Blog ends here, sorry.

Let me ask you a question, do you know what happened on Lucky Star episode 23? If you know what I’m talking about then you do know what anime and manga is. If not, read this article in order to get up-to-date about this fandom.

“Anime,” Animé, Japanimation, whatever you call it, strictly means animation made in Japan. It is a form of art that specializes in facial expression; hence the large eyes. It concentrates on emotion in order to capture the attention of the viewers. Whether it is embarrassment, a funny joke, or enraged anger, the feeling is conveyed as an addition to the face. Sometimes the emotion changes the face entirely into a new person. Since it is in Japanese, American companies must translate and dub these shows prior to release in the US. It is part of the process of licensing anime; short for copyrighting it.

“Manga,” Japanese comics, is the same as anime but without color or sound. The same emotions are used but paused on paper and the same licensing process is used. In fact this is where an anime gets started; when the comic becomes popular it is adapted into a television show. If you think about it, anime is just a slowed down version of manga for they have to play out scenes instead of “reading between the panels” where imagination is used.

The primary reason why it is popular among kids, teens, and adults is the internet. It promoted artists and fans to post “anime/manga style” drawings on forums and websites such as Deviantart and Photobucket. As for videos, YouTube and LimeWire hosts thousands of whole anime shows (legally or not). This brings me back to Lucky Star, a popular anime in Japan that has not yet been licensed in the US. English fans of the show “fansubs” (translates into English subtitles) each episode. Lots of work takes place, they may even translate the manga. But it all has to stop as soon as the anime is licensed.

Today, anime is a pop culture icon and will continue to lead in the world of animation. The fandom has been growing every year; this year’s Anime Expo (AX) reached 44,000+ in attendance. AX has been growing every year since its first convention. It is expected to “Rule The World!” as quoted from Taishi Kuhonbutsu of Comic Party, an anime about the fandom and its lifestyle. The same lifestyle is examined and parodied on Lucky Star, a show about a girl’s obsession on the culture of anime and manga; the basic definition of “otaku.”

Popular anime/manga in America by online statistics:

• Azumanga Daioh
• Bleach
• Death Note
• Fruits Basket
• Lucky Star
• Naruto
• Negima!?
• The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya