Whaaaa?! You’ve been following us for over 19 months and you don’t know what anime is?! Relax, we’re just kidding. In all honesty, if you’re an old school or new school anime fan, then this may come as a shock to you – depending on what your reaction to this question might be. The anime fanbase might not be as large any famous musician that you know (or don’t know) of, but there are new fans being exposed to its awesomeness every single day.

In spite of this there’s still a percentage of the population who don’t know what anime, or if you’re from the old school; Japanimation, really is and what it’s about. (That population might be your mother or grandmother’s generation.) We’re not going to turn this filler post into a full-blown lecture, but we are gonna give you the meat n’ potatoes of what this awesome medium called ‘Anime’ is all about! 😉

First, let’s define what ‘Anime’ actually is! It is a Japanese term for either hand-drawn or computer animation created in Japan, of course the word “Anime” is abbreviated from the word “Animation”. Anime from Japan is characterized by its colorful graphics, fantasy-like stories and plots, and vibrant characters. You’d have to go back to the 1960’s for the character art style, where many of the works from that time were created by Osamu Tezuka. 50+ years later it has grown into the global medium that it is today; from television broadcasts to podcasts and even video sharing/streaming websites! Anime also has various genres that spread to all ages, although a majority of them are directed towards teens and adults. (Basically Millennials and Gen-Z.)

Modern anime now takes on a more realistic approach, as many of the titles now have settings based on actual places in Japan, North America, and various other third world countries. It’s a diverse art form that uses story-telling with cinematography, graphic art, and various other imaginative techniques. Anime can also serve as an escape mechanism from reality, by immersing the viewer into a sense of fictional fantasy completely separated from the outside world.

Which may explain why members of the anime community find it to be a two-dimensional aphrodisiac from the trials and troubles of life.

If you get the chance to explain what anime is to someone who doesn’t know about it and get a response like, ‘All anime is for kids!’ then they’re wrong! Most of the genres that are out here today are geared towards teen girls, teen boys, and adult men and women (even both in some cases). Like genres every art style found in anime is different, and can range from a hand-drawn cartoon style like Shin-Chan, to something a bit more realistic like Ghost in the Shell or Hellsing Ultimate.

The source of all anime can be found in its production companies. There’s about 430 companies that produce/create a lot of the anime that is distributed in North America today. Before that happens however, the companies have to get a license for said shows in order to legally distribute them through home video, and over the internet.

In the last five decades or so, anime has done so much for countries on a global scale. It has given rise to anime clubs, anime conventions, cosplay, and various other elements of the otaku lifestyle. There have even been moments where anime has saved lives and prevented people from committing suicide or feel lonely, and for that it does serve some purpose in our lives. Anime may not be for everybody, but for the people who want to know more about it, don’t shun them away – tell em’! 😉