Rating: 
Summary: Fills a Gap, but Could Have Used a Bit More Work
Review: To begin with the positive comments, Ms. Levi's book is one which America very much needs. She gives a good overview of anime, describing the characteristics which distinguish it from American animation, explaining that it's not all perversion and violence, as seems to be the belief of many less-informed Americans, elucidating some of the cultural symbols used by anime creators, and, most importantly, stating forthrightly that anime is _not_ "cartoons." Drawing her examples from a good mix of films and series both more and less known in America, she attempts both to explain the appeal of anime to many "Gen-X" people and to introduce the artform to a wider audience. That said, the work has several serious flaws. First off, it should have had tighter editing. At several points, Ms. Levi repeats information which she has given just a few paragraphs earlier. At others, she contradicts herself within the space of two pages. Secondly, she seems to have a curious lack of knowledge about Western cultures. While this is a characteristic I have noticed in some other Westerners who have made intensive study of Asian cultures, it is hardly excusable in an author who attempts to make comparisons between Asian and Western traditions. Particularly irritating is her obvious bias against Judeo-Christian beliefs; most notably, she tries to blame the refusal of American entertainment to deal with death, particularly by killing off a "good" character, on a supposed fear that this would somehow weaken the commitment of viewers to Judeo-Christian morality. This is patently ridiculous, as this tendency has far more to do with the secular pseudomorality of American consumerism than any religious tradition. Anyone more familiar with the true spread of Western cultures, beyond the shallowness of American pop culture, will note that many of the attitudes she attempts to claim as uniquely Japanese, such as admiration of heroism independent of the cause it supports and an understanding that heroic persons don't always win, are found throughout Western tradition. Has she never heard an old soldier speak respectfully of his former foes? Has she never heard of the Easter Rising, the Battle of Culloden, the Lost Cause?
Rating: 
Summary: Worth it
Review: When I picked up this book, I was looking fora history of anime. You know, facts about how it started, viewer statistics, time slots and channels it aired on, when it was first imported outside of Japan, how the styles have changed, etc. I didn't find very much of that in this book, but what I did find was a fascinating look at how Japanese traditions have influenced manga and anime (specifically anime). It is very interesting indeed. It is the best anime book I've read, but I haven't read much because there isn't much available. It doesn't have a directory of anime movies made, thankfully - those things are best left for websites. It definately needs an update, though. With the popularity of shows like Digimon, Pokemon, Card Captors (C.C. Sakura in Japan), etc., not to mention the massive success of Cartoon Network's line up, as well as Sci Fi's and Action Channel's occasional anime showings, anime in the States is more popular than ever. it'd be nice to see what her take is on that, and to stop referring to Generation X. I'm old enough to have grown up on 80's dubbed anime on TV, but people my age are not Generation Xers....and today's Pokefans are younger than us.
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