Rating: 
Summary: uggghhhh
Review: Anime and manga have to rate as the down side to art and eroticism...The art is childish and bland at best, more the art of someone on LSD and a migraine than true art. The ugliness of women with purple hair and eyes the size of trash cans does little for the imagination; this is the art of anal retentives, pure and simple..
Rating:
Summary: uggghhhh
Review: Anime and manga have to rate as the down side to art and eroticism...The art is childish and bland at best, more the art of someone on LSD and a migraine than true art. The ugliness of women with purple hair and eyes the size of trash cans does little for the imagination; this is the art of anal retentives, pure and simple..
Rating: 
Summary: Good information - flawed organization
Review: As a novice to anime, I found many of the cultural explanations new and useful in understanding some of the themes underlying Japanese animation and Japanese cultural myths in general. On the other hand, the first part of the book is mainly devoted to nudity and sex (p.48 - 104) as if that were the most important aspect of Anime. After reading the author's explanations of Hentai, I went to the internet to find out what all the fuss was about. It turns out to be - nothing! Anime experts place these films into a fringe category that is generally of lower quality and questionable taste. Certainly it is not representative of anime or Japanese culture. So why is it given such prominence in Anime Explosion?Another problem is the use of acronyms and lingo seems to expect some expertise on the part of the reader. Just what are OAVs anyway? Other than these problems, the book provides a good introduction to Japanese animation that will surely get the reader to explore further into this fascinating realm of entertainment.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderfully Up-To-Date and Greatly Informative
Review: Everything the budding otaku wants to know- and maybe even some stuff they don't. From themes of war and nature in anime to Japanese cultural ideas on nudity and- ahem- bathroom humor (and a WHOLE CHAPTER on 'Escaflowne'! Sure makes ME happy, anyway), this book has it all. The chapters flow easilly from one to the other, and Drazen shows the reader just how much he knows about Japanese culture and anime itself. All in all, an entertaining and informative read.
Rating:
Summary: Excelent for noobs and veterans alike
Review: I've been an avid fan of manga and anime for many years and have read many books on the subject, including The Anime Companion and Manga Manga. The great thing about writing an anime book is that anime, manga, and Japanese culture as a whole is so huge that one can never fully tell all there is to tell about such a subject. About 1% of this book i had read about before in some form. It's also very easy to read and to get into. A very good book to read, and a great place to start reading if you've never read an anime book before.
Rating:
Summary: Excelent for noobs and veterans alike
Review: I've been an avid fan of manga and anime for many years and have read many books on the subject, including The Anime Companion and Manga Manga. The great thing about writing an anime book is that anime, manga, and Japanese culture as a whole is so huge that one can never fully tell all there is to tell about such a subject. About 1% of this book i had read about before in some form. It's also very easy to read and to get into. A very good book to read, and a great place to start reading if you've never read an anime book before.
Rating:
Summary: Scrutinizes certain popular animated films and series
Review: Japanese popular culture expert Patrick Drazen's Anime Explosion!: The What? Why? & Wow! of Japanese Animation is an informed and informative introduction for non-specialist general readers to Japanese animation called "anime", as well as Japanese animated television shows, videos, and feature films. In addition to discussing history, tradition, conventions, common cinematographic techniques, cultural hallmarks, etc. relevant to anime, the latter half of this fascinating volume scrutinizes certain popular animated films and series in depth, including Pokemon, Sailor Moon, Escaflowne, and Key the Metal Idol. Anime Explosion is very highly recommended read for anyone seeking to learn more about the beauty, grace, and foundation of this unique and popular form of cinematic art.
Rating:
Summary: Scrutinizes certain popular animated films and series
Review: Japanese popular culture expert Patrick Drazen's Anime Explosion!: The What? Why? & Wow! of Japanese Animation is an informed and informative introduction for non-specialist general readers to Japanese animation called "anime", as well as Japanese animated television shows, videos, and feature films. In addition to discussing history, tradition, conventions, common cinematographic techniques, cultural hallmarks, etc. relevant to anime, the latter half of this fascinating volume scrutinizes certain popular animated films and series in depth, including Pokemon, Sailor Moon, Escaflowne, and Key the Metal Idol. Anime Explosion is very highly recommended read for anyone seeking to learn more about the beauty, grace, and foundation of this unique and popular form of cinematic art.
Rating: 
Summary: a great introduction
Review: Many have tried to write an introduction to anime in the past, but Drazen's is the first to really give a good sense of the staggering breadth of the anime field. He covers a lot of ground and demonstrates an in-depth knowledge of the background *behind* anime. A little copy-eding would not have gone a miss though; one passage implies that Jubei Yagyu was one of the Seven Samurai! Still an excellent intro to anime though, and an ideal stepping stone for climbing on to Stone Bridge's lofty Anime Encyclopedia.
Rating:
Summary: Be warned: the japanese are very formidable.
Review: Now, I do believe that the Japanese are our allies. So, there is no need to fear them. Underestimating is another story.
Many people miss over the fact that the Japanese has passed us in animation, sports, technology, and automobiles. Now, how is it that a country beat in World War II, has managed to surpass us in everything we have started?
-Calvin Newman
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