Japanese

Asamiya Aoi is a mysterious, innocent-seeming young girl who is traveling through a futuristic land with the help of her father's sketchbook. While she may seem naive, she can be surprisingly tough and resourceful. One day, Aoi encounters a young woman named Kyoko. She shares her travel plans with Kyoko and shows her the sketchbook. Kyoko can't believe her eyes! The sketchbook is more like research notes than casual sketches, and it is full of accurate maps and information that she could use to make loads of money. With the original plan of finding a chance to steal the sketchbook, Kyoko feigns concern over Aoi and joins her on her travels. As the two girls encounter and affect the lives of various people on their journey, will Kyoko be able to learn more about this unusual young girl?

vols. 1-8 and 10-11

Vols. 1 & 2

Vol.1

Vols. 2 & 3

Vol.1

Vols. 1 & 2

After Al is forced to bind his brother's soul to a suit of armor, they go on a quest to find a means to return Al's brother to the flesh.

Vol. 1

In Taisho-era Japan, Tanjiro Kamado is a kindhearted boy who makes a living selling charcoal until his peaceful life is shattered when a demon slaughters his family and turns his sister into another demon, forcing Tanjiro on a dangerous journey to destroy the demon and save his sister.
Vols. 1 & 2

Middle school student Izuku Midoriya wants to be a hero more than anything, but he hasn't got an ounce of power in him. With no chance of ever getting into the prestigious U.A. High School for budding heroes, his life is looking more and more like a dead end. Then an encounter with All Might, the greatest hero of them all, gives him a chance to change his destiny... Vol.1

Twelve years ago the Village Hidden in the Leaves was attacked by a fearsome threat. A nine-tailed fox spirit claimed the life of the village leader, the Hokage, and many others. Today, the village is at peace and a troublemaking kid named Naruto is struggling to graduate from Ninja Academy. His goal may be to become the next Hokage, but his true destiny will be much more complicated.

After the death of his husband, Canadian Mike moves to Japan to live with his brother-in-law and his niece. Vols. 1-4.

Vol.1

Vols. 2-4

Young Monkey D. Luffy searches the oceans with his Straw Hat Pirates for the world's ultimate treasure, known as One Piece, in order to become the next Pirate King. Vols. 1 & 2

The hero 'Saitama' is strong enough to knock down any brutal monsters with only one punch. The legend of the hero begins! Vol.1

Yotsuba is a green-haired and wide-eyed girl who always has her befuddled neighbors' and friends' heads spinning with her energy. The comics series describes the hilarious exploits of the strange, out-of-this-world girl in her new town. Vols. 1 & 2

Abandon the Old in Tokyo is the second in a three-volume series that collects the short stories of Japanese cartooning legend Yoshihiro Tatsumi.

Android Angels depicts a future world in which consumers can easily rent android companions, but only for a three-year span, leading to questions about the morality of erasing the memories of artificial humans and what happens to human relationships abruptly broken off every three years.

Weird tales of horror and the bizarre are part ofa peculiar vision of the world in this collection of shortstories. "The Anomal graphicnovel collection provides a fun, occasionally touching eclectic assortment ofshort manga stories with a supernatural skew that should fascinate and entertainreaders that are tired of ordinary superhero comics "-AnimeNation "Anomal is agood book that plays with the genres and keeps the reader interested because ofit; here again Gen has preserved the artistry of manga."-SUVUDU

Can a robot have a soul? Built by a brilliant scientist to replace his lost son, but with powers beyond imagination, Astro Boy fights for the oppressed and helpless, whether they be human, alien, or robot. Exciting, whimsical, and touching, Astro Boy brings back the classic era of comics and animation, featuring tales that readers young and old will enjoy. Creator Osamu Tezuka was considered the Walt Disney of Japan, and Astro Boy is his most popular and influential creation.

Average student Moritaka Mashiro enjoys drawing for fun. When his classmate and aspiring writer Akito Takagi discovers his talent, he begs Moritaka to team up with him as a manga-creating duo. But what exactly does it take to make it in the manga-publishing world?

