-
First Anime-early 1900s
The very first Anime films can be traced to the early 1900's. Some report the first films in 1907 while others cite 1912. -
Pre-WWII
Prior to WWII the Japanese government was focused on strict nationalism and engaged animators to produce films that re-enforced this view. -
Post WWII
After WWII the United States started to influence Japanese culture and Anime reflected this with the focus of Anime artists being to compete with Disney while still maintaining a unique Asia style to the animation and story telling. -
1960s
In the 1960s the modern style of Anime began to form with characters drawn with large eyes and jagged exaggerated hairstyles. -
Period: to
Modern Anime
Through the 1980's to 2000, Anime benefited from higher quality animation and more sophisticated story lines making it appealing to a broader audience and allowing it to be marketed more broadly outside of Japan. -
Present Popularity
Several sources cite the COVID-19 pandemic as an event that led to a large increase in the popularity of Anime. The reasoning is that with lockdowns more people turned to streaming services and content that allowed them to "escape" the pandemic. Today Anime is available on mainstream services like Netflix and Anime films have been shown in theatres in North America. The genre has come a long way from being a pre-war vehicle used by the Japanese government to spread propaganda.