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Three things to set straight--
1) I suck at writing. I have no idea why I'm in honors. ><
2) Gaia screws up the entering and spacing and crap. So deal with it~~ Sorry
3) I'm in 8th grade honors. We do 5 paragraph form, okay? I'll try to get better at it in high school, I swear~~

“I have no interest in ordinary humans. If there are any aliens, time travelers, sliders or ESPers here, come join me. That is all.” Kyon turned around and looked at the girl standing behind him. She was a normal student, she said she was from East Middle school so she wasn’t out of town. And he could only hope she was the only girl as weird that he would meet on his first day of high school. The girl looked around at the other students staring at her and sat, leaving them to only guess whether her introduction was a joke or not…”-Scene from “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya”
Many people are becoming interested in the rising popularity of Japanese animation, called “anime.” However, how much does the average American know about it? Where does anime come from? What is the difference between anime and other cartoons? Why is it even so popular in the first place? Throughout the past century, anime has affected, been affected by, and very often compared to American animation.

Japanimation, a fan-made term for animation from Japan, has a long history. It has existed since the early twentieth century (“Anime Catching on”). The very first animated clip from Japan, that has been found, is from 1907! It includes “a young boy in a sailor suit writing kanji [for ‘moving pictures’] on a board, then turning towards the viewer, removing his hat, and offering a salute (History).” From that first animation up to the 1930’s, animators were commissioned by cinemas to make cartoons to support what they were told to promote. (History) This could have been anything from the latest product to the cinema itself! Soon the same animators were told by the government to make animations supporting Japan in a time of war. It was not until the early 60’s that animated series such as “Otogi Manga Calendar” and Osamu Tezuka’s “Mighty Atom,” known as “Astroboy” in America, began to appear regularly on Japanese television (History). Because of “Mighty Atom,” Tezuka is often recognized as one of the first anime artists (“Anime-ted Japan”). It is with these shows that anime quickly erupted into something bigger than the very first animator could have imagined.

Anime does indeed have a long history, but what caused those first shows to start appearing on television? Many early Japanese animators admit that they were inspired by Disney’s growing popularity (Grolier). Disney, on the other hand, has been accused of being ‘inspired’ by Osamu Tezuka’s “Kimba the White Lion” when making the successful film “The Lion King (Network).” This could be because of the many “coincidental situations’ between the two, from the main character to the plot altogether, and the years earlier that “Kimba the White Lion” was released. Despite the similarities, there is a distinction between Anime and American animation that must be recognized. For example, when discussing the difference between anime and “American style adult animation,” the president of the anime network said, “Japanese anime is older. It goes back to ‘Astroboy’ and ‘Speed Racer’ and ‘Robotech.’ It’s been percolating for a long time (“Anime Catching On”).” Anime is often darker than its United States counterpart, but this could be a very good thing (“Japanimation”)! Hayao Miyazaki’s “Spirited Away,” a story about a young girl lost in a world full of spirits and demons, won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2003 when competing with films like “Ice Age,” “Treasure Planet” and “Lilo and Stitch(“Anime-ted Japan”).” This was a huge step forward for anime in America.

While on the thought of anime in America, how exactly did Anime get as popular as it is today? The big secret there is the content. Anime has topics ranging from “Saturday Morning Cartoons of ‘Sailor Moon’ or ‘Pokemon’ to much deeper things for people of all ages to enjoy (“Anime-ted Japan).” It is said that “Anime begain to attract an older and much wider audience with the international theatrical release of ‘Akira (“Japanimation”).” One fan even said, “When I rented it [Akira] I got completely involved in the characters. They were like real people, but in an unreal worl. (“A Big Draw”).” This shows that the humanity of the characters is by far reason enough for its huge fan base (“A Big Draw”). Manga and anime tend to tell more than simple superhero stories can tell. There can be anything from sexy and violent stories to romantic and enjoyable tales (“Invading Market”). As head of California based Digital Manga, Hikaru Suzuhara stated, “U.S. Comics are based on good guy kills bad guy, on heroism, Japanese manga are totally different. Manga has a violence you don’t see in kid’s comics. It has a certain sexuality, a very complex story (“Invading Market”).” This could be one of the reasons that manga have started to dominate the U.S. comic market. Another reason could be related to the fact that very many anime and manga are about the average Joe. The main character will go to school or work, have friends and normal everyday problems. However, something big will happen to them and they start to lead a double life, or get teleported to a magical world, or anything else a writer could think of! It is this usually perfect mix of a reality most people love to hate and hate to love with a fantasy that everyone wishes they could be a part of that makes anime so appealing to such a wide audience (“Japanimation”).

Over the years, anime has become a part of many Americans’ daily lives. In fact, manga has completely dominated the U. S. Comic Market! This research suggests that the anime ‘subculture’ is one that will, more than likely, become a major part of American culture in the future, seeing as it gains fans everyday! At the rate it is rising at, it will very likely become a new chapter in history all on its own! The biggest question left, however, must be asked. When anime becomes said part of American culture, will you be watching it?