For anime lovers out there, here are five facts about Anime that you might not know. Anime is so huge in Japan that you can find landmarks, statues, and sites dedicated to anime culture. It is interesting to know that over 40 schools in japan have declared Anime a separate subject. It has 130 voice-acting schools to make paths for more artists. Though its roots are in Japan, Japanese Anime has grown into a global form of entertainment, accounting for the 60% of the world’s animation-based entertainment. It has garnered millions of fans around the globe and is being translated into other languages. Anime is not limited to Japan anymore.

Five Most Interesting Facts about Anime

Have you ever watched anime katana? Anime admirers must know thoroughly about what they watch. Let’s get started!

1. American Animation Initially Inspired Anime

This will be an interesting fact as most people don’t know that anime culture was originally inspired by American culture. So, Anime for Japanese is any form of traditional or computer-generated animation, even the American ones. In contrast, westerners call Anime a specific drawing style with exaggerated facial expressions. Anime originated from Japan, but the first animations from Walt Disney basically inspired it.

Osama Tezuka, also known as the father of Anime, is a Japanese animator responsible for the anime style we see today. His motivation came from the first big Disney animation movie, “snow white and the seven dwarfs.” Since he didn’t have a big budget, he produced his animations in a very simplistic design, like big eyes with tiny noses and mouths as lines to easily show emotions. His budget-cutting actions fruited the popular animation that we call Anime today.

2. Anime Locations Are Real

Art does imitate life! Anime as an art form is a perfect example of this phrase. You can find a lot of famous anime locations that are inspired by real-life places in Japan. By looking at those amazing city and rural landscape anime scenes, you would love to visit them. Remember the most iconic scene when Mitsuha and Taki reunite on the red stairs from Makoto Shinkai’s “Your Name”? That Suga Shrine Staircase can be found in Yotsuya, Tokyo. Many other scenes depict the incredible detail of places like Nozomi Slope, Toshima City in “Weathering with You,” and Saitama’s apartment in “One punch man.”

This will be an interesting fact as most people don’t know that anime culture was originally inspired by American culture. So, Anime for Japanese is any form of traditional or computer-generated animation, even the American ones.

In addition to landscapes, you will be amazed to learn that Naruto’s favorite ramen shop is a real place. Yes! You heard it right. The ramen shop “Ichiraku” is located in Kyushu near the university, which the Naruto author Masashi Kishimoto loved so much that he included it in his plots.

3. The Pokémon Franchise Was Banned In Islamic-Centric Countries.

Pokémon is perhaps the most innocent and famous Anime of our childhood. It’s a cute, super clean, and kid-friendly game series. Then why is it restricted in so many countries? Several groups consider it a gateway towards worshipping the devil, or some believe that the series promotes animal abuse. According to the fatwa in Saudi Arabia, the game was unIslamic as it promoted gambling, polytheism, and evolution. Many conspiracy theories claimed it to be a Zionist conspiracy, and the entire franchise got restricted in gulf countries. Even Russia has announced jail sentences for Pokémon Go users playing in churches.

4. All Anime Shows Are Cartoons, but All Cartoons Are Not Anime

Japanese use the word “anime” to distinguish it from all cartoons and claim it is a higher art form. At the same time, the cartoon is originated in the US and was used as a model for painting but now linked to caricatures for humor. Although both use traditional animation processes like storyboarding, character design, voice acting, and cell production, Anime carry the traces between frames instead of drawing each frame (limited animation). Unlike Disney, Anime focuses on achieving three-dimensional views and the scene’s atmosphere. It signifies animation movies distinguished by blazing graphics, art styles, energetic characters, and attractive themes. Anime is produced with cinematic shots as if by the camera, including panning, zooming, and more complex dynamic shots that are difficult to shoot in reality.

China doesn’t compromise on banning Anime for inappropriate content. It has banned 38 anime and manga due to public morality, graphic violence, and fan service scenes.

Talking about the theme, cartoons revolve around humor (generally made to make people laugh), and sometimes they are educational in nature. Therefore, the targeted market is toddlers and kids. In comparison, anime movies have a certain level of complexity, with stories ranging from sci-fi, romance, and comedy, to supernatural forces. It is targeted at people who like to see multiple episodes with a longer attention span. Not to forget the wide variations in facial expressions like a “stress mark” effect when angry or a bloody nose around their love interest. They are on the next level to cartoons with topics mostly on life issues, human emotions, violent actions, and sexual themes.

5. Major Anime Are Prohibited In China.

China doesn’t compromise on banning Anime for inappropriate content. It has banned 38 anime and manga due to public morality, graphic violence, and fan service scenes. With the fact that Asia is the birthplace of Anime, 40% of all Asian countries count “Attack on Titan” as the most-watched while it is banned in China. Other main streams banned are Death Note, Sword Art Online, Highschool of the Dead, Psycho-Pass, Assassination Classroom, and Black Butler. Besides China, several other countries have also banned death note and other animated violent content.

Conclusion

Simply put, Anime has gained the world’s attention through its distinct features like limited animation, exaggerated expressions, complex plot, and adult focus. It is not the same as what we call cartoons but a higher form of art. Although it finds its root in Japan, Anime was initially inspired by American animation. Anime has a different definition in Japanese and Western contexts, which state all cartoons are not Anime. So much fan-following yet banned in so many countries as it is not targeted to kids only has a more 18+ audience. Even China has banned the most famous Attack on Titan and Death Note due to violence and inappropriate content.