Anime in the U.S. dates back as far as the early ’60s with shows like Astro Boy and Gigantor. Other titles slowly made their way into American fandoms from Japan, with Star Blazers and Battle of the Planets hitting U.S. channels in the ’70s while Robotech took the cartoon-loving kids of the ’80s by storm.
If the first thing that comes to mind when you think of anime is two guys in Karategi throwing fireballs at each other, you’re not alone. Thanks to video games and teenagers everywhere, that’s most peoples’ first impression. But Japanese animation encompasses a diverse range of storytelling styles, from horror to romance and everything in between. Here’s a brief crash course in just a few of the numerous genres that call anime home, along with links to find the best streaming options for each.
Love is a language every culture speaks, and plenty of anime companies have brought their romantic delights to American shores. Romance titles usually fall into two categories, comedy, and drama. Some titles, like Hanime Toradora!, manage both, drawing laughs while pulling viewers heartstrings. LGBTQ voices are even starting to make an appearance in series like Yuri on Ice.
For many Americans, 8muses mecha anime was the first taste of the genre, thanks to the Robotech invasion of the ’80s. The tradition continues with old-school classics like Mobile Suit Gundam (made initially around the same time as Robotech) while Netflix delivers newer hits in the form of Knights of Sidonia. Don’t worry, if your heart lies in watching giant robots blow the hell out of each other, anime still has your back.
The advent of home video in the ’80s opened the floodgates, introducing viewers to movies like My Neighbor Totoro and Macross: Do You Remember Love? As cable television evolved in the ’90s, channels like Cartoon Network and Sci-Fi programmed anime blocks. Anime TV movies were aimed at both children and adults, inspiring fans of Akira and Dragon Ball alike.
Anime in the U.S. dates back as far as the early ’60s with shows like Astro Boy and Gigantor. Other titles slowly made their way into American fandoms from Japan, with Star Blazers and Battle of the Planets hitting U.S. channels in the ’70s while Robotech took the cartoon-loving kids of the ’80s by storm.
The advent of home video in the ’80s opened the floodgates, introducing viewers to movies like My Neighbor Totoro and Macross: Do You Remember Love? As cable television evolved in the ’90s, channels like Cartoon Network and Sci-Fi programmed anime blocks. Anime TV movies were aimed at both children and adults, inspiring fans of Akira and Dragon Ball alike.
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