An Anime Primer, Part 1 – A Brief Introduction to Anime

This article is not an exhaustive and in-depth history of anime, nor is it an impenetrable tangle of technical terminology. Instead, you will find only a few genuinely essential pieces of information which will allow you to grasp what anime is all about and help you to understand its basic vocabulary. If you are reading this out of idle curiosity, because you are thinking of buying someone anime as a gift, or if you are one of the many people who have long regarded the genre as intriguing, but, at the same time, found it more than a little inaccessible, then this short summary is for you.

"There is a lot more to the anime genre than Pokémon!"

First of all, what is anime? The word is a Japanese abbreviation, and, in common usage, it describes the animated films and television series produced in that country. These are not cartoons in the Western sense of the word, which implies a predominantly juvenile audience. In fact, anime in Japan is watched by young and old alike, and is enormously popular regardless of age or personal tastes. This is because it is essentially an animated parallel of live-action television and cinema, encompassing everything from soap opera to psychological horror. Browsing the anime reviews on this website should make the incredible range of the genre immediately apparent, and this diversity ensures that there is a type of anime to suit everybody.

Before going any further, it is necessary to introduce the source of inspiration from which almost all anime is drawn from. In the same way that a large number of mainstream films are scripted from works of fiction which have been critically well received, the vast majority of anime are screen adaptations of comic books known as manga. These are graphic novels which enjoy a staggeringly huge readership throughout Japanese society, and their popularity far outstrips that of their Western counterparts. While some anime are original products, and a rare few are based on live-action cinema, adaptation from manga is the norm. Bestselling titles are chosen for reworking into anime and serialised for television, with each issue of the original manga converted into a twenty minute episode. Alternatively, an entire series may be condensed into a feature length release.

Making the distinction between manga and anime is not helped by the fact that the primary distributor of anime in Europe, North America and Australia is called Manga Entertainment. This is a complete misnomer, which predictably leads to much confusion – just remember that manga refers to comic books, while anime describes animated films or television series, and you won’t be caught out! It is also a good idea to become passingly familiar with a handful of Japanese words in order to differentiate between the main sub-genres within anime. These share the same names as the sub-genres within manga.

Clearly, it pays to know the genre beforehand.

Most anime for boys (shōnen) and men (seinen) revolves around combat, sports, or other action-adventure themes, while anime for girls (shōujo) and women (josei) generally tends to place more emphasis on relationships and romance. Shōnen and shōujo anime has little room for shades of grey, with teenage protagonists following a simple narrative in which good eventually defeats evil, or girl eventually kisses boy. Titles aimed at adult audiences are more complex, with slower pacing and frequently obscure and unpredictable plotlines. Characters are generally older, more morally ambiguous and prone to swearing. Seinen and josei anime can also have some mature content. Graphic violence is quite common in these sub-genres, but explicit sex is only seen in anime pornography (hentai) and in anime which focuses on gay (yaoi) and lesbian (yuri) relationships.

As well as being useful indicators of interest, an awareness of these categories can save you a lot of time and money, which may otherwise be spent on products which do not cater to your tastes. For instance, if you go out to buy a samurai themed anime and take a chance on what initially appears to be a gritty seinen thriller, you might be quite surprised when the samurai in the yaoi film you have actually chosen start crossing swords in an altogether unexpected manner! Clearly, it pays to know the genre beforehand. It is also better to be informed in order to avoid making mistakes when buying presents or introducing other people to anime. When choosing anime for children, it really is important to check the content rating, product information and available reviews, wherever possible, to ensure that it is age appropriate. It might take a little digging to work out what sub-genre a film or series belongs to, but entering the title into Google Search or Wikipedia will normally give you an answer.

"A brilliant, violent and visionary sci-fi masterpiece."

It should be clear by now that there is a lot more to the anime genre than Pokémon! By this stage, you know what anime is and you can recognise the various sub-genres, but what else are you looking for? Heady tales of sparkling magic, chivalry and romance? Or perhaps a saga of endless conflict between towering armies of giant robots? Both are equally well represented in the veritable sea of anime on the market, as is pretty much every other theme you can imagine – no matter how far-fetched or bizarre. There is also a wide variety in quality, in terms of both animation and story, which can lead to much frustration when trying to find releases that are worth watching. So, before you begin your search, please consider the recommendations given below.

Whatever your interests, there are two outstanding anime films which everyone should enjoy at least once. Hopefully providing the ideal starting point for your first foray into the genre, these are Akira (1988) and Spirited Away (2001). The former is a brilliant, violent and visionary sci-fi masterpiece. The latter is of a totally different nature, an exquisitely animated and innocent exploration of magic realism which deservedly won Best Animated Feature at the 75th Annual Academy Awards. With any luck, you should be able to rent them both very cheaply from your local library or DVD rental shop.

Polar opposites in content, but equally masterful in execution, these two films arguably encapsulate all that is good about the entire genre. The fantastic and mysterious universes that anime invites the viewer into are limited only by the imagination of their architects. Likewise, the appearance and abilities of the various characters and the jaw dropping action sequences needn’t swallow the entire special effects budget or even obey the laws of physics. Despite recent improvement in CGI employed by live-action cinema, it will never match the freedom of animation to explore and create. That is why people love anime – it is a genre without constraints in which nothing is ever truly impossible.

Once you’ve watched Akira and Spirited Away, your introduction to anime is complete. Not only can you make sense of the genre, but you will also be able to recognise good anime when you see it. If you are still desperately in need of animated romance, robots, or even if you have developed a taste for vampire ninjas, then please look out for An Anime Primer, Part 2 – A Buyer’s Guide. Irrespective of your particular preferences, you will find some helpful tips to assist you in building your own anime library without making any of the mistakes I made when starting mine! Thanks for reading and good luck!

Recommended Anime titles

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By Christopher Reed

Christopher Reed graduated from Edinburgh Napier University with a first class
honours degree in Sport & Exercise Science. In order to repay the enormou…

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