The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation since 1917 [Paperback]

In this important book, Jonathan Clements and Helen McCarthy present an enormous amount of information about 2,000 series and features, detailing their plots and relationships to other anime properties. In these areas, the book is definitive, and readers can only wish a comparable volume existed for American animation. The authors are less sure about non-Japanese influences (Cowboy Bebop owes more to noir detective films than to Route 66), and they focus more on storylines and the business of anime than on visuals. They don't discuss the influence of American Saturday morning TV on early anime designs (Speed Racer, the component series of Robotech) or the art nouveau styling in Revolutionary Girl Utena. The editorial evaluations are much harsher than McCarthy's The Anime Movie Guide: some of the most popular anime series in America--Tenchi, Evangelion, Ranma 1/2--receive sharp criticism. The result is a book that anime fans will either love or love to argue with. --Charles Solomon

From the first examples in 1917 to today's feature-length animated masterpieces like Princess Mononoke, Japanese animation (or anime) has drawn a devoted international fan base. For quite some time, these enthusiasts have needed an all-encompassing, detail-oriented reference work. Fortunately, Clements and McCarthy, who coedited The Erotic Anime Movie Guide and have an outstanding history in anime indexing, translation, and criticism, are just the folks to carry it off. Choosing the best examples from a field that was about twice the final number of entries, the authors review and detail more than 2000 anime films and TV series. Each entry includes a short synopsis, commentary, details about key creative personnel, and evaluation of the work's significance. Over 100 illustrations representing major releases are sprinkled throughout. Other notable features include a selective bibliography, a name/studio index, and a title index that makes it easy to go right to the vital information about a particular example. The end product is a huge, exhaustive, timely, and authoritative compendium of information that will be appreciated by anime experts and neophytes alike. Recommended for all libraries and essential for film and media collections. David M. Lisa, Wayne P.L., NJ

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

The most comprehensive guide to Japanese anime film now has more than 3,000 entries. Most cover titles, studios, and creators, but there are also 28 entries for themes such as Fantasy and fairy tales and Puppetry and stop-motion. Title entries include information on English-language releases, formats and running times, and "as many crew members as space allowed" in addition to plot outline and critical commentary. A rating system warns parents of films they may not wish their children to see. The fact that there are only around 150 black-and-white illustrations may disappoint some fans.

Mary Ellen Quinn
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

"A long overdue reference work for fans and students of Japanese animation... a valuable addition to any anime enthusiast's library." -- Carl Macek, animation producer

"Get The Anime Encyclopedia, because you don't have time to watch bad anime." -- Anime Tourist, November 2001

"Impressive, exhaustive, labyrinthine, and obsessive--THE ANIME ENCYCLOPEDIA is an astonishing piece of work." -- Neil Gaiman, English script of Princess Mononoke, Sandman, American Gods

"It's a classic, taking anime scholarship proudly into the new millennium. Now, where's the expanded CD-ROM?" -- Animation World Network, December 2001

"Landmark reference works are few in the media field, but The Anime Encyclopedia definitely belongs on that short list." -- Video Librarian Magazine, Fall 2001

"Promises to do for anime what Halliwell did for films." -- Mark Schilling, Screen International

"There is a vast alternate universe called anime, waiting to be explored... You need a good guidebook. This is it." -- Frederik Schodt, author of Manga! Manga! and Dreamland Japan

"[A] huge, exhaustive, timely, and authoritative compendium of information that will be appreciated by anime experts and neophytes alike." -- Library Journal, January 2002

“[D]estined to become primary source material for any anime fan, collector, moviegoer, or scholar." -- PopMatters.com, November 2001

Here is the long-awaited, biggest guide ever, the absolute must-have for every fan, collector, library, and video-store browser. Included are over 2,000 Japanese animation films-from today's Pokémon, Tenchi Muyo, and Sailor Moon to the classic Tetsuwan Atomu (Astro Boy) and little-known artistic gems like the anime life of Mozart-with key personnel, running time, studio, alternative titles, cross references, critical comment, and sex/violence warnings. Illustrated and fully indexed.

Jonathan Clements has translated over 70 anime and manga and was editor of Manga Max from 1998-2000. Helen McCarthy is former editor of Anime UK and Manga Mania and author of The Anime Movie Guide, Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation, and, with Jonathan Clements, The Erotic Anime Movie Guide.

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Also available

Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation

PB, $18.95, 1-880656-41-8 CUSA

Got updates, corrections, or comments? The authors and Stone Bridge Press welcome any & all feedback from readers of THE ANIME ENCYCLOPEDIA. Please write to us at animeinfo@stonebridge.com. We look forward to hearing from you.

Jonathan Clements is the former editor of Manga Max magazine, and the translator of dozens of anime, including Samurai Gold, Slow Step and Plastic Little. He has been awarded the Japan Festival Award for outstanding contributions to the understanding of Japanese culture.