Anime and Manga
Created | Updated Oct 20, 2010
Anime and manga are two terms used to describe Japanese comic art. Some might know it as Japanimation or Japanime. This style is usually recognized by large eyes, small mouths, and barley dressed women. This entry will guide you through anime and manga, define some of the commonly used terms for both, and what to look for (chopsticks and kimono not needed).<p>
<u><b>Anime</b></u><BR/>
Anime (pronounced annie-may) is the termed used to describe animated Japanese comic art, what we call cartoons. It comes from the Japanese word for animation. This includes movies and TV series. Some of the popular anime today is Pokémon, Digimon, Sailor Moon, and Dragonball Z.<p>
<u><b>Manga</b></u><BR/>
Manga (pronounced main-ga) is the termed used to describe still Japanese comic art, what we call graphic novels. It comes from the Japanese word for motionless. Most anime was manga first. Manga is less mainstream then anime. One popular manga would be Ranma 1/2.<p>
<u><b>Anime/Manga FAQ</b></u><BR/>
Here I'll answer some of the most common questions about anime and manga.<BR/>
Q. Why are the eyes so big?<BR/>
A. The big eyes make the characters look friendly.<BR/>
Q. Why is there so much nudity?<BR/>
A. The Japanese have a different view towards nudity then we do in the West. Its fine to have some nudity in anime/manga even if it is targeted towards children. Erotic anime and manga, a.k.a. hentai, is another thing.<p>
<u><b>Glossary</b></u><BR/>
Here I'll define some of the most commonly used terms about anime and manga<BR/>
<b>BGM</b> - Back ground music.<BR/>
<b>cel</b> - A single drawing on a piece of transparent material. Cels are laid over a background picture to produce a single frame of animation.<BR/>
<b>chibi</b> - A term used to describe an anime/manga style where the characters are drawn super deformed in a way that they are too cute for their own good.<BR/>
<b>CG</b> - Computer graphics.<BR/>
<b>con</b> - Convention.<BR/>
<b>cosplay</b> - Costume play, fans dress up as anime or manga characters and act out scenes (usually at cons).<BR/>
<b>dub</b> - A voice re-recording of a video into a language other then the one it was made in.<BR/>
<b>ecchi</b> - Used to describe adult (erotic) anime and manga. It is written "h" and read "ecchi". Comes from hentai, the Japanese word for pervert abbreviated as "h".<BR/>
<b>fandub</b> - An anime video re-dubbed by fans.<BR/>
<b>fanfic</b> - A story written by fans based on an anime or manga.<BR/>
<b>fansub</b> - An anime video re-subtitled by fans.<BR/>
<b>hentai</b> - The Japanese word for pervert, used to describe adult anime and manga.<BR/>
<b>kawaii</b> - The Japanese word for cute.<BR/>
<b>mecha</b> - From the Japanese word for mechanical. It describes all robotics in anime and manga, e.g. giant robots, space ships, etc.<BR/>
<b>OAV</b> - Original Animated Video. An anime series released directly to video.<BR/>
<b>OVA</b> - Original Video Animation. See OAV.<BR/>
<b>Otaku</b> - Used to describe hard core anime and manga fans. Almost equivalent to the Japanese word for nerd.<BR/>
<b>Sub</b> - Subtitled. A video in its original language but translated to the desired language by words displayed at the bottom of the screen.<BR/>
<b>seiyuu</b> - The Japanese word for voice actor.<BR/>
<b>shojo</b> - A style of anime and manga that is targeted towards young girls. The plots focus on emotion and relationships with pretty female main characters and attractive men supporting characters. An example is Sailor Moon.<p>
<u><b>Getting Started</b></u><BR/>
Now that you you are brushed up on what the whole anime/manga thing is lets discuss where to start anime/manga fandom.<BR/>
<b>Buying Anime</b><BR/>