This recounts the bombing of Hiroshima from the perspective of a young boy, Gen, and his family. But the book's themes (the physical and psychological damage ordinary people suffer from war's realities) ring chillingly true today. Despite its harrowing nature, this work is invaluable for the lessons it offers in history, humanity and compassion. 8 vols.

In Taisho-era Japan, kindhearted Tanjiro Kamado makes a living selling charcoal. But his peaceful life is shattered when a demon slaughters his entire family. His little sister Nezuko is the only survivor, but she has been transformed into a demon herself! Tanjiro sets out on a dangerous journey to find a way to return his sister to normal and destroy the demon who ruined his life. Vol.1

Eath's greatest hero...is from outerspace! Dragon Ball introduces a young monkey-tailed boy named Goku (a wry update of the classic Chinese "Monkey King" legend), whose quiet life changes when he meets a girl named Bulma who is on a quest to collect seven "Dragon Balls." If she gathers them all, an incredibly powerful dragon will appear and grant her one wish. But the precious orbs are scattered all over the world, and Bulma could use the help of a certain super-strong boy...

The epic autobiography of a manga master Acclaimed for his visionary short-story collections The Push Man and Other Stories, Abandon the Old in Tokyo, and Good-Bye--originally created nearly forty years ago, but resonant now --the legendary Japanese cartoonist Yoshihiro Tatsumi has come to be recognized in North America as a precursor of today's graphic novel movement. A Drifting Life is his monumental memoir eleven years in the making, beginning with his experiences as a child in Osaka, growing up as part of a country burdened by the shadows of World War II.

The master of horror manga bends all his skill into bringing the anguished and solitary monster--and the fouler beast who created him--to life with the brilliantly detailed chiaroscuro he is known for. Also included are six tales of Oshikiri--a high school student who lives in a decaying mansion connected to a haunted parallel world.

Alchemy: the mystical power to alter the natural world; something between magic, art and science. When two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, dabbled in this power to grant their dearest wish, one of them lost an arm and a leg...and the other became nothing but a soul locked into a body of living steel. Now Edward is an agent of the government, a slave of the military-alchemical complex, using his unique powers to obey orders...even to kill. Except his powers aren't unique. The world has been ravaged by the abuse of alchemy. And in pursuit of the ultimate alchemical treasure, the Philosopher's Stone, their enemies are even more ruthless than they are...

Good-Bye is the third in a series of collected short stories from Drawn & Quarterly by the legendary Japanese cartoonist Yoshihiro Tatsum. Drawn in 1971 and 1972, these stories expand the prolific artist's vocabulary for characters contextualized by themes of depravity and disorientation in twentieth-century Japan.

Mystery is engulfing the face of Yuki's high school and Yuki is caught in the middle. As she battles the exhausting crowds during her daily commute she, like many other young girls in Japan, is sexually violated. Meanwhile, a boy is secretly filming her and someone is brutally slaughtering cats. What does it all mean?

After a group trip to Europe, a Japanese artist stops in Paris alone, intent on visiting the museums of the capital. But, bedridden in his hotel room with fever, he faces the absolute solitude of one suffering in a foreign land, deprived of any immediate or familiar recourse. When the fever breaks somewhat, he sets out on his visit and promptly gets lost in the crowded halls of the Louvre. Very soon, he discovers many unsuspected facets to this world in a museum in a journey oscillating between feverish hallucination and reality, actually able to speak with famous painters from various periods of history, led to crossroads between human and personal history by... the Guardians of the Louvre.

A young adult graphic novel about three foreign exchange students and the pleasures, and difficulties, of adjusting to living in Japan.

In 1814, Hokusai's sketches were published in a handbook of over 4,000 images: Hokusai Manga. It surpassed expectations as a student reference book, and became a bestseller.

