History MediaNotes / AnimeAndManga

If you're new to the anime and manga scene then you can be sure that speaking to an anime {{otaku}} (otaku meaning 'nerd') will both help you in your quest to delve more into this fandom and confuse the heck out of you. So many words, many taken directly from Japanese, are commonly used by hardcore fans in the west, and the only way to know them is to ask... or come here! TV Tropes happens to have a pretty good starter dictionary right here for you, titled UsefulNotes/AnimeFanspeak, with links to more info. It is highly suggested that you check it out.

Anime can be shown on television, or released only on disc. Straight-to-disc anime is called an OVA (OriginalVideoAnimation). The closest analog to Western animation is "direct-to-video", "direct-to-streaming" or "direct-to-DVD", but without the negative connotation. Usually, {{O|riginalVideoAnimation}}VAs are of superior quality to made-for-TV anime, as many time and budget restrictions are lifted. There are also plenty of anime movies. Anime that are [[AnimeFirst completely original]], and not based on some other work, often gain manga or light novels based on them if they prove to be popular.

Anime can be shown on television, or released only on disc. Straight-to-disc anime is called an OVA (OriginalVideoAnimation). The closest analog to Western animation is "direct-to-video" or "direct-to-DVD", but without the negative connotation. Usually, {{O|riginalVideoAnimation}}VAs are of superior quality to made-for-TV anime, as many time and budget restrictions are lifted. There are also plenty of anime movies. Anime that are [[AnimeFirst completely original]], and not based on some other work, often gain manga or light novels based on them if they prove to be popular.

* '''More school''': Another big thing is that where in America at least, middle school is two years (or three; sixth grade is sometimes counted) and high school is four years, in Japan, Middle school and High school are both three years. Middle school includes grades 7, 8 and 9, while high school covers grades 10, 11 and 12. Kids also have to take an exam to graduate from middle school, and apply to high schools on the strength of these exam scores. Getting into a good high school is considered very important for going on to a good college. This pressure is responsible for high school being perhaps the most difficult part of a Japanese student's school life. College has been referred to as a "second childhood" for many students.

Basically, an animated show or movie done the Japanese way, with their iconic styles of art. Anime has flourished in Japan, and even outside it, for long. Don't go thinking [[AnimationAgeGhetto all cartoons are for kids]], because anime, like its originator manga, is marketed across all demographics, from young children all the way up to senior citizens and middle-aged businessmen. Conversely, [[AllAnimeIsNaughtyTentacles not all anime consists of naughty tentacles]]: the majority is age-appropriate for the demographic. Hentai, essentially explicit or pornographic anime, does exist but doesn't make up the majority of works in the genre.[[note]]And not even all hentai is tentacles, either; most is vanilla, heterosexual porn. Tentacle hentai does exist, but it's a niche of a niche.[[/note]] Anime is similarly differentiated from Western cartoons the same way that manga is to American comics:

* The vast majority of anime are based on some other medium, usually manga or Japanese light novels, but more recently anime have been based on Japanese TV dramas and even some Western media such as comic books (Wolverine and ComicBook/IronMan), or Western television shows (''Series/{{Supernatural}}''), and even books (''Anime/HowlsMovingCastle'').

* Anime is for everyone; while there are many Western animated shows aimed at older audiences, they are the exception rather than the rule due to the AnimationAgeGhetto still holding strong in the West. In fact lots of anime out there would receive (and has received) a PG-13 or R rating in an American market.

Anime can be shown on television, or released only on disc. Straight-to-disc anime is called an OVA (OriginalVideoAnimation). The closest analog to Western animation is "direct-to-video" or "direct-to-DVD", but without the negative connotation. Usually, {{O|riginalVideoAnimation}}VAs are of superior quality to made-for-TV anime, as many time and budget restrictions are lifted. There are also plenty of anime movies. Anime that are [[AnimeFirst completely original]], and not based on some other work, often gain manga or light novels based on ''them'' if they prove to be popular.

* '''Religion''': Japan's native religion is Shinto, which is a folk-religion with a wide pantheon. Buddhism also has a strong presence in Japan. In fact, many Japanese consider themselves to be both Buddhist ''and'' Shinto; the concept has flummoxed more than one Westerner, but Japan's attitude toward religion lies beyond the scope of this article (see [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinbutsu-sh%C5%ABg%C5%8D Wikipedia]] for a more detailed explanation). Christianity is certainly known in Japan, thanks to its international prevalence, but is considered somewhat exotic in much the same way that Buddhism or other Eastern religions are in the Western world. This perceived exoticism makes Christian symbols and concepts seem cool and esoteric to many Japanese (hence [[AnimeCatholicism the large amount of Christian symbolism in anime]]). It has very few adherents among Japanese citizens.

