Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, and Pokémon— if any of these sound familiar to you, then chances are you are an anime fan. An anime is essentially a Japanese style of motion-picture animation, or, in other words, a Japanese style cartoon.
However, animes differ from American cartoons in many ways; many animes have a much broader spectrum as far as genres go and attract more people of differing ages. Many American cartoons either aim to entertain children or are based in crude humor that’s more entertaining for adults, whereas animes can range from the action packed to the often emotionally charged, dramatic, and even tragic chronicles of a character’s life.
Anime has been growing increasingly popular with American audiences since the mid-60s with the American release of Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy. Astro Boy is one of the first of its kind to be aired on American television stations and has made way for the more recognized animes we know today. Another contributor to the popularity of anime in America has been Cartoon Network.
In the late 1990s, Cartoon Network created a segment titled as “Toonami,” which initially showcased action oriented cartoons and most commonly featured anime programs. One of the most popular shows to come out of the “Toonami” line-up was Dragon Ball Z.
Dragon Ball Z is an action anime/comedy that has both science fiction and mythological aspects to it. The main focus of the show revolves around the main group of characters (with the occasional add-in), searching for the 7 magical dragon balls that when united, summon a magical dragon that will grant one wish to the one who summoned him. Along the way, there’s also many action packed battles, whether in a tournament of strength or defending the earth from very human like aliens who wish to destroy it.
A plot that may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is just an example of what you can expect from many animes. Based on the fantastic and out of this world, they take our imaginations to places that many American cartoons have barely touched on.
Animes aren’t just television based programs, though. There is a large variety of anime films that have found success upon their American releases. A great example of this is Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli’s “Spirited Away,” which won the award for Best Animated Film at the 75th annual Academy Awards and became the first Japanese animated film to be nominated for an Oscar.
From our television screens to movie screens, anime is spreading like a cultural wave across our country, with even in school clubs as well as online groups dedicated to them. This growing “trend” doesn’t seem to have an end in sight. So the next time you’re just clicking through the channels on your TV and you happen upon a “cartoon” that catches your eye, take a closer look because you might just be joining the fast growing group of anime lovers in America.