Ichiro lives in New York City with his Japanese mother. His father, an American soldier, was killed in Iraq. Now, Ichi's mom has decided they should move back to Japan to live with Ichi's grandfather. Grandfather becomes Ichi's tour guide, taking him to temples as well as the Hiroshima Peace Park, where Ichi starts to question the nature of war. After a supernatural encounter with the gods and creatures of Japanese mythology, Ichi must face his fears if he is to get back home. In doing so, he learns about the nature of man, of gods, and of war. He also learns there are no easy answers--for gods or men.

They are burning Japanese cars in Detroit. The top management at Toyosan Motors must decide whether to begin offshore production of its cars in the U.S. But our hero Mr. Kudo fears that offshore production will devastate the numerous local subcontractors of Toyosan, leading to a hollowing out of the auto industry in Japan, leaving only a financial shell. The American color TV industry has already suffered such a fate. The villain, Mr. Tsugawa, calls Kudo a wimp and sees a splendid opportunity for union busting. Will our hero prevail? Thus begins the first episode of this rollicking yet incisive introduction to the world economy from the Japanese point of view.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is a groundbreaking manga famous for its outlandish characters, wild humor and frenetic battles. A multigenerational tale of the heroic Joestar family and their never-ending battle against evil! Vol.1

Cute but deadly. Powerpuff Girls on acid. Lolita Goth. Enter the unique world of Junko Mizuno's Cinderalla, a mindwarping revision of the classic fairy tale, complete with flying zombies and anemic pop stars, told with more than a touch of black humor.

Meet Hansel, Meet Gretel. She's a little bit loudmouthed and aggressive, he's a little bit brainy and pudgy. And everything's fine in their tiny mountain hamlet--Dad's on medication, the local barber's selling diet food, and there's croissants for everyone--until one day a tiny lady shows up...and something goes horribly wrong in Hibari-cho. Can Hansel & Gretel save the day?

Kamen, a mysterious masked man appears among prisoners of war in ancient Japan. But his mask holds a secret...and powers that reveal themselves just in time to rescue innocent lives about to be executed at the whims of a mad ruler!

Midori loves to design worlds. Tsubame loves to animate. Sayaka loves to make money! And at Shibahama High, they call them Eizouken--a three-girl club determined to produce their own spectacular science fiction anime! But with no budget from their school and a leaky warehouse for a studio, Eizouken is going to have to work hard and use their imagination...the one thing they've got plenty of! Now an anime series from Masaaki Yuasa, director of the Netflix fan favorite Devilman Crybaby, Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! was nominated for the Manga Taisho Award as one of the 10 best new manga of 2018!

Ryusuke returns to the town he once lived in because rumors are swirling about girls killing themselves after encountering a bewitchingly handsome young man. Harboring his own secret from time spent in this town, Ryusuke attempts to capture the beautiful boy and close the case, but...

Just when you thought that nobody could create something new in the comic medium, here comes Metronome -- a 64-page debut graphic novel by Véronique Tanaka: a "silent", erotically-charged visual poem, an experimental non-linear story using a palette of iconic ligne clair images. Symbolism, visual puns and trompe l'oeil conspire in a visual mantra that could be described as "existential manga" if it wasn't for the fact that there is a very human and elegantly-structured tale of a doomed relationship providing a solid foundation to the cutting-edge storytelling. A gorgeous art book/graphic novel from a mysterious new artist. An experience not to be missed!

Middle school student Izuku Midoriya wants to be a hero more than anything, but he hasn't got an ounce of power in him. With no chance of ever getting into the prestigious U.A. High School for budding heroes, his life is looking more and more like a dead end. Then an encounter with All Might, the greatest hero of them all, gives him a chance to change his destiny... Vol.1

Naruto is a young shinobi with an incorrigible knack for mischief. He's got a wild sense of humor, but Naruto is completely serious about his mission to be the world's greatest ninja! Twelve years ago the Village Hidden in the Leaves was attacked by a fearsome threat. A nine-tailed fox spirit claimed the life of the village leader, the Hokage, and many others. Today, the village is at peace and a troublemaking kid named Naruto is struggling to graduate from Ninja Academy. His goal may be to become the next Hokage, but his true destiny will be much more complicated.

