Akemi Takada

Japanese animation - or 'anime' for those in the know - boasts one of the fastest growing fan bases in the entertainment industry. Harnessing the explosive momentum of the Internet, anime heralds a revolution in 21st century culture. *What is anime - high art or mere entertainment? *How did anime get its start? *How did WWII and the atom bomb affect the anime industry? *Just who are the American fans and why are they so fascinated? *What is the future of anime in America? Through intimate conversations with top Japanese artists, scholars and American industry professionals, highlighted with clips from classic and current anime productions, we lead you through the anime's beginning and reveal the answers to these and many other questions. The Invasion is here.

The size of the Japanese animation market was 2,426 billion yen by 2020. More than half of that amount came from overseas sales. The manga market is also expanding, reaching 675.9 billion yen in 2021. Those unique visuals and stories from Japan have struck a chord with fans around the world and are growing into a huge industry. ANIME MANGA EXPLOSION will actively feature major works that are highly recognized by overseas fans and reveal the secrets of Japanese anime and manga creation through the series.