anime history

Anime began at the start of the 20th century, when Japanese filmmakers experimented with the animation techniques also pioneered in France, Germany, the United States, and Russia. The oldest known anime in existence was screened in 1917 - a two minute clip of a samurai trying to test a new sword on his target, only to suffer defeat. The first talkie anime was Chikara to Onna no Yo no Naka, released in 1933.

By the 1930s, animation became an alternative format of storytelling to the underdeveloped live-action industry in Japan. Unlike in the United States, the live-action industry in Japan remained a small market and suffered from budgeting, location, and casting restrictions. The lack of Western-looking actors, for example, made it next to impossible to shoot films set in Europe, America, or fantasy worlds that do not naturally involve Japan. Animation allowed artists to create any characters and settings.

The success of The Walt Disney Company's 1937 feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs influenced Japanese animators. In the 1960s, manga artist and animator Osamu Tezuka adapted and simplified many Disney animation techniques to reduce costs and number of frames in the production. He intended this as a temporary measure to allow him to produce material on a tight schedule with inexperienced animation staff.

The 1970s saw a surge of growth in the popularity of manga—which were often later animated—especially those of Osamu Tezuka, who has been called a "legend" and the "god of manga".[10][11] His work and that of other pioneers in the field, inspired characteristics and genres that are fundamental elements of anime today. The giant robot genre (known as "Mecha" outside Japan), for instance, took shape under Tezuka, developed into the Super Robot genre under Go Nagai and others, and was revolutionized at the end of the decade by Yoshiyuki Tomino who developed the Real Robot genre. Robot anime like the Gundam and The Super Dimension Fortress Macross series became instant classics in the 1980s, and the robot genre of anime is still one of the most common in Japan and worldwide today. In the 1980s, anime became more accepted in the mainstream in Japan (although less than manga), and experienced a boom in production. Following a few successful adaptations of anime in overseas markets in the 1980s, anime gained increased acceptance in those markets in the 1990s and even more at the turn of the 21st century.more

AzuManga Daioh

AzuManga Daioh
Manga Review

Before there was Lucky Star, there was AzuManga Daioh. It's not as cavity cute as Lucky Star and not as much inane humor either but the storyline is much more coherent and that much crazier to even things out. AzuManga Daioh started off as a comic strip before it was turned into an anime so it's only a matter of time that a compilation of the comic strip was put together into an actual manga book.

AzuManga DaiohAzuManga follows the lives of six girls in high school. Between their crazy sicko teachers and their own insecurities, high school has never been so interesting. There is little Chiyo-chan, the most adorable little 10-year-old genius to ever be alive. Everyone is jealous that she is smart AND rich but she's so cute that no one can really hate her for long. If you visit her at her huge house, you might see her riding her giant dog, Mr. Tadakichi, around like a horse.

AzuManga DaiohOsaka (this isn't her real name, just a nickname) constantly obsesses about Chiyo-chan's ponytails and frequently daydreams about how Chiyo-chan has detachable ponytails that she switches between seasons. There are times she thinks that they can make Chiyo-chan fly or maybe she's really a robot and the ponytails are switches to turn her on and off....Yeah...Osaka is not too grounded in reality.

If you are wondering why Osaka ended up with the nickname Osaka, you will have to thank Tomo-chan for it. Always energetic, always talking without thinking, and always doing everything without thinking Tomo-chan. It's a wonder why this girl hasn't been killed yet. Surprisingly, Tomo-chan actually has a friend despite all this: Yomi.

AzuManga DaiohYomi is the complete opposite of her luckily; I don't think the school can take another girl like Tomo-chan. Quiet, studiously, and always the constant voice of reason, Yomi instills a calm about her that is rather like an eye of a storm.

Another person that instills a bit of calm in the school would be Sakaki: the gifted athlete and champion of all small cute things. Most of the students in the school think that Sakaki is mature, cool, and aloof because she's confident in her athletics and do not need the approval of those around her. Sadly, only Chiyo-chan in her own innocent way know that Sakaki is too shy to say that she wants the approval of her fellow classmates. She doesn't want to be known as the girl that wins trophies for the school; she just wants all things small and cute and huggable to love her and allow her to take care of them.AzuManga DaiohLast but not least, you have Kaorin... you don't really see much of her except when she's ogling Sakaki... I think she has a crush on her.

And then, you have the crazy sicko teachers. The most normal of these teachers is Miss Kurosawa. She's very nice and, most of the time, in full control of herself as she teaches gym class. You start seeing kinks in her armor emerge the minute her old friend, Miss Yukari, start calling her "Nyamo" though. Miss Yukari, on the other hand, probably never grew up from her days as a teenager. She is always obsessing how she compares to Miss Kurosawa and has the social graces of a rampaging bull. Her students love her despite her social awkwardness; since she never grew up from her days as a teenager, she's practically still one of them.

AzuManga DaiohBetween Miss Kurosawa and Miss Yukari, they have to protect all the female students from the odd, lecherous Mr. Kimura. He has a thing for female high school students; even little Chiyo-chan who is only 10-years-old is not safe from Mr. Kimura's scheming.

So if you liked Lucky Star or if you've watched the AzuManga Daioh anime already and loved it, you should pick up a copy of the manga and check it out.

Reviewed by Carolyn Whu, February 2008

Below (top to bottom): The charaters Chiyo, Osaka, Tomo, Sakaki and Kagura from AzuManga Daioh animated series. Found via AzuManga Daioh Image Gallery!