Matsumoto-kun is just about to turn sixteen when he accidentally bumps into and injures his mysterious high school senpai, Mizushima-kun. Now, he is bound to make it up to him. But the lines aren't clear on just how far this new angst-filled, steamy relationship will go?

As a child, Monkey D. Luffy dreamed of becoming King of the Pirates. But his life changed when he accidentally gained the power to stretch like rubber...at the cost of never being able to swim again! Years, later, Luffy sets off in search of the "One Piece," said to be the greatest treasure in the world... Vol.1

Life gets pretty boring when you can beat the snot out of any villain with just one punch. Nothing about Saitama passes the eyeball test when it comes to superheroes, from his lifeless expression to his bald head to his unimpressive physique. However, this average-looking guy has a not-so-average problem--he just can't seem to find an opponent strong enough to take on! Vol.1.

Thirty years before the advent of the literary graphic novel movement in the United States, Yoshihiro Tatsumi created a library of comics that draw parallels to modern prose fiction and today's alternative comics. The stories collected in The Push Man are simultaneously haunting, disturbing, and darkly humorous.

Horror master Junji Ito explores a new frontier with a grand cosmic horror tale in which a mysterious woman has her way with the world!

Winning isn't everything in the game of basketball, but who wants to come in second? It takes dedication and discipline to be the best, and the Shohoku High hoops team wants to be just that. They have one last year to make their captain's dream of reaching the finals come true--will they do it? Vol.1

Sorako lives an ordinary life. And this is an ordinary story. She has friends and family, loves her dog, thinks about life, and occasionally looks for work (kinda). These are the adventures into a typical girl's life.

Vols. 1-5 An action-packed comedy about a fake family that includes a spy, an assassin and a telepath!

Tomie Kawakami is a femme fatale with long black hair and a beauty mark just under her left eye. She can seduce nearly any man, and drive them to murder as well, even though the victim is often Tomie herself. While one lover seeks to keep her for himself, another grows terrified of the immortal succubus. But soon they realize that no matter how many times they kill her, the world will never be free of Tomie.

Kitaro must unravel a mystery between the two cutest girls in school. One claims the other is an alien! Is Sana Sakuma really a secret visitor from outer space or is this some elaborate prank? The mystery spirals in and out, back and forth, keeping you guessing until the very end. Do you want to believe?

Naoto heads for the city to find the father who abandoned him as a child. He is determined to get vengeance. But he finds out it won t be that easy. Dad is a champion boxer. Naoto must train to face his own father for the Japan featherweight title."

19 essays from various critical disciplines examine how comic books and graphic narratives move between various media, while merging youth and adult cultures and popular and high art.

Discusses the different forms, styles, artists, and publishers of manga, the popular form of comic book in Japan.

Offering extensive coverage, this Encyclopedia reflects the vibrant, diverse and evolving culture of modern Japan.

God of Comics chronicles Tezuka's life and works, placing his creations both in the cultural climate and in the history of Japanese comics.

'Japanamerica' addresses the United States' experience with anime and the Japanese pop phenomenon. The book highlights the shared conflicts as American and Japanese pop cultures dramatically intersect.

After decades in which American popular culture dominated global media and markets, Japanese popular culture--primarily manga and anime, but also toys, card and video games, and fashion--has exploded into a worldwide phenomenon. Mechademia, volume 1, engages the rise of Japanese popular culture through game design, fashion, graphic design, commercial packaging, character creation, and fan culture.

The second volume in the Mechademia series explores the varieties of desire that structure and influence much of contemporary anime and manga in manifestations that range from the explicitly sexual to more sublimated text and imagery.

Find here a diversity of views of what Japanese popular culture is, and how it is best approached and understood. Covering a broad range of topics, including sumo, karaoke, manga, vampires, women's magazines, soccer and morning television, the contributors also explore several deeper themes: the construction of gender in Japan; the impact of globalization and modern consumerism; and the rapidly shifting boundaries of Japanese culture and identity.