You can usually rent anime at any Blockbuster (in the action section). Some TV channels show anime more targeted toward children, like Pokémon and Digimon. Try looking at the listings for Fox and Cartoon Network. The Encore Action Channel and Sci-fi Channel show more mature anime (not hentai, sorry). Check their listings also. Anime usually doesn't reach mainstream theatres, but if you have a fine arts theatre you might be able to catch an anime film there. Buying anime is just a little bit more difficult. You can buy Pokémon, Dragonball Z, and Sailor Moon at stores like Wal-Mart (but alas, there are always edited and dubbed). A video store (example Suncoast Video) worth its weight in anything should have an anime section or at least be able to order them for you. Some music stores will sell a few anime videos. Sam Goody's and Best Buy are the mechas of anime. Just about anything you could want at a reasonable price. You can always order anime online from such quality sites as <a href="http://www.animenation.com" target="an_only">www.animenation.com</a>. Remember subtitled videos cost more than dubbed videos.<BR/>
<b>Buying Manga</b><BR/>
Manga, being less popular, is a bit harder to come by. First of all, try going to your local book store and look in the graphic novel section. Graphic novels can also be purchased online.<BR/>
<b>The Classics</b><BR/>
Here is a list of some anime/manga that is considered classics among otaku.<BR/>
- Akira (anime)<BR/>
- Battle Angel Alita (manga)<BR/>
- Dragonball Z (anime/manga)<BR/>
- Galaxy Express 999 (manga)<BR/>
- Ghost in the Shell (anime/manga)<BR/>
- Macross Plus a.k.a. Robotech (anime)<BR/>
- Neon Genesis Evangelion (anime)<BR/>
- Perfect Blue (anime)<BR/>
- X (anime)<BR/>
<b>Dubbed vs. Subtitled</b><BR/>
The longest running argument between otaku is, "Which is better: dubs or subs?" While dubs are cheaper and easier to follow you lose the feel of watching a Japanese cartoon. Also, dub translations are not quite accurate to the original translation.<BR/>
<b>Things To Remember</b><BR/>
Here is a list of things to remember when viewing/reading anime and manga.<BR/>
- You WILL NOT understand a bloody thing the first time. Watch it again and again.<BR/>
- Things can get violent...very violent...extremely violent...ok, things can get downright gruesome.<BR/>
- Everything is explosive, everything. In Fist of the North Star heads explode.<BR/>
- Some manga is read from right to left (this is how it is done in Japan).<BR/>
<u><b>Anime</b></u><BR/>
Anime (pronounced annie-may) is the termed used to describe animated Japanese comic art, what we call cartoons. It comes from the Japanese word for animation. This includes movies and TV series. Some of the popular anime today is Pokémon, Digimon, Sailor Moon, and Dragonball Z.<p>
<u><b>Manga</b></u><BR/>
Manga (pronounced main-ga) is the termed used to describe still Japanese comic art, what we call graphic novels. It comes from the Japanese word for motionless. Most anime was manga first. Manga is less mainstream then anime. One popular manga would be Ranma 1/2.<p>
<u><b>Anime/Manga FAQ</b></u><BR/>
Here I'll answer some of the most common questions about anime and manga.<BR/>
Q. Why are the eyes so big?<BR/>
A. The big eyes make the characters look friendly.<BR/>
Q. Why is there so much nudity?<BR/>
A. The Japanese have a different view towards nudity then we do in the West. Its fine to have some nudity in anime/manga even if it is targeted towards children. Erotic anime and manga, a.k.a. hentai, is another thing.<p>
<u><b>Glossary</b></u><BR/>
Here I'll define some of the most commonly used terms about anime and manga<BR/>
<b>BGM</b> - Back ground music.<BR/>
<b>cel</b> - A single drawing on a piece of transparent material. Cels are laid over a background picture to produce a single frame of animation.<BR/>
<b>chibi</b> - A term used to describe an anime/manga style where the characters are drawn super deformed in a way that they are too cute for their own good.<BR/>
<b>CG</b> - Computer graphics.<BR/>
<b>con</b> - Convention.<BR/>
<b>cosplay</b> - Costume play, fans dress up as anime or manga characters and act out scenes (usually at cons).<BR/>
<b>dub</b> - A voice re-recording of a video into a language other then the one it was made in.<BR/>
