The Basic Definition of Anime

Anime is the Japanese term for all Japanese animated films and TV shows. In the U.S., the term has been extended to include all merchandise, such as toys and posters, inspired by anime films or series. The overwhelming majority of anime works are created using cell animation. It is rare for one to see an anime that has been made using computer graphics, though this has recently been changing with the increasing popularity of the Internet and subsequently computer use. It is perhaps the most popular form of visual entertainment in Japan: over 50% of annual movie ticket sales are sold for anime films. Manga, the printed comic-book form of anime --- either inspired by or inspiring the creation thereof --- accounts for over a third of Japan's reading material, with manga magazine subscriptions with circulation numbers that often exceed those of the New York Times and Time magazine. (3)

What makes anime different from other animated works?

Anime can be rightfully classified as a genre because the all anime follow unwritten guidelines in terms of plot, characters, and drawing style. Unlike in the U.S., where animators usually try to make a mark in the field by coming up with a "different look" in their animated work, anime artists in Japan tend to have similar drawing styles. This stems partly from the fact that many anime TV series and movies are inspired by manga whose artists were trained to draw by spending a large portion of their time tracing over their favorite artists' works and copying their style. Thus, there is a consistency in the basic appearance of anime characters that is obvious to even the newest fan. While appearances may change from subgenre to subgenre, within each grouping there is little variation. (5)

Another characteristic of anime is that there usually seems to be some element of "Japaneseness" present, whether it be in a futuristic cyberpunk work like Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira or a medieval pseudo-European tale like Tenkuu No Escaflowne (The Vision of Escaflowne.) These elements of "Japaneseness" can range from subtle background things, such as the food the character is eating in a scene, to characters with Japanese names and/or backgrounds and Japanese place settings --- the most popular of which seems to be the ubiquitous "Neo-Tokyo" megalopolis that is the technological center of the world in futuristic anime works. While there are works that at first glance do not seem to possess any obvious Japanese elements, such as "Pokemon" or "Kiki's Delivery Service", under close scrutiny one can find evidence of Japanese traditions and other non-visual aspects of Japanese culture.

Take, for example, Hayao Miyazake's movie Kiki's Delivery Service, a story set in near-modern-day France. None of the characters have distinctly Japanese names or appearances -- the main characters are a young witch from the countryside named Kiki, and her talking cat, Gigi (pronounced "Jee-jee") --- and the background, such as a bakery store with a sign in German, is distinctly European. However, instances of Japanese culture peep through in scenes such as when Kiki first meets people in the city: she bows to them in the traditional Japanese fashion instead of shaking hands (2):
Click here for a low-bandwidth, low-quality Quicktime clip of the scene.
Click here for a high-bandwidth, high-quality Quicktime clip of the scene.

Another characteristic that differentiates anime from other animated works is that a large portion of it is meant for an adult audience. In the United States, we have the common perception that any animated work is geared towards kids only. In Japan, housewives, schoolchildren, and grandparents can all be watching anime. Japanese people do not have the same taboos on nudity and violence that Americans do, and as a result, even the anime that is made for children may seem, to American eyes, inappropriate and often shocking. Sailor Moon, an anime series geared towards middle-school girls that has become moderately popular in the United States, had several scenes cut throughout the entire series because the American distributors felt that the brief nudity shown in the "magical girl transformation" scenes were inappropriate for American children.(4)

Subgenres of Anime

Shojou - "Girls' Anime" - Characterized by female leads, "cutesy" or chibi (caricatured to look like small children) characters, romance and related intrigue, and good-looking (effeminate by American standards) young men who are known to anime enthusiasts as bishounen (literally "pretty boys".) The focus is primarily on emotional and relational problems rather than the physical. The color scheme of shojou anime is usually pastel or other "feminine" shades, and important scenes are often punctuated by romantic music or stylized flower frames around the animation. (4)

Shonen - "Boys' Anime" - Characterized by an overwhelmingly male cast, secondary (if any) female cast, primary color schemes, and usually more physical action-oriented plots and devices such as giant robots, martial arts masters, video-game-like super powers, and so on.

Subcategories - These may overlap.
Samurai Saga - A historical series or movie set in medieval Japan, usually the Tokugawa period (1600s-early 1800s.) The main character is usually a ronin (renegade samurai) or finds himself out of favor with his lord, and is accompanied with a crew of characters with amazing martial arts or weapons abilities. The goal of the series or movie is commonly that of correcting mistakes that the main character has done in the past, or defending a moral code in with which the prevailing ruling class disagrees. Examples: Rurouni Kenshin (Samurai X), Hakkenden.
Video-Game Adventure - Slapstick comedy combined with high-speed martial arts fights. There is not much in the way of content in these series, but they are immensely popular with children. This kind of anime often inspires the creation of or are themselves inspired by video games. Examples: DragonBall Z, Sakura Wars, Pokemon.
Click here to view a low-bandwidth clip of Pokemon.
Click here to view a high-bandwidth clip of Pokemon.
Mecha (Giant Robot) - One of the most popular kinds of anime around. Mecha anime is characterized by large robots, or more accurately, robotic suits, in which the main character and supporting cast defend the world from hostile forces. While much of the attraction lies in watching big machines fight against each other, the focus of the plot usually involves some transgression of the boundary between the sacred and the profane. While the main character may indeed be fighting for a good cause, he or she may accidentally cause harm to others. in almost all of these anime series or movies, the underlying question is: Should this technology be implemented given the potential dangers and abuses involved? Examples: Neon Genesis Evangelion, the various versions of Gundam.
Cyberpunk - This subgenre of anime was developed in recent years with the advent of the Internet, though the primary inspiration seems to have come from the 1982 American movie Blade Runner. Cyberpunk anime usually explores themes of authenticity --- Can androids truly feel love? Can they ever be considered human? --- as well as the implications of living in a society where social contact no longer depends on personal face-to-face interaction. Examples: Ghost in the Shell, Serial Experiments Lain.