In Japan, 'anime' would be any animated production, be it Japanese, English or French. Outside Japan, though, 'anime' tends to refer, specifically, to Japanese animation. Anime is a rather popular form of entertainment in Japan. It comes in the form of TV shows, movies at the cinema as well as direct to video releases (OVA - Original Video Animation). Unlike the cartoons of the west, anime has a huge variety of genres - it is not only for children. Anime is for everybody!       

        The many different genres of anime (and manga too) include:

≈ Shounen - anime targeted at boys, focusing on themes like sports and martial arts e.g. Samurai 7, Getbackers, Naruto and Slam Dunk.
≈ Shoujo - anime targeted at girls, focusing on themes like relationships and fashion e.g. Boys Be, Suzuka, Fruits Basket and Paradise Kiss.
≈ Action or adventure - anime featuring lots of fight scenes and quests e.g. Shakugan no Shana, Chrno Crusade, Rurouni Kenshin and Black Cat.
≈ Comedy – anime which focuses on humour and sometimes not much on the plot e.g. Galaxy Angels, Full Metal Panic! Fumoffu and School Rumble.
≈ Mecha - anime featuring giant battle robots or very advanced technology e.g. RahXephon, Vandread, Bakuretsu Tenshi, Ghost in the Shell and the Gundam Series.
≈ Shounen-ai or Yaoi – anime with gay relationship(s) among characters e.g. Kyou Kara Maou! (; p).
≈ Shoujo-ai or Yuri – anime with lesbian relationship(s) among characters e.g. Revolutionary Girl Utena, Yami to Boushi to Hon no Tabibito and Kannazuki no Miko.
≈ Hentai – anime that caters exclusively to adults in the form of pornography e.g. La Blue Girl (?).
≈ Ecchi – toned-down version of Hentai anime, mostly sufficient for fan-service purposes only e.g. Green Green and Love Hina.

        Most of the time, anime comes from a manga - Japanese comics. Occasionally, though, you'll get an anime first, and the manga will follow... but most of the time, anime comes from a popular manga series.

        Never seen anime? Pick a genre you like, select a title from that genre, and buy it from the video store…anime could now be found in almost every video store all over the world. Last but not least, watch and be amazed!

        BTW, the song embedded with this page is titled Solitude by the Window from Noir. I've set for the song to be played once instead of looping it; so if you've missed it, just refresh the page. I would love to upload an actual mp3 as the background sound but it will take ridiculously long just to load this page...really wanted to introduce you guys to some of Yuki Kajiura's songs; she's my favourite composer!

       Most of Kajiura's songs contain her signature lyrics which seem to be written in a language that is totally foreign yet appropriate with the mood and melody of the song. Kajiura’s works can be found in many acclaimed anime soundtracks such as Noir, .hack//sign, Tsubasa Chronicle and of course, the best of all, Madlax. Everyone have been raving about Yoko Kanno and although I admit that her songs are also good, Kajiura deserves at least equal the attention Kanno's receiving.

       Disagree with me? Here are some of Kajiura's songs that I think you should listen to (all available via the MP3 Request List webpage): Nowhere, Madlax, Margaret, We Are One, Your Place, Canta per Me, Lullaby, Break the Sword of Justice and A Song of Storm & Fire. Perhaps after that you might change your stance on the Kajiura vs. Kanno issue!

Disclaimer: All anime references throughout the site are solely the works of their original creators, which I am not affiliated with. This is a non-profit site, so I'm not making a cent from this WebPage. Please don't sue me.