If you’ve ever watched Sailor Moon or played Pokemon Go, it means you’ve been exposed to anime. It is one of the most popular types of entertainment in the world and, although it is not new, its popularity worldwide has grown the most over the last 10 years.
Children are the most interested in watching anime, while also making up the largest group of fans. For the same reason, anime culture now encompasses television, films, social media and memes. You are probably still wondering, what is Anime really? In this article you will find the answer to this question, but also learn about a new hobby to try if you are a fan of this entertainment. Enjoy your reading!
What is Anime?
Anime refers to a specific style of cartoons produced or inspired by Japanese animation. You can think of it this way – all anime programmes are cartoons, but not all cartoons are anime. The artistic style associated with anime is very unique and recognisable. You probably associate the big eyes, wild hair, long arms and legs and many other details that characterise this style. The exaggerated outline of anime characters plays a very important role – it helps to express emotions more easily, of which there are many in anime. Technical tricks also contribute to the emotional feel of anime, such as:
- dramatic close-ups and zooms;
- intense lighting;
- high colour quality;
- the specific soundtrack.
However, all technical aspects and design aside, the anime has won the hearts of fans through its complex characters and engaging storyline.
Is the anime suitable for young children?
As the themes of anime are broad, it can be aimed at almost any age group. Some titles such as ‘Pokémon’ or ‘My Neighbour Totoro’ are aimed at younger viewers, while series such as ‘InuYasha’ are aimed at teenagers, and ‘Monster’ or ‘Queens Blade’ are exclusively for adult viewers.
The Japanese cultural approach to sexuality and violence requires that certain titles are placed a category higher than normal. Nudity, for example, is treated much more casually in Japan; sometimes a series that is not specifically intended for adults contains the kind of content that would cause a stir in Europe. Distributors of anime are usually aware of these issues, which is why they always carefully select the age category into which a production can be classified. You only need to check the packaging or use rating sites to find out the target audience for a particular title.
Hobbies for Anime viewers to enjoy
Anime is great fun to both watch and read, and a really great subculture that you can become a part of in a matter of minutes. On the other hand, if you want to broaden your interests and hobbies, don’t feel like a traitor. It’s good to have other interests that are connected to Japanese culture. Here are some alternatives you can use if you have already watched all the episodes of your favourite anime.
Listen to J-pop
Although J-pop is not as popular as Korean popular music K-pop, it is rapidly gaining popularity around the world. Although J-pop refers to Japanese pop music, it encompasses music from genres beyond what is usually categorised as ‘pop’. It includes rock, R&B and hip-hop, among others. The term ‘J-pop’ began to emerge in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but the music from which J-pop artists draw inspiration arrived in Japan through Western influence, particularly during the First and Second World Wars.
Kayokyoku developed by referencing music created under the influence of Western culture and became the basis of modern J-pop. It was particularly popular during the Showa era (1926-1989) and led to artists recording Western songs in Japanese, as well as writing their own Western-influenced music. Modern Japanese popular music developed gradually over the decades until the 1990s, when J-pop really reached every country in Europe.
There are countless artists on the J-pop scene, but which ones you add to your playlist depends entirely on your musical tastes. Below you will find some of the biggest artists that have been present in J-pop from the 90s to today.
GACKT – Gakuto Oshiro, better known as Gackt, is a Japanese artist from the early 1990s. He is considered a representative of rock, but is not afraid of music from other styles as well. His music has been used in many video games or TV shows.
Babymetal – Heavy metal is not for everyone, but Babymetal tries to break that. It combines kawaii with metal and has achieved success both in Japan and around the world with its unique sound and look.
Ayumi Hamasaki – After her debut in 1998, Ayumi Hamasaki’s career has gradually gone from strength to strength, attracting a succession of fans. Ayumi presents her own trend-setting style. To date, she has released 30 albums and is the focus of a biographical TV drama.
Hikaru Utada – US-born Hikaru Utada is one of the biggest and longest-running names in contemporary J-pop. Her debut album First Love, released in 1999, still holds the record for the best-selling album in Japan. Her music draws inspiration from Western pop and R&B.
