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 and read from top to bottom and then right to left, similar to the layout of Japanese plain text. Financially, manga represented 2005 a market of ¥24 billion in Japan and $180 million in the United States. Manga was the fastest-growing segment of books in theUnited States in 2005. 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.
Naruto Uzumaki is the fictionalprotagonist of the Japanesemanga seriesNaruto, created byMasashi Kishimoto. A carefree, optimistic and boisterous teenninja who befriends other ninja, he aspires to become the leader of his fictional village, Konohagakure. He appears inanime, films, video games andoriginal video animations, as well as a sequelBoruto: Naruto Next Generations, with his sonBoruto Uzumaki as the protagonist. Kishimoto initially aimed to keep the character "simple and stupid", while giving him many attributes of an ideal hero, and a tragic past. The author has revised Naruto's image many times, providing the character with different clothes intended to appeal to Western audiences and to make him easier to illustrate. Naruto is voiced byJunko Takeuchi(pictured) in the original animated series andMaile Flanagan in the English adaptations. The character's development has been praised by anime and manga publications, and has drawn scholarly attention. (Full article...)
The televised series aired on theTV Tokyo Japanese television network between January 11, 2006 and March 29, 2006 comprising twelve main episodes. Four pieces oftheme music were used in the anime, one opening theme, two ending themes, and one insert song used in episode twelve. The episodes were released on sevenDVD compilations released between April 26, 2006 and October 27, 2006, each containing two episodes. The seventh DVD also contained anoriginal video animation episode entitled "A Girl Falls in Love with a Girl" (少女は少女に恋をした,Shōjo wa Shōjo ni Koi o Shita). Produced by the same production team of the anime series, this one-off episode is set four months after the events of the anime series during theChristmas season. (Full list...)
