Background material and in-depth investigations designed to help you understand the art form and media of anime and manga.

Expressions and Emotional Iconography   Anime Release Formats
Sweat drops, bulging veins, uplifted eyes, and blushes all help us understand what a character is going through emotionally. Learn the conventions used in anime here.   The format under which anime is released determines a lot of factors, mainly budget and time constraints. Here is insight into the interplay between the medium and the message.
     
Hair Color in Anime   Subtitled Anime and Audio Dub-overs
One of the first things someone notices about anime is the wild hair colors in many series and movies. Is there some symbolism involved in hair choice, or is it purely utilitarian?   One writer's opinion on why audio dub-overs take away the meaning and culture of anime.
     
Women in Shounen Anime    Translation of Japanese Comics
Learn about the ever-changing role of women in anime marketed toward men.   How comics that are laid out for right-left reading are translated to English and other left-right languages.
     
Hand Gestures in Anime and Manga   The History of Manga and Anime
Find out the conventions that anime characters use to "speak" with their hands.   The origins of manga and anime, and how they came to be what they are today.
 
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