Anime Explosion!

"An excellent reference work on the subject."--Library Journal (starred review)

For fans, culture watchers, and perplexed outsiders, this expanded edition offers an engaging tour of the anime megaverse, from older artistic traditions to the works of modern creators like Hayao Miyazaki, Katsuhiro Otomo, Satoshi Kon, and CLAMP. Examined are all of anime's major themes, styles, and conventions, plus the familiar tropes of giant robots, samurai, furry beasts, high school heroines, and gay/girl/fanboy love. Concluding are fifteen essays on favorite anime, including Evangelion, Escaflowne, Sailor Moon, Patlabor, and Fullmetal Alchemist.

Patrick Drazen is an anime historian who lives in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois.

One of the best overviews of the anime phenomenon, its history and cultural significance, ideal for surveys and in-depth study.
"An excellent reference work on the subject."--Library Journal (starred review)

"A popular study of the Japanese genre of anime teaches a great deal about the art form and about Japanese culture in general--and how cultural themes reverberate through popular media."--Anthropology Review Database

"The perfect introduction for any new to the idea of anime..."--The Midwest Book Review (D. Donovan, Editor & Senior Reviewer, California Bookwatch)

"An excellent reference work on the subject."--Library Journal (starred review)

"A popular study of the Japanese genre of anime teaches a great deal about the art form and about Japanese culture in general--and how cultural themes reverberate through popular media."--Anthropology Review Database

"The perfect introduction for any new to the idea of anime..."--The Midwest Book Review (D. Donovan, Editor & Senior Reviewer, California Bookwatch)