<b>ecchi</b> - Used to describe adult (erotic) anime and manga. It is written "h" and read "ecchi". Comes from hentai, the Japanese word for pervert abbreviated as "h".<BR/>
<b>fandub</b> - An anime video re-dubbed by fans.<BR/>
<b>fanfic</b> - A story written by fans based on an anime or manga.<BR/>
<b>fansub</b> - An anime video re-subtitled by fans.<BR/>
<b>hentai</b> - The Japanese word for pervert, used to describe adult anime and manga.<BR/>
<b>kawaii</b> - The Japanese word for cute.<BR/>
<b>mecha</b> - From the Japanese word for mechanical. It describes all robotics in anime and manga, e.g. giant robots, space ships, etc.<BR/>
<b>OAV</b> - Original Animated Video. An anime series released directly to video.<BR/>
<b>OVA</b> - Original Video Animation. See OAV.<BR/>
<b>Otaku</b> - Used to describe hard core anime and manga fans. Almost equivalent to the Japanese word for nerd.<BR/>
<b>Sub</b> - Subtitled. A video in its original language but translated to the desired language by words displayed at the bottom of the screen.<BR/>
<b>seiyuu</b> - The Japanese word for voice actor.<BR/>
<b>shojo</b> - A style of anime and manga that is targeted towards young girls. The plots focus on emotion and relationships with pretty female main characters and attractive men supporting characters. An example is Sailor Moon.<p>
<u><b>Getting Started</b></u><BR/>
Now that you you are brushed up on what the whole anime/manga thing is lets discuss where to start anime/manga fandom.<BR/>
<b>Buying Anime</b><BR/>
You can usually rent anime at any Blockbuster (in the action section). Some TV channels show anime more targeted toward children, like Pokémon and Digimon. Try looking at the listings for Fox and Cartoon Network. The Encore Action Channel and Sci-fi Channel show more mature anime (not hentai, sorry). Check their listings also. Anime usually doesn't reach mainstream theatres, but if you have a fine arts theatre you might be able to catch an anime film there. Buying anime is just a little bit more difficult. You can buy Pokémon, Dragonball Z, and Sailor Moon at stores like Wal-Mart (but alas, there are always edited and dubbed). A video store (example Suncoast Video) worth its weight in anything should have an anime section or at least be able to order them for you. Some music stores will sell a few anime videos. Sam Goody's and Best Buy are the mechas of anime. Just about anything you could want at a reasonable price. You can always order anime online from such quality sites as <a href="http://www.animenation.com" target="an_only">www.animenation.com</a>. Remember subtitled videos cost more than dubbed videos.<BR/>
<b>Buying Manga</b><BR/>
Manga, being less popular, is a bit harder to come by. First of all, try going to your local book store and look in the graphic novel section. Graphic novels can also be purchased online.<BR/>
<b>The Classics</b><BR/>
Here is a list of some anime/manga that is considered classics among otaku.<BR/>
- Akira (anime)<BR/>
- Battle Angel Alita (manga)<BR/>
- Dragonball Z (anime/manga)<BR/>
- Galaxy Express 999 (manga)<BR/>
- Ghost in the Shell (anime/manga)<BR/>
- Macross Plus a.k.a. Robotech (anime)<BR/>
- Neon Genesis Evangelion (anime)<BR/>
- Perfect Blue (anime)<BR/>
- X (anime)<BR/>
<b>Dubbed vs. Subtitled</b><BR/>
The longest running argument between otaku is, "Which is better: dubs or subs?" While dubs are cheaper and easier to follow you lose the feel of watching a Japanese cartoon. Also, dub translations are not quite accurate to the original translation.<BR/>
<b>Things To Remember</b><BR/>
Here is a list of things to remember when viewing/reading anime and manga.<BR/>
- You WILL NOT understand a bloody thing the first time. Watch it again and again.<BR/>
- Things can get violent...very violent...extremely violent...ok, things can get downright gruesome.<BR/>
- Everything is explosive, everything. In Fist of the North Star heads explode.<BR/>
- Some manga is read from right to left (this is how it is done in Japan).<BR/>