Basically, an animated show or movie done the Japanese way, with their iconic styles of art. Anime has flourished in Japan, and even outside it, for long. The situation has changed somewhat, due in part to the East Asian economic crisis, changing Western tastes, Japan's aging demographics, and its unique TV situation (six network channels; satellite channels have about 10% penetration and cable isn't even a thing; shows that don't have strong appeal for the after-school crowd can't pull competitive ratings and [[OtakuOClock air in the red-eye time slots]]). Don't go thinking [[AnimationAgeGhetto all cartoons are for kids]], because anime, like its originator manga, is marketed across all demographics, from young children all the way up to senior citizens and middle-aged businessmen. Conversely, [[AllAnimeIsNaughtyTentacles not all anime consists of naughty tentacles]]: the majority is age-appropriate for the demographic. Hentai, essentially explicit or pornographic anime, does exist but doesn't make up the majority of works in the genre.[[note]]And not even all hentai is tentacles, either; most is vanilla, heterosexual porn. Tentacle hentai does exist, but it's a niche of a niche.[[/note]] Anime is similarly differentiated from Western cartoons the same way that manga is to American comics:

Anime can be shown on television, or released only on DVD. Straight-to-DVD anime is called an OVA (OriginalVideoAnimation). The closest analog to Western animation is "direct-to-video" or "direct-to-DVD", but without the negative connotation. Usually, {{O|riginalVideoAnimation}}VAs are of superior quality to TV-produced anime, as many time and budget restrictions are lifted. There are also plenty of anime movies. Anime that are [[AnimeFirst completely original]], and not based on some other work, often gain manga or light novels based on ''them'' if they prove to be popular.

So remember, if you hear a character by the name of Akira being talked about, it's just as likely a male as a female. Likewise, a character named Tomoyo is going to be a girl while a Tomoya would be a boy. Also, there isn't a standard for Japanese-to-English romanization, so things can get a bit wonky when it crosses the sea. You'll want to see UsefulNotes/JapaneseRomanization for that. One big thing to know though is that the 'L' sound [[JapaneseRanguage doesn't exist in Japanese]], and will usually be replaced with an 'R' sound for non-Japanese names and words in original dialogue. It's how you get names like [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Rorand turning into Roland]] once it's translated.

* Western animation tends to have a higher frame rate than TV anime works, as anime is so prevalent that episodes need to be made quickly and on a budget, especially if they are trying to keep up with the manga. This means there's a lot of anime out there which is relatively low quality in terms of animation. Frequent use of panning over stills and blatantly recycling animation are ways you'll see it. There's plenty of great animation as well, though.

Well, you can't really talk about anime without talking about manga first. We won't go into [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_manga all that history]], but suffice to say, that manga originated in response to the Japanese being introduced to American {{Comics}} and cartoons in the late 19th- early 20th century. The Japanese applied their stylized artistic influence to the general medium and format and came up with the manga, essentially a Japanese graphic novel. Manga are differentiated from American comics in several ways:

Well, you can't really talk about anime without talking about manga first. We won't go into [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_manga all that history]], but suffice to say, that manga originated in response to the Japanese being introduced to American {{Comics}} and cartoons (especially Disney) after UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. The Japanese applied their stylized artistic influence to the general medium and format and came up with the manga, essentially a Japanese graphic novel. Manga are differentiated from American comics in several ways:

So your friend has just handed you a manga or anime on DVD or Blu-ray, demanding you watch it. You're a bit new to all this foreign Japanese stuff, so after reading or watching it, and deciding it's something you might want to learn more about, you've come here to get the down and dirty info you need to further explore the world of Anime and Manga. Well, you've got a lot to learn. On this page, we will briefly discuss all the things you need to know about Anime, Manga and everything in-between, as well as link you up with some useful pages on the site and Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} for some more information.

!Translation, Changes and Censoring outside of Japan

So, translation issues, the bane of anime and manga fans' existence. These days it's not nearly as much of an issue as it once was and anime is quite widely translated with considerable accuracy, but back in the day people seemed to think that Westerners wouldn't like the shows unless all of the culture was cut out as thoroughly as possible and [[CulturalTranslation replaced with an American equivalent]]. [[DubNameChange Names were changed]], sometimes to something similar sounding but Western, other time to something that seemed more or less random. Dialogue was changed completely, or [[{{Bowdlerization}} censored]] within an inch of the show's life, sometimes because of the mistaken thought that shows in higher demographics were only appealing to lower demographics in the West. Thus, you got shows for teenagers and adults being touted as kids shows, requiring significant rewriting. There's also the issue that [[ValuesDissonance the Japanese are less likely to censor television in general]], such as shows for kids having some bad language or innuendo, or showing or hinting at homosexual relationships. Homosexual characters in general were often either [[HideYourLesbians given different dialogue]], [[BannedInChina cutting out the most offensive episodes if necessary]], in an attempt to [[{{Bowdlerization}} write it out of the show]], or if possible, they outright [[ShesAManInJapan changed the character's gender in the translation]].

