Anime: More than Cartoons

With all the new shows, movies, and YouTube videos to watch and pass the time, there has been an emerging media that decade or so in the United States – Anime.

Japanese animations, or Anime, is widely known world wide. Quora, reports that “two billion people who watch anime.” Not only is Anime entertaining, but it also provides Western viewers insight on Japanese culture. Anime, or “Japanimation,” has various genres, including:  action, love, slice of life, drama, adventure, science-fiction, and horror. The earliest form of animation appeared in 1917 as a commercial.

Anime has grown its fan base and it’s market,  and it has also come a long way from its early incarnations like, Naruto, Dragon Ball, and Dragon Ball Z. It has recently branched off into other forms of entertainment. Gaming and film companies have made video games and movies with influences from Anime. There are also novels, comics, and graphic novels that promote Anime and related stories.

One film, Garden of Words, does just that. It is about a boy who wants to become a shoe maker. The up and coming Kingdom Hearts Three is a video game influenced by Anime. It is about a boy who has a sword key trying to fight the darkness. As one can see, Anime typically focuses on the protagonist of the story. However, some focus on both the protagonist and antagonist, like the very popular Anime Naruto.  Naruto focuses on the story of Naruto Uzumaki, an orphaned child who has to live with a demon.

Anyone interested in getting their feet wet with some Anime could easily start with Garden of Words, Kingdom Hearts, or Naruto.

If you find some interesting Anime, let us know what you thought about it in the comments below.