Practice Kendo
Kendo is a sport that places a high value on etiquette. Kendo competitions begin with an exchange of formal bows between competitors and end with another exchange of courtesies. This courtesy bow is called rei in Japanese. The movement expresses a wish for victory, respect for the instructor and gratitude for the friends who practice with the person.
People who practise kendo (sometimes called kendoists) are classified according to their skill and the time they have spent practising the sport. A beginner kendoist is classified at the seventh kyu level. After progressing through the sixth kyu, fifth kyu, up to the first kyu, the kendoist moves on to a new series – Dan. The initial Dan is the lowest of all, followed by the first Dan, the second Dan, and so on. The tenth Dan is the highest possible degree in the kendo world.
In a real fight, the aim is to strike the opponent on the body. In kendo there are designated striking zones, and the fighter must call out the name of the striking zone when executing it. There are three striking zones: head, torso and forearm (in Japanese, men, do and kote respectively). Actually, there is also a fourth striking zone – the tsuki or the part of the throat below the head and shoulder pad – but this is considered dangerous and is not allowed for children under middle school age. In kendo, strikes to any other part of the body do not earn points. The time limit in the competition is five minutes. The competitor who scores two points first is declared the winner.
Play video slot machines
You may be surprised, but there are quite a few Japanese online slots that are available to casino enthusiasts. Online slots are a lot of fun and are a great interactive way to relax and enjoy your free time. There are many interesting online gambling sites that have a variety of Japanese-inspired slots to offer. Below in the table you will find some of the most popular games available at online casinos:
- Tiger Moon by Microgaming
- Koi Princess by NetEnt
- Ninja Fruits by Play’n Go
- House of Dragons by Microgaming
- Matsuri by Play’n Go
- Sakura Fortune by QuickSpin
Playing slots is very easy, but it could always be easier. Many operators offer attractive welcome bonuses for new players, which make the potential winnings much higher. Richard Casino free spins at Stay casino no deposit bonus codes allow you to take a few spins completely free and motivate players to continue playing, hence they are usually part of a welcome promotion.
When choosing a casino, it is important to suggest not only the attractive welcome offer, but also the payment methods that the operator offers. Depending on the country, you will usually find several ways to top up your account on the site. The most popular solutions are electronic wallets, as the posting of payments takes place almost immediately, however, in order to make a deposit, you often need to create an account. Additional aspects you should look at when choosing your online casino are:
- licence;
- the game library;
- customer service;
- software providers;
- speed of processing withdrawals.
Watch YouTube channels
If you’re infatuated with Japanese culture, a great way to do this might be to watch it from the inside. Wondering how to do this? There are many ways to get information these days, but in this case, watching the most popular YouTube channels that are run by people from Japan will work great. The Eatyourkimchi Studio channel will help us learn about Japanese cuisine. It publishes weekly vlogs called ‘Eat your sushi’, as well as other informative and interesting videos about life in Japan from a foreigner’s perspective.
Another YouTube channel worth checking out is that of Rachel and Jun, who are married and living in Japan. They regularly post videos on their channel that showcase their experiences. Jun is Japanese, while Rachel lives there as a foreigner. If you are interested in the local culture and don’t have time to visit the ‘Land of the Cherry Blossom’, dedicated YouTube channels can be a great alternative. Of course, in addition to the channels presented, you will find many more authors of this content online, while the channels listed are strictly geared towards learning about life led by non-locals. To find more channels, use Google’s search engine or enter specific tags related to the topic directly into the YouTube search engine.
Summary
Anime has become popular overseas in recent years mainly due to Japan’s shrinking population, which has led to export-oriented commercial growth. This means that anime producers have started to create content more suited to Western tastes, and are also producing anime overseas because it is much cheaper. Famous anime producers such as Tezuka are increasingly occupying the global market, leading to the popularisation of Japanese culture.
Based on the above, you should have no problem spending your free time waiting for a new episode of your favourite anime. If you are an athlete and enjoy competition, then kendo will be quite a challenge for you, while when you crave tranquillity then J-pop may prove to be a salve. We hope that the information contained in this article has allowed you to learn something new, and that some of the suggestions will ring a bell in your life and add to its quality.
About author
Hi. I’m Mia Sweeney, a writer with a passion for gaming, inspired by countless hours spent playing games with my brothers. Writing for me is about sharing those moments of joy, challenge, and friendship.