Anime (アニメ) refers to the
animation style originating in
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) is
Japanese for "comics" or "whimsical images". 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 a 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 at almost $250 million.
Anime and manga share many characteristics, including exaggerating (in terms of scale) of physical features, to which the reader presumably should pay most attention (best known being "large eyes"), "dramatically shaped speech bubbles, speed lines and onomatopoeic, exclamatory typography..." Some manga (a small percentage) are adapted into
anime, often with the collaboration of the
original author. Computer games can also be adapted into anime. 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 anime franchises sometimes include full-length
feature films. Some anime franchises have been adapted into
live-action films and television programs.
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 women, 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...)
The anime was originally announced at the
Tokyo Game Show on September 22, 2006, with plans to release twelve episodes of the series. Unlike most anime, the episode titles were released in English instead of the customary Japanese. The first episode aired on June 14, 2007, with the twelfth shown on September 6, 2007. As of December 2007, three DVD compilations of the anime have been released by Media Factory. A special edition of the first compilation was packaged with Devil May Cry 4, the next game in the Devil May Cry series. (Full list...)