made or commissioned video that edits animation to accompany a piece of music. Anime’s dramatic imagery and musical timing make it a frequent source for this editing form.
Original video animation: Anime released directly to video rather than first airing on television or opening in cinemas. Direct-to-video releases became a route for anime aimed at niche audiences and home viewing.