Anime (アニメ) refers to the
animation style originating in
Japan. It is characterized by distinctive characters and backgrounds (hand-drawn or
computer-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 of
genres. Anime is most frequently distributed by
streaming services, broadcast on
television, or sold on
DVDs and other media, either after their broadcast run or directly as
original video animation (OVA).
Console and
computer games sometimes also feature segments or scenes that can be considered anime.
Manga (漫画) is
Japanese for "comics" or "whimsical images". Manga developed from a mixture of
ukiyo-e and Western styles of
drawing, and took its current form shortly after
World 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 a 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 the
United 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 at almost $250 million.
Anime and manga share many characteristics, including exaggerating (in terms of scale) of physical features, to which the reader presumably should pay most attention (best known being "large eyes"), "dramatically shaped speech bubbles, speed lines and onomatopoeic, exclamatory typography..." Some manga (a small percentage) are adapted into
anime, often with the collaboration of the
original author. Computer games can also be adapted into anime. 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 anime franchises sometimes include full-length
feature films. Some anime franchises have been adapted into
live-action films and television programs.
Black Cat (stylized in
all caps) is a Japanese
manga series written and illustrated by
Kentaro Yabuki. It was originally serialized in publisher
Shueisha's
shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from July 2000 to June 2004, with the chapters later collected into twenty tankōbon (bound volumes) by Shueisha. The story centers on a man named Train Heartnet who withdrew from an elite group of assassins called the Chronos Numbers to become a bounty hunter.
The series was adapted into a twenty-four episode
anime television series by studio
Gonzo, which originally aired on
Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) from October 2005 to March 2006. The manga was licensed for English-language publication in North America by
Viz Media and in Australasia by
Madman Entertainment.
Funimation Entertainment licensed the anime for an English dub and North American broadcast on their own
Funimation Channel, with Madman releasing it in Australasia and
MVM Films in the United Kingdom.
Last Exile is a 26-episode
animatedtelevision series created by
Gonzo in celebration of the company's 10th anniversary. The episodes of this
steampunkfantasy series was directed by
Koichi Chigira, and character designs were created by
Range Murata. The story is set on a fictional world divided in eternal conflict between the nations of Anatoray and Disith, and sky
couriers Claus Valca and Lavie Head must deliver a girl who holds the key to uniting the two factions. Last Exile aired in Japan on
TV Tokyo from April 7, 2003, until its final episode on September 29, 2003.
The series was licensed for English language broadcast and distribution in North America by
Geneon Entertainment (then Pioneer Entertainment) in June 2003. Geneon premiered its
dubbed version of the series in
TechTV's
Anime Unleashed programming block on March 8, 2004. The first 13 episodes aired nightly until March 14, 2004. The remaining 13 episodes premiered on December 6, 2004, with new episodes airing each weeknight until the series concluded on December 22, 2004. (Full list...)
An artwork depicting shōnen-ai. Unlike yaoi manga, shōnen-ai manga focus more on romance and do not include explicit sexual content, although they may include implicit sexual content.