A collection of several animated short films, detailing the backstory of the "Matrix" universe, and the original war between man and machines which led to the creation of the Matrix. Written by the creators of The Matrix and featuring animation by the creators of Cowboy Bebop, Aeon Flux, and Vampire Hunter D.

After disappearing for 100 years, Aang has returned to face his destiny as Avatar. And just in the nick of time, as the Four Nations are at war, and the Fire Nation is threatening to take over. Only the Avatar can restore balance, but first, he, along with his friends Katara and Sokka, must begin his journey to master the four elements. 6 Discs.

Avatar Aang continues his quest to master the four elements as he and his friends journey across the Earth Kingdom in search of an Earthbending mentor. But they soon run into Princess Azula, the treacherous and power-mad sister of Prince Zuko ... and she will stop at nothing to defeat the Avatar. 5 Discs.

Aang faces new challenges as he and his friends infiltrate the Fire Nation in order to find and defeat Firelord Ozai. They soon discover that Ozai intends to use the massive power of Sozin's Comet to conquer the Four nations. In the spectacular conclusion of 'Avatar: the last Airbender', Aang must master the elements and fulfill his destiny as Avatar...or watch the world go up in smoke. 5 Discs.

A giant talking frog and an elusive cat help a listless bank employee, his traumatized wife, and a lonely accountant seek meaning in their lives and possibly save Tokyo from catastrophe in this animated feature based on stories by acclaimed Japanese author Haruki Murakami. The feature debut of composer Pierre Foldes, the film won the Jury Special Mention at the renowned Annecy Animation Film Festival and the Grand Prize at the Anima Festival in Brussels.

A young boy and a mysterious girl search for a fantastic floating castle while trying to outrun pirates, the army, and government agents.

Now she feels drawn toward the aquarium and the two mysterious boys she meets there, Umi and Sora, who were raised by dugongs and hear the same strange calls from the sea as she does. As the kids get caught up in the mystery behind the sudden worldwide disappearance of the ocean's fish, they uncover cosmic connections that will change them forever.

The story revolves around a robotic cat named Doraemon, who travels back in time from the 22nd century to aid a pre-teen boy named Nobita Nobi (野比のび太 Nobi Nobita).

Hitomi Kanzaki is depressed, she feels isolated from her friends and family, and wants nothing more than to disappear. From her melancholy, the otherworldly presence of Lord Folken is summoned, and she is spirited away to the foreign world of Gaea. On Gaea, Hitomi is both feared and worshiped as the legendary Winged Goddess: a powerful being who can call to life the mystical Dragon Armor, Escaflowne. Hitomi is bewildered by the strange new world where ships fly through the air, cat women walk and talk, and her apparent role as goddess makes her a prized possession for several nefarious organizations. Hitomi finds a kindred spirit in the vengeful and headstrong Lord Van of Adom, who has sworn an oath of revenge against the Black Dragon Clan that destroyed Van's kingdom. Now, Van lives by the sword. And with Hitomi by his side, Van and Escaflowne will lead the world of Gaea to either harmony, or to destruction.

It is 1923 in Munich. Two years have passed since Edward Elric's sacrifice ripped him out of his world and separating him from his younger brother, Alphonse. Ed's continued research into rocketry has allied him with Alphons Heiderich, a fellow researcher who oddly resembles Ed's brother. Progress has been slow, however, and Ed has become discouraged. But when he saves a quiet Gypsy girl with the power to read minds, Ed is quickly pulled into a plot by the Thule Society and the burgeoning Nazi Party that could drag both worlds into a terrible war.

Set in a re-imagined Hong Kong at a time when cyberspace is expanding into human reality, the story follows top cyberwarrier Major Motoko Kusangi as she hovers on the border of total immersion in the digital world.

A high-school girl named Makoto acquires the power to travel back in time, and decides to use it for her own personal benefits. Little does she know that she is affecting the lives of others just as much as she is her own.

As the Empire of the Sun crumbles upon itself and a rain of firebombs falls upon Japan, the final death march of a nation is echoed in millions of smaller tragedies. Seita and his younger sister Setsuko are two children born at the wrong time, in the wrong place, and now cast adrift in a world that lacks not the care to shelter them, but simply the resources. They are forced to fend for themselves in the aftermath of fires that swept entire cities from the face of the earth.