So given all of this, one can see how long-time fans might [[{{Macekre}} have issues with dubs]], if for no other reason than in the past, many were so far from what they were supposed to be. This is completely disregarding the fact that some early dubbing wasn't as well matched to the mouth-flaps as they are now. So while there are many dubbed anime which are excellent, especially recently as more dubbing companies are getting good at it and are listening to the fans' cries for staying faithful to the source material, and some few jewels are even considered on par--or ''[[SugarWiki/SuperlativeDubbing better]]'' than--the original, many fans swear by watching anime with subtitles. It's really up to you to decide which you like better, just keep your mind open.

See also NamesToKnowInAnime if you're interested about the people involved in its creation.

* Anime is for everyone, not just little kids. In fact lots of anime out there would receive (and has received) a PG-13 or R rating in an American market.

First off is {{Kodomomuke}}. Kodomomuke manga are for young children, usually about six to ten years old. It's the manga equivalent of Barney the dinosaur. They are usually more simplistic, fanciful storylines which are episodic in nature and teach life lessons and good behavior. They can be adorable, but don't expect them to delve too deeply into anything philosophical.

So your friend has just handed you a manga or anime on DVD or Blu-ray, demanding you watch it. You're a bit new to all this foreign Japanese stuff, so after reading or watching it, and deciding it's something you might want to learn more about, you've come here to get the down and dirty info you need to further explore the world of Anime and Manga. Well, you've got a lot to learn. On this page we will briefly discuss all the things you need to know about Anime, Manga and everything in between as well as link you up with some useful pages on the site and Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} for some more information.

* In their country of origin they are widely marketed across demographics, whereas comic books are something of a niche market in America these days.

* ''(name)-sama'': Pretty much the equivalent of 'Lord', it's extremely respectful and used to address gods, nobility and, in some contexts, customers. More common in historical-based works, unless it's used jokingly, but in very strict Japanese households it is still common to address the parents and older siblings this way. Also see the OneeSama trope, which typically has a SchoolGirlLesbians bend when it's not an actual older sister.

This isn't the place for a huge lesson on the Japanese language,--check out [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_language The Other Wiki]] for that--but there are some simple things to mention that will crop up in relation to Japanese language in Anime and Manga. For instance, Japanese has '''three''' writing systems: Kanji, katakana and hiragana, which have different purposes. Kanji in particular represent ideas which can be grouped together to form a word or concept. These kanji don't always have a set pronunciation, or can be pronounced pretty much however someone wants to say they are despite established norms, so you can get people in anime and manga having to explain to others essentially how to {{spell|MyNameWithAnS}} or [[ItIsPronouncedTroPay pronounce]] their names a lot. Knowing Japanese is not at all necessary to enjoy anime, but knowing some (even just how to read hiragana and katakana) can be a benefit. Many works produced in Japan never see translation into English, and opinions differ regarding the practice of dubbing. This is the reason behind the ongoing SubbingVersusDubbing flamewar, which never seems to end.

* {{Mon}}: Short for monster, it basically involves owning or collecting often adorable little creatures with powers, which are used to fight. ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' and ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' are often considered the poster children of this genre, a comparison of the two showing how diverse it can get.

If you're ''really'' bent on the evolution of anime and its many genres, we urge you to check out the EssentialAnime page, which is certain to catch you up on all the genres and their origins. Not to mention everything on it is a classic that most fans will have a passing knowledge of.

Basically, an animated show or movie done the Japanese way, with their iconic style of art. Anime has flourished in Japan, and even outside it, for long. The situation has changed somewhat, due in part to the East Asian economic crisis, changing Western tastes, Japan's aging demographics, and its unique TV situation (six network channels; satellite channels have about 10% penetration and cable isn't even a thing; shows that don't have strong appeal for the after-school crowd can't pull competitive ratings and [[OtakuOClock air in the red-eye time slots]]). Don't go thinking [[AnimationAgeGhetto all cartoons are for kids]], because anime, like its originator manga, is marketed across all demographics, from young children all the way up to senior citizens and middle-aged businessmen. Conversely, [[AllAnimeIsNaughtyTentacles not all anime consists of naughty tentacles]]: the majority is age-appropriate for the demographic. Hentai, essentially explicit or pornographic anime, does exist but doesn't make up the majority of works in the genre.[[note]]And not even all hentai is tentacles, either; most is vanilla, heterosexual porn. Tentacle hentai does exist, but it's a niche of a niche.[[/note]] Anime is similarly differentiated from Western cartoons the same way that manga is to American comics:

* It's often made in the iconic anime style of art.

