Anime: A History

Japanese animation has certainly come a long way in since it was founded by hobbyists through trial and error in the 1910s. Historian Jonathan Clements traces the evolution of anime by exploring the history of its production and reception over the past 100 years, identifying periods in which cultural and technological developments ushered in new ways of thinking about the basic concept of "moving pictures." As the author himself says, "For the history of anime to be useful, it must have some relevance to the present day, and perhaps even tomorrow." "Anime: A History" does that and more. Based on testimony from professionals in the medium and drawing on myriad documents, this 250-page tome helps illuminate the industry from the inside.