Forum - View topicBest books on anime?
|
|
| Author | Message | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
HOPLITE
Posts: 2 |
|
||
|
Hello ,
What books are recommended for an overview of anime itself ? I'm looking for something along the lines of an encyclopedia or a textbook ; something comprehensive as a reference source . Thanks ! =) |
|||
|
|||
|
Blackpeppir
Posts: 234 |
|
||
|
You'd probably have fairly good luck with this book here
http://www.amazon.com/Anime-Encyclopedia-Guide-Japanese-Animation/dp/1880656647 Other than that, you might want to move your topic to the requests forum as request threads are against the rules. Hope that helps. |
|||
|
|||
|
sk1199
Posts: 162 |
|
||
|
You should know that the above is really nothing more than lists a la a real encyclopedia. Also there is an updated one that goes up to about 2003. The authors, in my opinion, are snobs in that they seem to take a harsh view of anything that isn't either serious or mainstream. It is full of errors in terms of plot synopsis and tends to have spoilers as well (see the entries for Rouroni Kenshin and Perfect Blue as examples of each).
You would be better served by checking out books by Giles Poitras. These are more like general overviews of Japanese culture as reflected in anime. |
|||
|
|||
Ausdoerrt
 Posts: 481 |
|
||
|
If you're looking for something comprehensive but not necessarily informative, get an encyclopedia, sth like ISBN 1933330104 IMO, it's a waste of time/money, since the ANN encyclopedia isn't really much inferior to a published edition like this.
For a decent literary analysis, I'd recommend these: Susan Napier ISBN 1403970513 OR 1403970521 - A cool analysis of some major topics, genres and most influential animes. Beware, though, she's a female writer with some feminist sentiments, and a tendency to use a bit too much Freudian analysis than you'd like to see. Cavalarro's ISBN 9780786432349 OR 0786432349 Gives a decent account of mostly sci-fi animes, and links them back to traditional Japanese culture. ISBN 9780765616012 has some okay misc essays, but wasn't that great. Those were the books that were used in my college lit. class. Unfortuately, they don't have much on the history of otaku culture. |
|||
|
|||
Battle Cossack
 Posts: 89 Location: Bay Area, CA |
|
||
|
Check out Anime Interviews : The First Five Years of Animerica, ISBN-10: 1569312206 & ISBN-13: 978-1569312209. Although I have not actually read it yet, I am very interested in what the artists have to say about their own work. It's only quirk is that it is rather dated, printing selections from '92-'97.
What I'd really like to read is a thorough history of anime in America, starting from way back whenever they started localizing Tobor, the Eighth Man and the Amazing Three. |
|||
|
|||
RedLeader
 Posts: 310 |
|
||
|
Then what you are looking for Mr. Cossack just happens to be the book I was going to recommend: http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Anime-Guide-Animation-Directory/dp/0964954257
Granted, it's an old book, written at about the time that anime was really starting to boom at American retailers (you know when Macross Plus was brand new?) so it's a bit dated but it has big pieces on the various general anime genres with examples, history from the very beginning of the medium, and including a section on anime on American television and tracks pretty much EVERY show that ever aired and when and how they might've been edited for American consumption. And yes, those shows you mentioned ARE covered in there. And it's not "anime", per se, but I'd also recommend, "Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics" by Fredrick L. Shodt. Awesome, awesome book, with lots of illustrations and sample pages. Also a thorough history with articles on the more prominent figures of the day. I believe he did a sequel called, "More Japanese Comics" or something like that but I don't have that one. http://www.amazon.com/Manga-World-Japanese-Comics/dp/0870117521/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255592137&sr=1-1 I hope that helps. |
|||
|
|||
 |
All times are GMT - 5 Hours |
|
|
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group