* '''Schools''': In Japan, many schools hold classes six days a week (Monday through Saturday). CramSchool, extra study sessions after school and on weekends, is widespread. The school year also both ends and begins in the spring, April specifically, meaning summer vacation splits up the school year. Students usually have summer homework. School stories often include a SchoolFestival and {{School Club}}s.

* '''Holidays''': Most Japanese celebrate Christmas but as a secular holiday (and they don't get off work or school!), and it's generally done as a holiday for couples. There are also effectively two Valentine's Days. Regular Valentine's Day is celebrated on February 14th, where girls give boys chocolate. Then there's White Day, celebrated on March 14th, where boys give girls chocolate. Additionally, there is Golden Week, which kids get off school for, and is essentially a festival for children.
* '''Schools''': In Japan, many schools hold classes six days a week (Monday through Saturday). CramSchool, extra study sessions after school and on weekends, is widespread. The school year also both ends and begins in the spring, April specifically, meaning summer vacation splits up the school year. Students usually have summer homework.
* '''More school''': Another big thing is that where in America at least, middle school is two years (or three; sixth grade is sometimes counted) and high school is four years, in Japan, Middle school and High school are both three years. Middle school includes grades 7, 8 and 9, while high school covers grades 10, 11 and 12. Kids also have to take an exam to graduate from middle school, and apply to high schools on the strength of these exam scores. Getting into a good high school is considered very important for going on to a good college. This pressure is responsible for high school being perhaps the most difficult part of a Japanese student's school life. College has been referred to as a "second childhood" for many students. School stories often include a SchoolFestival.
* '''Festivals''': Japanese hold a lot of local street festivals, where people often dress up in tradition garb. Activities there include [[GoldfishScoopingGame trying to catch a goldfish with a paper scoop]]. While there are a number of nationally respected festival days, many festivals are often based on local customs or history, so you can expect an anime or manga to invent some kind of festival for whenever they want one. See UsefulNotes/JapaneseHolidays for real life info, and FestivalEpisode for fictional examples.

* '''Shoujo''' emphasizes relationships, both romantic and otherwise, as well as personal growth. Shoujo are much more likely to be SliceOfLife or School Stories, and tend to portray romance in a highly idealized or unrealistic fashion. They often have female leads, and while the plots usually are less action-based, there are plenty that break the mold, including the MagicalGirl subsection. Episodic or vignette-type stories are also common to shoujo manga. Both the YuriGenre and YaoiGenre, also known as shoujo-ai and shonen-ai respectively, also fall under the header of shoujo, which one might guess as they are both focused on romance.

* '''Religion''': Japan's native religion is Shinto, which is a folk-religion with a wide pantheon. Buddhism also has a strong presence in Japan. In fact, many Japanese consider themselves to be both Buddhist ''and'' Shinto; the concept has flummoxed more than one Westerner, but Japan's attitude toward religion lies beyond the scope of this article. Christianity is certainly known in Japan, thanks to its international prevalence, but is considered somewhat exotic in much the same way that Buddhism or other Eastern religions are in the Western world. This perceived exoticism makes Christian symbols and concepts seem cool and esoteric to many Japanese (hence [[AnimeCatholicism the large amount of Christian symbolism in anime]]). It has very few adherents among Japanese citizens.
* '''Holidays''': Most Japanese celebrate Christmas but as a secular holiday (and they don't get off work or school!), and it's generally done as a holiday for couples. There are also effectively two Valentine's Day. Regular Valentine's Day is celebrated on February 14th, where girls give boys chocolate. Then there's White Day, celebrated on March 14th, where boys give girls chocolate. Additionally, there is Golden Week, which kids get off school for, and is essentially a festival for children.

* '''More school''': Another big thing is that where in America at least, middle school is two years (or three; sixth grade is sometimes counted) and high school is four years, in Japan, Middle school and High school are both three years. Middle school includes grades 7, 8 and 9, while high school covers grades 10, 11 and 12. Kids also have to take an exam to graduate from middle school, and apply to high schools on the strength of these exam scores. Getting into a good high school is considered very important for going on to a good college. This pressure is responsible for high school being perhaps the most difficult part of a Japanese student's school life. College has been referred to as a "second childhood" for many students.
* '''Festivals''': Japanese hold a lot of local street festivals, where people often dress up in tradition garb. Activities there include trying to catch a goldfish with a paper scoop. While there are a number of nationally respected festival days, many festivals are often based on local customs or history, so you can expect an anime or manga to invent some kind of festival for whenever they want one.