Sophie, a quiet girl working in a hat shop, finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome but mysterious wizard named Howl. The vengeful Witch of the Waste, jealous of their friendship, puts a spell on Sophie. In a life changing adventure, Sophie climbs aboard Howl's magnificent moving castle and enters a magical world on a quest to break the spell.

Found inside a shining stalk of bamboo by an old bamboo cutter and his wife, a tiny girl grows rapidly into an exquisite young lady. The mysterious young princess enthralls all who encounter her, but ultimately she must confront her fate, the punishment for her crime.

The epic coming-of-age tale of Nausicaa, a compassionate princess warrior striving to negotiate peace between kingdoms battling over the last of the planet's precious natural resources.

Midori Asakusa is obsessed with animation, but while she spends hours doodling and coming up with amazing ideas, she kjonws that it'll be difficult to produce animated films on her own. Fortunately, Sayaka Kanamori is more into planning and finances, and she's been thinking of ways to turn Midori's ideas into something practical and profitable. That's what friends are for, right? Still, for all their hopes and wishes, their future as the next animation wunderkids is looking rather sketchy...until they meet Tsubame Mizusaki, who daydreams about becoming an animator, even though her parents have forbidden her from joining their school's anime club. Solution: form a new club focused on "motion pictures" and let the creativity flow! It won't always be easy, but once everyone's in "toon" together, who knows what might happen.

Mitsuha and Taki are two total strangers living completely different lives. But when Mitsuha makes a wish to leave her mountain town for the bustling city of Tokyo, they become connected in a bizarre way. She dreams she is a boy living in Tokyo while Taki dreams he is a girl from a rural town he's never been to. What does their newfound connection mean? And how will it bring them together?

When four-year-old Kun's new baby sister is named Mirai (meaning 'future'), and the baby quickly wins the hearts of Kun's entire family. As his mother returns to work, Kun becomes increasingly jealous of baby Mirai, until one day he storms off into the garden, where he encounters guests from the past and future, including his sister Mirai as a teenager. Together, Kun and teenage Mirai go on a journey through time, uncovering their family's incredible story.

When four-year-old Kun's new baby sister, named Mirai (meaning 'future'), quickly wins the hearts of Kun's entire family, his world is turned upside down. As his mother returns to work, Kun becomes increasingly jealous of baby Mirai, until one day he storms off into the garden, where he encounters guests from the past and future, including his sister Mirai as a teenager. Together, Kun and teenage Mirai go on a journey through time, uncovering their family's incredible story.

Izuku Midoriya--Deku for short--and his first-year classmates at an exclusive high school academy get training from the hero All Might, and end up putting their training to the test when they must battle real villains. 5 Discs.

The magical tale centers on a revolutionary machine that allows scientists to enter and record a subject's dream. After being stolen, a fearless detective and brilliant therapist join forces to recover the device -- before it falls into the hands of a "dream terrorist."

After a stop in Pallet Town, Ash, Misty and Brock set out to find a rare and mysterious Pokeball for Professor Oak. Their quest leads them to the Orange Islands, where Ash decides to battle in the Orange League Tournament. With new friends to meet, new Pokemon to discover, and tough new trainers to challenge them, the adventures never end for Ash and his friends! 3 Discs.

The tanuki (raccoon dogs) of Tama Hills find their fun-loving community under attack when their quiet woodlands are threatened by encroaching developers looking to create still more houses and shopping malls. Desperate to survive, the tanuki band together and learn the ancient art of transformation, shape-shifting into a comical variety of humans and spirits as they undertake a last-ditch plan to scare away the humans and save their home, in this deeply affecting, funny and heartfelt look at what it means to live in the modern world.

A young boy named Sosuke rescues a goldfish named Ponyo, and they embarkon a fantastic journey of friendship and discovery before Ponyo's father, apowerful sorcerer, forces her to return to her home in the sea. Ponyo's desire to be human upsets the delicate balance of nature and triggers a gigantic storm. Only Ponyo's mother, a beautiful sea goddess, can restore nature's balance and make Ponyo's dreams come true.

