Guide to Anime
Everyone goes through the “newbie” phase when they start anything and it can be a very discomforting experience, especially if you’re a newbie to anime. With words such as “kawaii”, “moe”, and “otaku” to name a few, learning the anime lingo can seem just as hard as learning a new language, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Unfortunately, there is no comprehensive guide to help you figure out what exactly defines a character as “moe”, why there’s so much hype over some pieces of plastic, or why anime characters have such big eyes. Well, Tsurugiarashix and I aim to change that, but we need some help.
There is no one better to explain different aspects of anime and its fandom than experienced anime fans. Fortunately, there is a group of anime fans willing to write and share their thoughts on different anime-related topics: ani-bloggers.
This is a call-out to any and all ani-bloggers to make your mark on the aniblogosphere and help compile a comprehensive guide to everything related to anime. If you have a blog, it’s easy to participate, just write an article (or more) on a topic of your choice that helps explain the what, how or why of anime and/or its fandom. As with the History with Anime project, send either Tsurugiarashix or I a link to your post and we will add it to the project page. All that we ask for in return is a link to the project page somewhere in your post so that people can read up on more topics.
In the event that someone has already written an article on a topic you wanted to cover, don’t feel that you have to write something else. Having different articles on the same topic is encouraged; after all, if you want an expert opinion on something, you always call up multiple experts.
If you want to submit an article but don’t have your own blog, you can still participate. Send me an email with your article in a Word file and I will post it on my blog with links back to your profiles (such as MAL, MFC, Twitter, Facebook, and G+, but no commercial links).
We will be starting things off with a few posts in the next couple of weeks, but we can’t cover everything ourselves. Below is a list of the topic ideas we have come up with and anyone is free to take them.
Genres
- Romantic Comedy
- Mecha
- Action
- Mahou Shoujo
- Harem Ecchi
- Psychological Thriller
- Slice of Life
- Hentai
- Science Fiction
- Mystery
- Fantasy
Character Archetypes
- Tsundere
- Yandere
- Dandere
- Kudere
- Loli
- GAR
- “I was a regular teenage boy until…”
- Moeblob
- Bishoujo
- Bishounen
Anime Oddities
- Ahoge
- Chibi Characters
- Childhood Friends
- Accidental Boob Grabs
- Zettai Ryouiki
Source Material
- Manga
- Visual Novels
- Games
- Eroge
- Light Novels
- Original Works
Anime Fandom
- Conventions
- Cosplay
- AMV’s
- Doujinshi
- Fanart
- Figures
- Scaled PVC Figures
- Resin Figures
- Nendoroids
- Figmas
- Revoltechs
- Fansubs
- Inserting random Japanese Words
Anime Studios
- Gainax
- Kyoto Animation
- Gonzo
- Studio Deen
- Sunrise
- AIC
- Brains Base
- Bones
- Xebec
Anime Through the Years
- 1960’s
- 1970’s
- 1980’s
- 1990’s
- 2000’s
Other
- Visiting Japan
- Learning Japanese
- Drawing Anime/Manga
- Fanservice
- Useful Terms
- Target Audiences (Shoujo, Seinen, Shounen, Josei)
Oh man, I would love to help out. Not sure how capable my ability to explain knowledge is though. Still, I will give zettai ryouiki a shot or something.
1I don’t think you’ll have a problem. Looking at your blog, you seem to know quite a bit about anime.
2Well this certainly looks interesting. There might be something I could put together, although I’d have to see some finished entries first so I know what to write. I know a little about target audiences, and I’m sure I could do something for manga as source material.
3Yerocha recently posted..Current Manga Rankings – 2011 – Part 1
There aren’t many, but there are some entries already on the project page. You can check them out to see how they’re formatted.
4Interesting project idea. Not too sure if I’d be able to do much on it but I might have a go at something if I can get into the right state of mind for it ^^
5Persocom recently posted..Happy New Year 2012!
I’m going to take a guess and say if you do write something, it’ll be about busou shinkis :D
6I have already written some of these should I link you to them?
7Kidd recently posted..AniBloggers Choice Anime Awards : Winners
Sure, if you think they help explain some things related to anime. I just ask that you include a link to the project page so people can find more guides.
8I started working on an extensive guide with several parts (finding the right media player and setting it up, what genres are right for you and in turn what shows are right for you, and how to acquire said shows, etc) nearly a year ago but I ended up not finishing the projects.
I will some day, in fact just earlier today while I was having some toilet thinking time, I was thinking about what to write now that I’ve finished all my major posts on Rukinet.com, and it hit me that maybe I should get back to that guide project.
It’s a large project though, it would take some while (especially since I don’t plan to publish all parts the same day) and what you’re looking for seems to be less detailed than what I had planned, so maybe this isn’t the right time.
9Well, if you decide to just write short guides instead of a large project, you’re always welcome to participate.
10Another great idea nopy! I’ll definitely help out. My post will be probably be about all the deres. I remember I was stuck with these last time, lol.
11Kai recently posted..Character of the Month – January
I might do something about the source materials.. hmmm let’s see how long I can accomplish before this final holiday of mine finishes.
12Kai recently posted..Character of the Month – January
Great, I already see your post is up (that was fast…) and I’ve added it to the project page.
13Yea might do more soon if I can fit in enough time D:
14Kai recently posted..A Guide to the Deres
Well that’s one extensive list @_@ but what the heck, I’ll see what I can contribute although my anime watch list is pretty minimal these days
15dreaming Artemis recently posted..Happy New year 2012!
