The History of Anime

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The History of Anime
The History of Anime
Anime, or Japanese animation, has become a major part of global pop culture today.
However, its origins date back to the early 20th century.
In the pre-World War II era, Japan began experimenting with animation techniques as early as
1907. The first known Japanese animation was three short films by Oten Shimokawa. In 1917,
the first professional animated film called Namakura Gatana was released. During the 1920s
and 30s, animation was promoted by the government as propaganda. Artists were
commissioned to create animations that supported Japanese nationalism and militarism
leading up to WWII.
One major propaganda film was Momotaro's Divine Sea Warriors directed by Mitsuyo Seo in
1945. It featured Momotaro, a popular Japanese folk hero, on a mission to defeat British
forces. Such films aimed to inspire Japanese citizens to support the war effort.
After Japan's defeat in 1945, the occupying American forces introduced Disney cartoons and
Hollywood films to the country. This influenced Japanese animators to develop their own post-
war style of animation.
A pioneer was Osamu Tezuka, known as the "Godfather" of anime. In 1963, he created Astro
Boy, about a powerful robot with superhuman powers. It was the first popular animated
Japanese TV series that embodied typical anime elements like large eyes and stylized art.
This marked the beginning of anime's rise to an international phenomenon.
The 1970s saw the exploration of more mature themes like environmental issues and
sexuality in anime films. One example is Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984) by Hayao
Miyazaki, co-founder of the famous Studio Ghibli. The film featured a brave young princess set
in a post-apocalyptic world.
Over the following decades, anime continued to grow in popularity globally thanks to
international distribution and fan subbing. Today, it has become mainstream in the West with
iconic series like Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! Anime has come a long way from its wartime
propaganda origins to be celebrated worldwide as a vibrant Unique Art form reflecting
Japanese cultural trends.
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