The Japanese word for "animation," anime (pronounced ANNee-may) is a general term for any animated image or cartoon. It refers more specifically to the modern animation industry in Japan, with its prolific output of television (see entry under 1940s—TV and Radio in volume 3) programs, video games (see entry under 1970s—Sports and Games in volume 4), and computer software. These products tend to feature strong fantasy-based story lines that often reflect the escapist dreams of ordinary people. Observers have pointed out that the characters in Japanese anime are more closely related to their real-world fans than are the distant superheroes of American cartoons, who inhabit a universe that is removed from everyday experience. Popular anime series like Doraemon (1979–) and Ranma ¹⁄2 (1989–) focus on the everyday lives of students and workers who live shadow lives alongside their normal existences.

Anime was relatively unknown in the United States before the 1980s...