Animation in general obviously started with static pictures, usually comic books. The Japanese form of comics, called Manga, has origins dating back to the twelfth century with picture scrolls. These scrolls, called e-maki, would be taken from village to village, and a story would be told or usually sung as the scroll was unfolded before the villagers. Most famous of these were Chojugiga, or animal scrolls, Yobutsu Kurabe, or phallic contests, and Hohigassen, farting contests. Wood block prints, or ukiyo-e, became popular a few centuries later during the Edo dynasty, during the seventeenth to mid-nineteenth century (Lent, 2).
However, it was the turn of the twentieth century when Japan actually started printing what could officially be called comics. They started appearing in newspapers shortly after they made their debut in America, most notable of which was Rakuten Kitazawa’s “Tagosaku & Mokube Sightseeing in Tokyo”. Many other cartoonists during the 1920’s and 30’s drew what were titled “euro-guro-nansensu”, or erotic, grotesque and nonsensical. Also around this time, when Japan was invading China, comics became a powerful form of propaganda, used both by China and Japan. China used it as a way to gain rebel support against Japan, where the Japanese used comic strips as a way to rally troops and build patriotism (Lent, 3).
It wasn’t until the 1950’s and 60’s that animation in Japan became prominent. The early movies followed the Disney methodology of classic fairy tales full of heroes surrounded by cute animals, such as with Panda and the Magic Serpent, or Magic Boy. Syndicated animation shows were eventually produced, one of the most early of which was Astroboy, which was also released in America, and helped, although slightly, to kick start Anime in America (Patten, 55-56).
As with most art, trends began to be created. Most anime somehow incorporates mythology or legends in some manner, and many of the more blatant ones have strong morals. Most famous of the modern myth makers is Miyazaki Hayao, whose titles such as Nausicaa in the Valley of the Wind, or more well known here in America, Kiki’s Delivery Service, or Princess Mononoke, always carry some sort of either environmentalist or message or life-lesson, much like what could be found in Disney films (Levi, 39-41).
More trends have also been created that people here might be more accustomed to, such as the giant robots common to the Gundam series, or the collectible monster element found in several series today, such as Pokemon or Yu-gi-oh. These shows have become staples in American pop culture, and now it will be discussed how this anime invasion started.