I’m sure you can come up with something, you seem to have been a fan for quite a while.
16I have written an article on what’s a fujoshi a while back, I guess that’s the kind of thing you’re looking for?
And I’ve been wanting, in the same series, to write a kind of Dictionnary of fujoshi terms, so, interested?
17Kuuki recently posted..Happy New Year! (and 200th post o_O)
Yes, I remember that post, that’s exactly the type I was thinking of. If you’d like to submit it for the project, let me know.
18I finished my dictionnary!
http://enkuuki.blogspot.com/2012/01/being-fujoshi-3-dictionary.html
And the article about fujoshi I was talking about earlier
19http://enkuuki.blogspot.com/2011/11/being-fujoshi-1-defining-monster.html
Kuuki recently posted..Being a fujoshi #3 – A dictionary
Cool, I’ve added them to the list. What happened to Being a Fujoshi #2 though?
20It’s been lost in the middle of the 12 days of Christmas series.
21But it was about the great joys of being a fujoshi, doesn’t really seem fit for the guide to anime but if you want I can still go dig up the post
Kuuki recently posted..Being a fujoshi #3 – A dictionary
It’s up to you if you want to submit it, just give me a shout.
22I’ve actually written an extensive “introducing anime to newbies” post a few years ago (my blog wasn’t as popular back then as it is now so not many people noticed it). It doesn’t go into the specifics of the fandom like the archetypes and the studios – it briefly covers anime history and production, but mostly focuses on why anime is popular in America and how it’s different from Western cartoons. If you want to use it, here’s the link: http://animeyume.com/blog/2008/08/12/what-is-anime-the-written-definition/
I’ve also recently written a post all about tsunderes if you’d like to use that too: http://animeyume.com/blog/2011/10/23/my-favorite-anime-character-trope/
Right now I’m not sure if I’ll participate in the project as I have other posts lined up that I want to write. But depending on how long you keep this going, I may contribute more later on =)
23Yumeka recently posted..My 12 moments of anime for 2011
That first post looks like it might make a good intro post, I’ll have to give it a read later. If you decide to participate, just give me a shout.
24Why not host it on something like Wikia [http://www.wikia.com/] (or some kind of wiki system) so that people can freely add and edit and you can moderate and structure the project?
25I had actually considered using wikia at first, but decided not to for several reasons:
- I’ve seen dozens of anime-related ones, but they’re all lying in a state of obscurity.
- It’s hard to judge the credibility of the authors since you don’t know who they are. At least with blogs you can tell how knowledgeable a blogger is from their history.
- A blogging project provides more incentive for guides to be written and higher quality content since the people most knowledgeable about anime would gain more exposure by participating.
- Having various blogs participate substantially increases the audience the project would’ve had if it had started out as a wikia.
- Readers benefit by having everything about anime explained by the people who make it their passion, and bloggers benefit by driving traffic towards each other. There is less benefit on both sides with a wikia.
- It avoids the problem that Wikipedia’s anime articles have of not giving a clear explanation due to disagreement, such as with the term “moe”. Giving opposing sides their own posts allows readers to gain more insight than from a compromise article.
In essence, this project mimics the “anime portals” of the 90′s, which I thought were a great resource.
26Nice project, not sure if I’ll partecipate with something…I’ll have to go through that list and see if there’s something interesting to talk about…:O
27feal87 recently posted..Being a blogger – Between guiltiness and growing set-up times
If you do find something, I look forward to seeing what nice pictures you’ll include in it.
28I think I have written some posts about this before like Shaft using minimalism http://bit.ly/tWcx2R and discussion about romance and dokidoki moments http://bit.ly/uZ302I. As for my history of anime, I have yet to fully detail that but I wrote a post which discussed how I became an aniblogger http://bit.ly/t0YNqu. But, I’m not sure if these are counted though.
29SnippetTee recently posted..Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica – 2011 Best of the Best
They can count if you want. Just let me know if you want to add them and I’ll add them.
30Thats sounds like another interesting project, quite a big scaled though.
Maybe I will write a post about hentai ^o^
31In case I can pick up enough courage.
Wieselhead recently posted..Hi 2012 Goodbye year 2011
Ohh, I’m sure that would be a popular post, just make sure it’s labeled NSFW ;)
32Sorry for the delay. Here is my submission: http://kaminarianime.wordpress.com/2012/01/03/guide-to-the-slice-of-life-genre/#more-150
33tsurugiarashix recently posted..Guide To The Slice-Of-Life Genre
Thanks, I’ve added it to the project page.
34I’m surprised Shaft isn’t one of the studios.
Cool project! I doubt I will be participating though, as I lack knowledge about pretty much everything, heh.
35Marow recently posted..Winter 2012 Previews
Well, that’s just a list of whatever came to me first, it’s not meant to be exclusive.
I’m sad to hear that you won’t be participating :(
36Hahaha I think this is much needed nowadays, especially since a lot of animes now have ‘jargons attached to them like ‘tsundere’ or ‘moe’. Or sometimes they have difference in culture like i was wondering whats the deal with romance and childhood friends back then.
“I was a regular teenage boy until…” <—- wouldn't this be ALL male protagonists? hahaha XD. I mean it won't just apply to "a mecha/magical sword drop down from the sky" kinda plot. It could also be something as simple as meeting someone that will affect your life (Tomoya and Nagisa from Clannad).
37duqs recently posted..Ozinefest Figure Special
I wouldn’t say it’s all male protagonists, at least not if you go beyond the mid-90′s. I was thinking more along the lines of suddenly obtaining some special power though.
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