Questions regarding the history of anime and not for identification requests.
Questions tagged [anime-history]
160 questions
65
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When and why did the trend of 1:30-long openings and endings begin?
I've started to notice lately that the vast majority of anime (that I can find, anyway) seems to have opening (OP) and ending (ED) sequences which are 1 minute and 30 seconds long.
Some examples (though I'm sure there are lots that I haven't…
Cattua
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What is the first ever produced anime and manga?
What is the first anime ever produced in Japan?
And what is the first anime film and first anime series produced?
I heard that it was Astro Boy, is that true? And what is the first ever manga produced in Japan?
xjshiya
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39
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9 answers
Why isn't anime critically analyzed like other forms of literature or entertainment?
In high school English classes, we read many classics, such as Shakespeare, Steinbeck, Lee, etc. In many other classes, popular TV shows and movies are analyzed. Granted, these are also classics, such as Hitchcock's Psycho or Nichols' The…
wcarhart
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39
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6 answers
Why do many characters tend to have crazy hair colors and styles?
It's fairly common that anime characters tend to have "wilder" hair than most people we see in real life. This can be seen as far back as Neon Genesis Evangelion (though somewhat mild) from the 90s (though some older anime, like Akira, do not have…
Cattua
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37
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9 answers
Why are most people in anime white or European-looking (instead of Japanese)?
Anatomically speaking Europeans don't look like that either. But most of the people look more European than Japanese, at least it seems to me ... Maybe it's the round eyes? And the non-black hair in some cases?
user2240863
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6 answers
Why the popularity of German?
Second to English, German seems to be the most popular foreign language in anime. You see it in titles, names, and even quite a few characters are of German descent.
For example, many characters in Shingeki no Kyojin appear to be German/have German…
System Down
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How did the sweatdrop originate?
I can kind of handwave or fanwank the origin of things like the exasperated faceplant or the vein popping out when a character is comedic-angry, and even the trope of Japanese flag fans coming out when people want to cheer on their comrades, but how…
user74
32
votes
3 answers
How did the lolicon genre begin in anime/manga?
I have always wondered how the Japanese got the idea of making animated productions including underage girls and the obsession with them. When did it start? Did the idea originate in Japan? Was it welcomed by the actual anime public?
Washu
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28
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Is it normal to 'erase' a seiyu?
Today I stumbled upon the Kotaku post regarding Ai Takabe's arrest in regards to drugs.
Besides her being erased from the credits, Bandai also announced that it’s no longer streaming Kill Me Baby as well as the 2009 anime Sweet Blue Flowers and the…
Dimitri mx
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9 answers
What's with the "x" in "Hunter x Hunter" (and other anime/manga)?
I am wondering what the "x" in "Hunter x Hunter" means. To clarify: I am also talking about what the "x" means in general as many other anime/manga also have it in their titles.
A quick Google search for this question returns a Yahoo answer result…
nulldev
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Who was the first tsundere character?
It's not like I like tsunderes or anything, I'm just interested in anime history okay?!
I just happened to be on the site, so don't get the wrong idea!
Geez, j-just tell me who the first tsundere was already, Baka!
EDIT: For clarification, I'm…
Toshinou Kyouko
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What should a university-level course about manga and anime culture cover as part of its curriculum?
This question is not asking about a course that teaches how to create manga or anime, but a curriculum of a course similar to English literature. Such course would teach the history and culture of anime and manga by studying representative works of…
MartinTeeVarga
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What, if anything, was the early 90s anime creativity crisis?
I fairly often hear or read about how the anime industry had stagnated during the early 90s. It's mostly brought up in the context of Neon Genesis Evangelion being the first influential anime in several years back then as mentioned on this…
Red
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21
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How did maids get popular in anime?
Nowadays, maids are basically a moe stereotype. Otaku characters like Sakurasou no Petto na Kanojou's Ryuunosuke Akasaka, Lucky Star's Konata Izumi, and the Genshiken gang all love maids. Even K-On's Sawako Yamanaka, who isn't an otaku, puts the…
Torisuda
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20
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2 answers
Why does anime usually air at night in Japan?
Many anime available are broadcasted very late in Japan. Few examples:
Photokano, 1:58 AM
Hayate no Gotoku! Cuties, 1:35 AM
Chihayafuru 2, 1:53 AM
Why are anime often aired at night in Japan even though they get better timeslots when exported to…
chirale
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