A young boy named Sosuke rescues a goldfish named Ponyo, and they embark on a fantastic journey of friendship before Ponyo's father forces her to return to the sea. Ponyo's desire to be human upsets the balance of nature and only Ponyo's mother, a beautiful sea goddess, can restore nature's balance and make Ponyo's dreams come true.

Slouching towards middle age, Porco Rosso makes his living by flying about in his red bi-plane and fighting sky bandits who prey on cruise ships sailing the Adriatic. When he's not engaging in dog fights, this pilot lives on a deserted island retreat. Porco was once a strapping young man, but after his entire squadron was wiped out, he is mysteriously transformed into a pig. Then he is defeated in a dogfight against a dashing American rival, who has been hired by the dastardly bandits. With his plane damaged, he finds a repair hangar near Milan where a local woman fixes his plane.

Inflicted with a deadly curse, a young warrior named Ashitaka sets out to the forests of the west in search of the cure that will save his life. Once there, he becomes inextricably entangled in a bitter battle that matches Lady Eboshi and a proud clan of humans against the forest's animal gods, who are led by the brave Princess Mononoke, a young woman raised by wolves, who will stop at nothing to prevent the humans from destroying her home and the forest spirits and animals gods who live there.

The dialogue-less film follows the major life stages of a castaway on a deserted tropical island populated by turtles, crabs and birds.

Kenji is your typical teenage misfit. He's good at math, bad with girls, and spends most of his time hanging out in the all-powerful, online community known as OZ. His second life is the only life he has - until the girl of his dreams, Natsuki, hijacks him for a starring role as a fake fiancé at her family reunion. Things only get stranger from there. A late-night email containing a cryptic mathematic riddle leads to the unleashing of a rogue AI.

After making an animated film together in high school, Aoi and her friends Shizuka, Ema, Misa, and Midori made a promise to each other: to all get jobs in the anime industry and someday work together again. Two years later, Aoi is learning that working as a production assistant at a small animation studio is far more demanding than she ever imagined, and Shizuka's aspiring career as a voice actor involves more time waiting tables than recording. Meanwhile, Ema's slowly making a name for herself as a key animator, Misa's moved from 2D to 3D and now works in computer graphics, and screenwriting hopeful Midori is lagging furthest behind, still looking for her first big break. But are they ready to give up on their dreams just yet? No way! Because while anime may come from inspiration, in the end it's the ones who're willing to put in the perspiration that make their dreams real in Shirobako!

Once upon a time, five girls made an animated film and it was so much fun that they pledged to get jobs in animation so that someday they could make another film together. Now, two years later, Aoi, Shizuka, Ema, Misa, and Midori have learned the truth about the anime industry: it's not always fun, it's anything but easy, and having talent isn't always enough to open the right doors. Which is why Aoi's overwhelmed by her job as a production assistant, Shizuka's waiting on tables between auditions, Midori's currently scriptless, Misa's switched to C.G., and Ema's working long hours as a key animator. Is it what they imagined? No. But they are ready to give up? Not just yet! Sometimes, when things happen in animation, they can happen in the most wonderful ways in Shirobako!

When a young girl gets trapped in a strange new world of spirits, she must call upon the courage she never knew she had to free herself and rescue her parents. Chihiro and her parents accidentally wander into another world ruled by witches and monsters. When her parents are captured by the ruler of the world, she tricks the witch into hiring her so she can figure out how to free them.

Three homeless friends find an abandoned baby on Christmas Eve and try to locate her parents.

Two young sisters spend a summer in the Japanese countryside with their father. The children's strange new home turns out to be a wonderland filled with creatures and a trio of furry woodland sprites who can only be seen by children.

After moving to the country to be near their ailing mother, two young sisters are befriended by a variety of mysterious creatures.

