Anime in America

At first glance you would not be able to tell that I have a big interest in Anime. What is Anime you ask? according to Caroline Seawright a writer for Kunoichi [her webpage had the best definition that I could find] “Anime is the Japanese shortened word for 'animation'. In Japan, 'Anime' would be any animated production, from Disney to Legend of the Over fiend. Anything that is animated, be it Japanese, English or French. Outside Japan, though, 'Anime' tends to refer, specifically, to Japanese animation. In Japan, Anime is a rather popular form of entertainment. It comes in the form of T.V. shows, movies at the cinema as well as direct to video releases (OVA - Original Video Animation). Unlike in the west, Anime has a huge variety of genres - it is not only for children. Nor, on the other hand, is it just sex and violence for adults! Anime is for everybody” that being said I want to add that I didn’t know what Anime was at first but eventually I ended up watching a new series every week when I entered college because the internet was more accessible to me. It’s official definition according to /www.merriam-webster.com “a style of animation originating in Japan that is characterized by stark colorful graphics depicting vibrant characters in action-filled plots often with fantastic or futuristic themes” . The more I got into Anime the more I started to see it all around me from people’s ringtones to their cloths and even their hobbies revolved around Anime; and each time I found people like that it was the last people that I suspected! Being that anime is not mainstream by any means. What I mean by that is you’ll never see an anime advertising on T.V. like in Japan nor would you hear anime songs on the radio here in America. Most of the time from first experience if something is not in English Americans don’t care about it. But after Animes such as Dragonball and Poke’mon were introduced in English, Anime has established a fan base here in America. But has a long way to go from being as big as it is in Japan. I started looking in to it and learned it started in 1917 I was amazed on how far it’s come and the technology needed to make the shows it was equal to the technology used in today’s Disney productions. It’s funny how two different cultures have different looks on what is basically cartoons. I looked in to it and found that a convention is held every year just for Anime here in America called
Sakura-Con; it's held during March and sometimes April in the Washington State convention and Trade Center in Seattle, Washington and had an attendance rate of 13,600 in 2008!