Anime. A History

Japanese animation is at the nexus of an international multimedia industry worth over $23.6 billion a year, linked to everything from manga to computer games, Pokémon and plushies. In this comprehensive guide, Jonathan Clements chronicles the production and reception history of the entire medium, from a handful of hobbyists in the 1910s to the Oscar-winning Spirited Away and beyond. Exploring the cultural and technological developments of the past century, Clements addresses how anime´s history has been written by Japanese scholars, and covers previously neglected topics such as wartime instructional animation and work-for-hire for American clients. Founded on the testimonies of industry professionals, and drawing on a myriad of Japanese-language documents, memoirs and books, Anime: A History illuminates the anime business from the inside - investigating its innovators, its unsung heroes and its controversies. This new edition has been updated and revised throughout, with full colour illustrations and three new chapters on anime´s fortunes among Chinese audiences and subcontractors, 21st century trends in ´otaku economics´, and the huge transformations brought about by the rise of global streaming technology.