The Soul of Anime

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 studiossuch as Madhouse, Gonzo, Aniplex, and Studio GhibliCondry discusses how anime's fictional characters and worlds become platforms for collaborative creativity. He argues that the global success of Japanese animation has grown out of a collective social energy that operates across industriesincluding those that produce film, television, manga (comic books), and toys and other licensed merchandiseand connects fans to the creators of anime. For Condry, this collective social energy is the soul of anime.