It's Anime-zing
Why Japanese animation is taking the U.S. by storm

By DAN WONG

Look out, Bugs Bunny. Step aside, Mickey Mouse. There's some serious competition coming from the East. Japanese animation. Also known as anime, this staple of Japanese pop culture is the latest rage. Translated into many languages, including Chinese, English, French and Spanish, more and more young people are turning on to Japanese 'toons worldwide everyday.

Until recently, anime has been slow to catch fire in the United States. American kids got their first taste of anime in the 60s with the release of Astro Boy and Speed Racer. Little did we know that the cartoons we were watching were originally Japanese. Even with the popularity of the Robotech series in the 1980s, anime managed only to achieve cult status. It was only after the theatrical release of Akira in 1989 that anime took off in the West.

One big misconception Westerners have of anime is that it's filled with sex and violence. While some anime have violent and sexual content, not all do. Different genres action/adventure, horror, science fiction, fantasy, romantic comedy cater to different interests and age groups. So, children might watch My Neighbor Totoro, an enchanting tale about a forest spirit seen only by children, while adults are more likely to enjoy the romantic comedy Kimagure Orange Road, a story about a love triangle between friends.

Unlike American cartoons, whose typical consumer is under 14 years old, there's no stigma attached to anime in Japan, where everyone from young kids to grandparents watch anime. In America, this ageless trend has yet to take hold. As you might expect, teens to young adults currently make up the bulk of anime fans. And these fans tend to be males, but more and more females are catching the anime bug with the recent release of many television shows, including Sailor Moon in North America, which feature female lead characters.

Since anime is in Japanese, the dialogue must be translated in dubbed or subtitled format. Many titles are available in both formats. The quality of dubbed anime varies but is generally acceptable, though sometimes the dialogue is modified to match American lingo. Subtitled anime is more true to the original Japanese. Synopses and scripts for many anime programs are available online for those that want to fully understand a film. Actually, many Japanese language instructors recommend watching anime in Japanese with subtitles to learn and improve their language skills.

In addition to officially licensed subtitled anime, there is also fan-subtitled anime for those titles that are not yet available, which can be seen in anime clubs. At many college campuses, anime is popular. Often colleges have anime clubs where members watch the latest releases together.

Anime is rooted in Japanese comics, or manga, which is prevalent in Japanese society and come in weekly and monthly editions, sometimes as huge as telephone books. In fact, it's estimated that some 60 percent of books sold in Japan, one of the most literate societies in the world, are manga! Since animation is much more expensive to produce, manga has become a testing ground for anime. In this highly developed industry, only manga that is a proven bestseller goes into animated form.

Anime comes in three forms: television shows, movies, and original animation video (OAV). Originally anime was available only on television and in the theaters, but with the popularity of video cassette players, video companies began producing anime specifically for the home market. In general, OAVs have better animation than television shows, with movies having the best quality.

For years, U.S. fans of Japanese animation have had a difficult time pursuing their hobby. However, with the recent popularity of anime came a noticeable rise in the availability of titles. Today you can find anime at many video rental stores, comic book shops and mail order companies. Anime is even appearing on cable television on the Sci-Fi Channel and on network TV (Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z). Of course, companies are cashing in on anime's popularity with lots of merchandising, offering everthing from keychains and stuffed animals to soundtracks based on popular anime.

The sales of anime is still only a drop in the bucket compared to the revenue animation brings in for Warner Bros. and Disney, so Bugs and Mickey have nothing to worry about for now. However, recognizing the growing significance of anime, Disney recently signed an agreement with anime powerhouse Studio Ghibli to distribute master animator Hayao Miyazaki's works. The expanding influence of anime on the West is about to kick into high gear.