When shy, artistic Anna moves to the seaside to live with her aunt and uncle, she stumbles upon an old mansion surrounded by marshes, and the mysterious young girl, Marnie, who lives there. The two girls instantly form a unique connection and friendship that blurs the lines between fantasy and reality. As the days go by, a nearly magnetic pull draws Anna back to the Marsh house again and again, and she begins to piece together the truth surrounding her strange new friend.

Jiro dreams of flying and designing beautiful airplanes, inspired by the famous Italian aeronautical designer Caproni. Nearsighted from a young age and unable to be a pilot, Jiro joins a major Japanese engineering company in 1927 and becomes one of the worlds most innovative and accomplished airplane designers. Jiro meets and falls in love with Nahoko, and grows and cherishes his friendship with his colleague Honjo.

Jiro dreams of flying and designing beautiful airplanes, inspired by the famous Italian aeronautical designer Caproni. Nearsighted from a young age and unable to be a pilot, Jiro joins a major Japanese engineering company in 1927 and becomes one of the world's most innovative and accomplished airplane designers. Jiro meets and falls in love with Nahoko, and grows and cherishes his friendship with his colleague Honjo.

Hana was a student before she was a mother. ... Then she met a man, who turned out to be a wolf, and together they built a family. Hana loved her mate fiercely, but fate took him from her, leaving her alone with two unusual kids she didn't know how to raise. ... This is a mother's journey. Teach your children to chase their dreams--and smile through the tears as they disappear into the world in search of who they will become.

This comprehensive history of Japanese animation draws on Japanese primary sources and testimony from industry professionals to explore the production and reception of anime, from its origins in Japanese cartoons of the 1920s and 30s to the international successes of companies such as Studio Ghibli and Nintendo, films such as Spirited Away and video game characters such as Pokémon.

The topos of memory has played a significant role in anime over the course of its evolution as an art form and as a popular form of entertainment. Anime's handling of memory is multifaceted, bringing it into collusion with diverse symbolic motifs, narrative themes, and aesthetic issues. This study aims to provide a detailed analysis of a range of anime titles wherein different aspects of this cultural phenomenon are articulated. It explores anime films and series which exemplify the distinctive signatures placed by particular directors or studios on the treatment of memory, while also highlighting the prominence of memory in anime with reference to specific philosophical, artistic, and historical contexts.

This title holds information on Japanese animation, its practitioners and products, plus incisive thematic entries on anime history and culture.

A look at Japanese animation, and the manga that inspired them.

Christopher Bolton's Interpreting Anime is a thoughtful, carefully organized introduction to Japanese animation for anyone eager to see why this genre has remained a vital, adaptable art form for decades.

A look inside the notoriously insular Studio Ghibli, a production company known for its animated films. Follows director Hayao Miyazaki, producer Toshio Suzuki, and director Isao Takahata for a year as the studio rushes to complete two films, Miyazaki's The Wind Rises and Takahata's The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.

Once a favorite of mainly art house audiences, Hayao Miyazaki's films have enjoyed increasing exposure in the West since his Spirited Away won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2003. The award signaled a turning point for Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli, bringing his films prominence in the media and driving their distribution in multiple formats. This book explores the closing decade of Miyazaki's career (2004-2013), providing a close study of six feature films to which he contributed, including three he directed (Howl's Moving Castle, Ponyo and The Wind Rises). Seven short films created for exclusive screening at Tokyo's Ghibli Museum are also covered, four of which were directed by Miyazaki.

Based on his innate inquisitive nature and the accumulated resources of thirty years, Suzuki has recounted in this book the story not only of Miyazaki and Takahata but also the other figures working at Studio Ghibli or in connection with it.

The story of filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki's life and work, including his significant impact on Japan and the world.

In The Soul of Anime, Ian Condry explores the emergence of anime, Japanese animated film and television, as a global cultural phenomenon. Drawing on ethnographic research, including interviews with artists at some of Tokyo's leading animation studios--such as Madhouse, Gonzo, Aniplex, and Studio Ghibli--Condry discusses how anime's fictional characters and worlds become platforms for collaborative creativity.