Anime (アニメ) refers toanimation originating fromJapan. It is characterized by distinctive characters and backgrounds (hand-drawn orcomputer-generated) that visually and thematically set it apart from other forms of animation. Storylines may include a variety of fictional or historical characters, events, and settings. Anime is aimed at a broad range of audiences; consequently, a given series may have aspects of a range ofgenres. Anime is most frequently distributed bystreaming services, broadcast ontelevision, or sold onDVDs and other media, either after their broadcast run or directly asoriginal video animation (OVA).Console andcomputer games sometimes also feature segments or scenes that can be considered anime.
Manga (漫画), Japanese for "comics" or "whimsical pictures", arecomics orgraphic novels originating from Japan. Manga developed from a mixture ofukiyo-e and Western styles ofdrawing, and took its current form shortly afterWorld War II. Manga, apart from covers, is usually published in black and white but it is common to find introductions to chapters to be in color. It is typically read from top to bottom and then right to left, similar to the layout of Japanese plain text. In 2005, manga represented a market of ¥24 billion in Japan and $180 million in the United States, and was the fastest-growing segment of books in the United States in the same year. In 2020, Japan's manga industry hit a value of ¥612.6 billion due to the fast growth of the digital manga market, while manga sales in North America reached an all-time high of almost $250 million.
Anime and manga have a sharediconography, including exaggerating the scale of physical features to which the reader presumably should pay most attention, the best known being "large eyes". Manga are often adapted into anime, usually with the collaboration of theoriginal author.Light novel series and video games can also be adapted into anime or manga. In such cases, the work's original story is often compressed or modified to fit the new format and appeal to a wider demographic. Popular franchises sometimes include full-lengthfeature films, both animated andlive-action, as well as live-action television programs.
Kenji Miyamoto (right) provided the choreography for the series.
Yuri!!! on Ice (Japanese:ユーリ!!! on ICE) is a Japanesesports anime television series aboutfigure skating. The series was produced byMAPPA, directed and written bySayo Yamamoto with original scripts byMitsurō Kubo under the chief episode direction of Jun Shishido. Character designs were handled by Tadashi Hiramatsu, and its music was composed by Taro Umebayashi andTaku Matsushiba. The figure skating was choreographed byKenji Miyamoto, who also performed routines himself which were recorded and used as skating sound effects. The series premiered on October 6, 2016, and ended on December 22, 2016, with a total of 12 episodes. AYuri on Ice feature film,Ice Adolescence, was originally planned for release in 2019, but has since been cancelled as of April 2024. The series revolves around the relationships between Japanese figure skater Yuri Katsuki; his idol, Russian figure-skating champion Victor Nikiforov; and up-and-coming Russian skater Yuri Plisetsky; as Yuri K. and Yuri P. take part in theFigure Skating Grand Prix, with Victor acting as coach to Yuri K. (Full article...)
Theepisodes of theBlack Lagoonanime are based on themanga series of the same name byRei Hiroe. The episodes of the first season of the anime were directed by Sunao Katabuchi, animated byMadhouse Studios, and produced byGeneon Entertainment andShogakukan. In the second season, known asBlack Lagoon: The Second Barrage, Shogakukan was not involved in the production. The English adaptation of the episodes is licensed by Geneon Entertainment. The plot of the episodes follows the adventures of aJapanese businessman,Rokuro Okajima, after he is abducted by the members of the shipBlack Lagoon and joins their crew under the moniker "Rock".
The first season aired from April 8, 2006, to June 24, 2006, onChiba TV inJapan. The second season began airing on October 3, 2006, on KBS Kyoto, TV Nagoya,TV Kanagawa, andSun TV, and concluded its run on December 19, 2006. The English adaptations of both seasons were aired continuously from October 26, 2007, to April 11, 2008, onG4techTV Canada; the English episodes were also broadcast in theUnited States from February 26, 2008, to May 13, 2008, onStarz Edge. (Full list...)
An example oflolicon, an erotic portrayal of young girls. Critics claim that this genre contributes to actualsexual abuse of children, while others have attempted to refute such claims.
