Beginning its journey as pictures drawn on walls of temples, then on wooden blocks, and ultimately emerging as woodblock prints with captions collected in books - manga has taken hundreds of years to reach this stage. At length, the captions became stories and the art became sequential. During the early part of the 20th century, manga had become the main form of literature for a major part of Japanese society.
During the same period, animated film making began in Europe and then the United States. As it made its appearance in Japan, it became a huge phenomenon. In fact, after 1940 more than 40% of all domestic films in Japan were found to be animated films based on manga. Because of its integral role in Japanese society, manga appealing to all age groups were routinely published and the scope of animated films also covered all ages. On the contrary, animation was perceived as primarily a medium for children in the West. It was so because there were not enough animated films aimed at older viewers and classic cartoons flooded the market in the decades both before and after the Second World War.
As television became a popular entertainment medium in Japan, animation became a large part of the programming schedule. Even though other shows preceded it, the first really successful animated series in terms of popularity was Osamu Tezuka's Tetsuwan Atom in 1963. The show became so popular that it caught the attention of NBC in 1964 and 104 episodes were syndicated in the U.S. as Astro Boy and became the highest rated syndicated show on television, live action or otherwise. Thanks to this development, other shows shortly found their way on to American television, including Tetsujin 28 (Gigantor), Eight Man (TOBOR, the Eighth Man), Kaitei Shonen Marin (Marine Boy), Jungle Taitei [Jungle Emperor] (Kimba, the White Lion), and Mach Go-Go-Go! (Speed Racer). Although these shows were edited to fit American standards (often with numerous episodes not even being released in the U.S.), broadcasters and pressure groups still complained about the violence present in these shows.
These protests forced a lull in bringing anime to American television for a number of years, although series and features were still being released in Japan and were wildly successful. The American viewers didn't get another look at anime until the late 1970's, when 1972's Kagaku Ninja Tai Gatchaman was adapted for American audiences as Battle of the Planets.
Global audiences are now enjoying a growing influx of popular anime. Pokemon, Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball have delighted children in all parts of the world. Most significant is the deal that Disney Studios and Studio Ghibli signed to bring all of Miyazaki's filmed masterpieces to American audiences. Anime's success owes a lot to the unswerving dedication of many Japanese artists to fully exploit the possibilities of animation as a creative medium. They realized that they could do more with moving pictures than just entertain children. They could explore the boundaries of space and probe the complexities of the human condition. This is what has made anime so dynamic and appealing.
