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Welcome to
The Anime and Manga Portal
Introduction
Anime (アニメ) refers to animation originating from 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), Japanese for "comics" or "whimsical pictures", are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. 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 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 of almost $250 million.
Anime and manga have a shared iconography, including exaggerating the scale of physical features, to which the reader presumably should pay most attention; the best known being "large eyes". Manga are often adapted into anime, usually with the collaboration of the original author. Light novel series and video games can also be adapted into anime or manga. 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 franchises sometimes include full-length feature films, both animated and live-action, as well as live-action television programs.
Selected article
Shojo Beat is a shōjomanga magazine formerly published in North America by Viz Media. Launched in June 2005 as a sister magazine for Shonen Jump, it featured serialized chapters from six manga series, as well as articles on Japanese culture, manga, anime, fashion and beauty. After its initial launch, Shojo Beat underwent two redesigns, becoming the first English anthology to use the cyan and magenta ink tones common to Japanese manga anthologies. Viz launched a related imprint of the same name for female-oriented manga, light novels and anime.
Targeted at teenage girls, the first issue of Shojo Beat launched with a circulation of 20,000. By 2007, the average circulation was approximately 38,000 copies, with half coming from subscriptions rather than store sales. It was well received by critics, who praised its mix of manga series and the inclusion of articles on Japanese culture, though some critics found the early issues boring and poorly written. In May 2009, Viz announced that it was discontinuing the magazine; the July 2009 issue was the last released. Fans were disappointed at the sudden news. Industry experts felt its loss would leave female comic fans without a magazine of their own but praised Viz for its choice to continue using the Shojo Beat imprint and branding for its shōjo manga and anime releases. (Full article...)
Featured list
The chapters of the manga series Marmalade Boy were written by Wataru Yoshizumi. The first chapter premiered in the May 1992 issue of Ribon where it was serialized monthly until its conclusion in the October 1995 issue. The series follows the rocky romance between step-siblings Miki Koishikawa and Yuu Matsuura, who meet after their parents swap partners.
The 39 unnamed chapters were collected and published in eight tankōbon volumes by Shueisha starting on December 12, 1992; the last volume was released on February 20, 1996. Shueisha later republished the series in six special edition volumes. The first special edition volume was released on March 15, 2004, and new volumes were published monthly until the final volume was released on August 11, 2004. The manga was adapted into a 76-episode anime series by Toei Animation that aired in Japan on Asahi TV and Fuji TV from March 13, 1994 to September 3, 1995. The manga series is licensed for regional language releases by Glénat in France, by Grupo Editorial Vid in Mexico, by Planeta DeAgostini in Spain, by Planet Manga in Italy, and by Egmont Publishing in Germany. (Full list...)
... that Del Rey Manga found most of its translator talent from anime and manga fans at conventions since fluent English speakers who know enough Japanese are preferred over native Japanese translators?
...that in the otaku culture, it is common to see trains, computer operating systems, warplanes, and even home appliances anthropomorphized as girls (pictured)?
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Wikipe-tan, one of the unofficial mascots of Wikipedia.
Wikipe-tan, a moe anthropomorphization of Wikipedia. In anime, moe characters are designed to elicit a protective or loving response from the audience. Like many moe characters, Wikipe-tan is a cute young girl.
