Hi and welcome to Anime/Manga 101. Class is now in session. Today's lesson is about Anime and Mangas (obviously)... Anime and Mangas are everywhere these days... They're the hottest things with pages sweeping through the school and the nation and yet what are they a few of us may wonder? What is Anime exactly? Why are there so many people pouring over the graphic novels section? What makes them so special?
Well, according to author, Gilles Poitras, in his book Everything a Fan Needs to Know, Anime when defined by a non-Japanese fan, means animation made in Japan. Most people today think it is, but anime is simply a shortened form of "animation". While some people think Anime is a genre, it is in fact, actually an art form that incorporates all genres found in television and books. The plots range from romantic comedies to science fiction and even action adventures.
Manga Pequena (Small mango)
Vampire Princess Miyu
Representation of the different phases of a drawin...Anime is released in three forms: TV shows, Movies, and OVA. What is an OVA you may wonder, OVA stands for Original Video Animation. An OVA is an anime released straight to video because of financial or social circumstances.
Then what about Mangas? Aren't they just comic books? How are they related to Anime? Well, historically Anime and Manga go hand in hand with each other. Usually, an Anime series is based on a popular Manga but sometimes after a hit Anime Movie [e.g. Spirit Away] a Manga series is made based on the movie. In Japan, Manga is not compared to the comic books in United States but to the TV shows you watch on WB. Manga is so popular that the Manga artists become major celebrities!
What is it about Anime and Manga that makes them special, unique, and different? If you compare Anime/Manga to our...