The Anime!: Movie Guide

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Summary: Comments on the reviews and on my aims in writing the book
Review: Hello, and thanks for your interest in my book. I wrote it because back then (1996 - it seems a long time ago now!) there was very little information available on the huge mass of Japanese animation which had not already been translated into English. There hadn't been a single book on anime in the English language until I wrote my earlier "Anime! A Beginners Guide to Japanese Animation" in 1993, and that was such a basic little book that I felt something more was required. Then, Trish Ledoux and Doug Ranney and their research team did some great work on "The Complete Anime Movie Guide" - but it concentrated exclusively on anime available in America, and there was so much more diverse and fascinating material in Japan.

At that time, many people seemed to think anime was "all tentacle porn" or "all big-eyed girls and demons" or "all robots and monsters". I knew it was more than that. A lot of misinformation and misconceptions were being picked up by the media, and I wanted to provide a resource which would encourage less biassed thinking and wider research. I still get angry at the amount of erroneous, misunderstood and downright sloppy so-called information about anime and manga which appears in many places, including the so-called quality press; but at least now there are more people out there who are prepared to evaluate Japanese animation in the same way as any other filmed entertainment and not as some kind of exotic freakshow or just another teen cult.

I left out a lot of information and many interesting titles because the publishers and I wanted it small enough to be portable and affordable - our 'mission statement' was that it should fit in a jacket pocket and be accessible to someone who'd never even heard of anime. Still, we managed to cram in quite a lot of information! I get a huge kick out of seeing someone pull a dog-eared, well-used copy out of their bag or pocket at a convention or in a video store, or when I visit an anime company and see a similarly well-worn copy on someone's desk. Many of the titles listed in the book have now been released in the USA and UK, and the range of topics and genres available has widened a little, so some of my aims in writing the book have been achieved.

I think the most flattering comment I've had on the book was "You've given anime its Halliwell's Guide - but where Halliwell had years of research and a team of assistants, you've done it on your own." That put me on cloud nine for a long while!

I agree with the un-named reviewer that an update would be a good idea, and I hope the publisher will feel the same way too - why not email or write to Titan and let them know you'd like to see an updated Anime Movie Guide? Until then, I hope the book will continue to be useful and enjoyable and that it will tempt readers to watch titles you might not have considered before reading it.

With best wishes from London, Helen McCarthy

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Summary: An excellent source for reviews and opinions of anime.
Review: If you ever needed to look up an anime OVA or movie title, be it the original Japnese title of it's English translation, you could probably find it here. I've only noticed one omission, but found a lot of other titles I've never heard of.

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Summary: Not COMPLETELY complete, but pretty darn close.
Review: If you ever needed to look up an anime OVA or movie title, be it the original Japnese title of it's English translation, you could probably find it here. I've only noticed one omission, but found a lot of other titles I've never heard of.

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Summary: The Ultimate Companion Guide to Anime!
Review: If you're looking for the perfect companion to keep you informed in the anime movie buisness, then this is the book for you. Not only does it contain titles on every anime movie or series between 1983 to 1995, but it also gives you your money's worth of information. From important people that had to do with the anime, to translations for beginners, a short summary of the anime, references to other anime, and side notes to keep your interest. Every anime that this book has recommended is a must see. This is a great book if you're looking for an anime but don't know whether or not to see it. It still brings a tear to my eyes.

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Summary: An excellent source for reviews and opinions of anime.
Review: The Anime: movie guide, has a wonderful display of illustrations, reviews and information protruding from its pages. Although it is in great need of an update now, it has a wonderful selection of top ten lists, a very well made index and even a few helping words to get the new anime fan started. An excellent layout and page format. The only area I disliked was the way the categories were placed, I felt the icons on The Complete Anime Guides were much easier to use. Despite this negative area, The Anime: Movie Guide by Helan McCarthy is truly a book in which all anime fans should partake in.