Anime was built on the foundation of hand-drawn 2D animation. When 3D (CGI) makes its appearance, the fan reaction is often one of deep rejection. The aversion stems from a fundamental problem: the inability of low-budget 3D to blend with the visual style and narrative timing of traditional animation. Below, we analyze the root of the rejection and the rare exceptions that have proven the...

Your Favorite Anime Just Ended? A Beginner's Guide on How (and Where) to Start Reading Manga   You've finished the latest season of your favorite anime. The solution is simple: read the manga. The manga is the original source material for most anime, and in almost every case, the story is much further ahead than the animated adaptation. But this raises three key questions for a beginner:...

Anime, as a medium, has explored nearly every era and corner of the world. When a historical anime is done well, it not only entertains but also offers an incredible immersion into the sights, sounds, and social pressures of a different time and place. Beyond the Samurai: A Guide to 5 Amazing Historical Anime   When people think of "historical anime," their minds almost automatically go to...

Existentialism, the school of thought that postulates that existence precedes essence and that human beings are completely free and responsible for their lives, has found a perfect visual medium in anime. Japanese animation, thanks to its narrative and visual freedom, is capable of exploring concepts from the philosophy of Sartre, Camus, and Heidegger with unparalleled rawness and style. Anime...

In anime, the concept of a villain often transcends pure evil. The most effective villains are those whose motivations expose systemic, moral, or ethical flaws in the fictional world that the protagonist tries to protect. These individuals operate under an undeniable logic, even if their methods are genocidal, absolutist, or unacceptably extreme. The conflict arises from the difference between...