Just What Is Anime?

What is anime? Well, that's a justifiable question. It's certainly not a word most of us use in our everyday lives. For starters, it's animated. But more than Bugs Bunny or Mickey. We're talking extremely good graphics, sometimes computer generated, and with an industry that's extremely popular, the bar is set high.

In its simplest terms, Anime is Japanese animated shows, usually anywhere from 25-45 episodes (though over 100 is not uncommon).

Second, its much more versatile than its American cousin, the cartoon. Let's face it, cartoons are aimed at children. Sure, everyone else loves them and anyone can watch them (meaning there is rarely innuendo or nudity), but that's not the point.

Anime, however, has a wide range. Think of it like American movie systems: movies are G, PG-13, R, or NC-17, telling audiences what to expect when they go to see the movie. The same goes for anime, except that with anime, the ratings aren't always clearly interpreted. America was introduced to this new, mature "cartoon" thru Fox, Sci-Fi, and Cartoon Network's Toonami in the mid-90s, and ever since it has taken root in our culture.

Anime has two stereotypes: the Pokemon-Digimon "kiddie" version, accompanied by the belief that because it's animated it's supposed to be for children. The opposite extreme is the very adult "big guns, big bosoms", toon erotica version. Thus, most parents either denounce all anime as satanic or sinful because of the latter, or are shocked to find more sophisticated themes or violence in their children's anime because they were expecting something more like Disney.

Like most stereotypes, there is a bit of truth in each, for each kind exists but neither dominates; both are more rare in the anime culture. Nor is that the only two types of anime; it's more of a medium than a category. There's plenty of genres to choose from: science fiction (Outlaw Star), swords and sorcery (Slayers), the armored hero (Ronin Warriors), the near-but-distant future robot/mecha sagas (Gundam Wing), the fighter style (Dragon Ball Z), the pretty girl heroines (Sailor Moon)...the list just goes on and on and on, with many sub-genres in between. Sports, racing, romance, comedy, drama, mystery, action, adventure--it's all here.

The most important things parents should realize is that again, you can't say all anime is a single thing. Not all anime is good, nor is all anime evil. It is truly like modern American television--some is suitable for children, some for teens, and some is for adults only. Anime can be used to forward a lot of good spiritual messages too. Christian themes like sacrificial love, unconditional love, loyalty, friendship, kindness to one's enemies, and many more uplifting ones are present.

Another great criticism against anime is the non-Judeo-Christian background of many shows. Japan is a largely atheistic country, but it has historically strong ties with Shintoism and Buddhism, too. Since anime is their largest cultural export, it's easy to see how such a worldview could be reflected. However, that does not mean that any given anime will send a rotten, blasphemous message to your little ones. There may be passing reference to Shinto temples, shintoism itself or elements of a religion (Christianity, Hinduism, norse lore, celtic lore, etc.), but for the most part very rarely does an anime intend for you to take the spiritual message seriously. Anime is not some foreign preacher trying to persuade your children away from Christ. Instead, it makes passing references to other religious beliefs in a way that could be used as a springboard for discussion, and certainly not in a counter-missionary-like manner. Furthermore, there are many anime out there that do not even mention religion at all.

I hope this has helped you become a little more familiar with the anime world, but if you still have any questions please do not hesitate to ask. I would be honored to be of help to you, and you can reach me here.