Anime Manga

Anime Manga
By Tinna Mills, Youth Services Associate
Veterans Memorial Library
Japanese animated film, also known as anime, is a huge trend in the United States
and the number of devoted fans only continues to grow. So, exactly what is anime? It
began in Japan in 1917 with the creation of a five minute film short by Oten Shimokawa
a twenty-six year old amateur filmmaker. Almost one hundred years later, anime films
cover a large variety of content intended for vastly different audiences. Pokemon,
Digimon, Yu-gi-oh and Dragon Ball are all anime series enjoyed by youth of various
ages which have become household names in many American families.

If you would like to know more about anime, the library has a variety of
resources that may be of interest. The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese
Animation Since 1917 includes information on over 2,000 anime titles as well as
information on the history of anime, terminology, filmmakers, etc. Whether you are
exploring anime for the first time or are interested in furthering your knowledge of the
subject, this title covers a little bit of everything. For additional general resources you
might also explore Anime Explosion: The What? Why? & How of Japanese Animation or
Anime From Akira to Howl's Moving Castle: Experiencing Contemporary Japanese
Animation.

Dedicated anime fans can test their knowledge using the Anime Trivia Quizbook
which includes hundreds of questions and information about various Japanese animated
films. The library also has subscriptions to magazines such as Anime Insider which
includes information about what is up and coming in the world of anime and its print

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equivalent, manga. Shojo Beat and Shonen Jump are both magazines which publish
stories in the manga format along with articles. There is also Newtype USA which is the
English-language version of a popular Japanese publication about anime and manga. This
title also includes an anime DVD with each issue which you can check out separately.

For those who would like to learn more about the art of manga style drawing there
are numerous books about how to draw manga style art. These titles include everything
from Drawing Cutting Edge Fusion: American Comics with a Manga Influence to How
to Draw Manga: Giant Robots to Anime Mania: How to Draw Characters for Japanese
Animation. With these tools aspiring artists are able to teach themselves the tricks of this
popular trade.
On Tuesday, November 20th from 6 to 8 PM teens are invited to view several
episodes of the anime Azumanga Daioh while enjoying popcorn provided by the library.
The library will close for the Thanksgiving holiday at 6PM on Wednesday, November
21st and will reopen at 10 AM on Saturday, November 24th. On Tuesday, November 27th
from 6 to 8 PM teens are invited to sing their hearts out at the library’s X-Box Karaoke
tournament. Stations will be available for additional gaming opportunities as well. For
parents who are looking for an educational activity to do with their toddler, Lapsit
Storytime on November 28th from 10:15-10:45 AM is the place to be. Also, on Friday,
November 30th the library will be hosting a Red Cross blood drive from 11 AM to 5 PM.
This could be your opportunity to save a life! For more information on any of these
upcoming events please visit us online at www.crdl.org or call 773-3242.

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