Anime: A History

Jonathan Clements

Softcover | 18.8 x 1.68 x 24.94 cm | 256 pp

British Film Institute | 2013 | 9781844573905

Japanese animation is at the nexus of an international multimedia industry worth over $6.5 billion a year, linked to everything from manga to computer games, Pokémon and plushies. In this comprehensive guide, Jonathan Clements chronicles the production and reception history of the entire medium, from a handful of hobbyists in the 1910s to the Oscar-winning Spirited Away and beyond.

Exploring the cultural and technological developments of the past century, Clements addresses issues of historiography within Japanese academic discourse and covers previously neglected topics such as wartime instructional animation and work-for-hire for American clients. Founded on the testimonies of industry professionals, and drawing on a myriad of Japanese-language documents, memoirs and books, Anime: A History illuminates the anime business from the inside- investigating its innovators, its unsung heroes and its controversies.

'This study is authoritative and detailed, and will be essential reading for anime fans and scholars alike.' PD Smith, The Guardian

'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.' The Japan Times

'…a fascinating read.' The New York Times

'Anime: A History questions the stories we think we know of anime's rises and falls, its heroes and breakthroughs.' Manga UK

'One of the most important and comprehensive books on anime ever written for the western market.' Neo Magazine