Japanese Anime

To an English speaker, anime is almost unavoidable. Even if the word 'anime' itself seems a little foreign, most of the English-speaking population is familiar with some aspect of it, be it seeing Dragon Ball Z action figures in the local Walmart, catching one of the endless references to anime in English media, or seeing some actual anime in its increasing broadcasts.

Anime is, in a very basic definition, animated media, ranging across a broad line of topics, genres, and intended audiences. It varies from amusing children's stories like My Neighbor Totoro, to more complicated dramas like Neon Genesis Evangelion. Anime fans also vary a great deal themselves. They cover the spectrum of age, location, and language.

Anime itself is often misunderstood. Anime is a form of Japanese cartoon, which leads to a great deal of confusion in the west. To the average American or European, cartoons are simple mined entertainment for children, which is far from an accurate description of anime. This image is only strengthened by the fact that many of the more popular anime in the US and UK have been aimed at children, most notably Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh.

Anime actually is far more wide-ranged, and, though some anime titles are indeed childish, the average hardcore anime fan could easily make a strong case that the anime they are interested in can amuse, sadden and entertain on a far more serious level that would be expected from a western cartoon.