Japanese Animation in Asia : Transnational Industry, Audiences, and Success

Anime is a quintessentially Japanese form of animation consisting of both hand drawn and computer-generated imagery, and is often characterised by colourful graphics, vibrant characters, and fantastical themes. As an increasingly globalising expression of popular art and entertainment, and distributed through cinema, television, and over the internet, anime series and films have an enormous following, not only in Japan but also in Asia. This book provides a comprehensive survey of the historical development, industrial structure, and technical features of Japanese animation and of the overall dynamics of its globalisation in key contexts of the Asian region. Specific chapters cover anime’s production logics, its features as an ‘emotion industry’, and the involvement of a range of Asian countries in the production, consumption, and cultural impact of Japanese animation.

Marco Pellitteri is Associate Professor of Media and Communication in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences of Xi’an Jiaotong–Liverpool University.

Heung-wah Wong is Associate Professor in the Programme of Global Creative Industries, School of Modern Languages and Cultures, at the University of Hong Kong.