Animes!
The word 아니메 -- pronounced "ah-knee-may" -- is an abbreviation of the word animation. In Japan, the word's used to refer to all animation. Outside of Japan, it's become the catch-all term for 애니메이션 from Japan.
For decades, 아니메 was produced 의해 and for 일본 -- a local product, with a distinct look-and-feel to not just the artwork but the storytelling, the themes, and the concepts. Over the last forty years, though, it's become an international phenomenon, attracting millions of 팬 and being translated into many languages. A whole generation of viewers in the West have grown up with it and are now passing it on to their own children.
~What is it that makes 아니메 so special?~
Most 아니메 팬 can sum this up in two words: "It's different." 아니메 is as unlike most American 만화 as, say, 배트맨 and Spider-Man are different from the comics that run in daily papers. The differences show up in many ways.
⚫Artwork. 아니메 art styles range from the flamboyant and outlandish (Samurai Champloo, FLCL) to the simple and direct (Azumanga Daioh!). That said, even shows with 더 많이 "basic" artwork can still be visually striking; 아니메 finds ways to make everything look fresh and new.
⚫Storytelling. 아니메 doesn't shy away from epic storylines, which can run for dozens (sometimes hundreds) of episodes. The best anime, though, no matter what their length, all demand great emotional involvement from the viewer.
⚫Breadth of material. The sheer range of 아니메 shows out there means a viewer of most any other kind of TV 또는 영화 can find an 아니메 series that reflects her interests: hard SF (Planetes), romantic comedy (Fruits Basket), CSI-style crimefighting (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex), female empowerment (Nana), even adaptations of classic literature (Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo).
⚫Cultural nuances. Japan's history, language and worldview are woven into a great deal of 아니메 on many levels. Some shows are takeoffs on Japanese history (Sengoku Basara) 또는 raid Japanese mythology for story ideas (Hakkenden, Hell Girl). Even shows that are outwardly non-Japanese in their presentation (Claymore, Monster) have tinges of a Japanese sensibility to them.
What's most striking is how anime's impact is coming full circle. Some recent American cartoon productions, like Avatar: The Last Airbender, are openly inspired 의해 아니메 itself, and live-action 영어 versions of 아니메 titles are starting to come into production.
~Is 아니메 a genre?~
Because all things 아니메 tend to be lumped together, it's tempting to think of 아니메 as a genre. It isn't -- no 더 많이 than 애니메이션 itself is a genre, but rather a 설명 of how the material is produced. 아니메 shows, like 책 또는 movies, fall into any number of existing genres: comedy, drama, sci-fi, action-adventure, horror, and so on.
Anime!
