The Anime Encyclopedia

The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917
Front cover of second edition with Astro Boy, an early example of modern anime style
AuthorJonathan Clements and Helen McCarthy
LanguageEnglish
SubjectAnime
GenreEncyclopedia
PublisherStone Bridge Press, Titan Books
Publication date
2001
Publication placeUnited States, United Kingdom
Media typePrint Paperback (first and second editions)
hardcover, ebook (third edition)
Pagesxviii + 545 pp (first edition)
xxiv + 867 pp (second edition)
xxiv + 1136 pp (third edition)
ISBN978-1-611720-18-1
OCLC897946457

The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917 is a 2001 encyclopedia written by Jonathan Clements and Helen McCarthy. It was published in 2001 by Stone Bridge Press in the United States,[1][2] and a "revised and expanded" edition was released in 2006. In the United Kingdom, it was published by Titan Books.[3] The third edition was released on 3 March 2015 with the subtitle of A Century of Japanese Animation.[4][5][6][7] It gives an overview of most of the famous anime works since 1917.

Reception

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Anime News Network's George Phillips commends the encyclopaedia for "In-depth analysis of several major series, and discussions on hundreds of anime series rarely (if ever) heard of in the West" but criticises it for titles that "aren't listed under the names you suspect; can be quite confusing at first" though "the appendix in the back lists every title, including the Japanese and alternate English titles".[8] Animation World Network's Fred Patten comments on the book being "300 pages larger; a 40% expansion" in its "Revised and Expanded" edition compared to the original volume. He commends it for being "designed for all readers; laymen and experts (fans and academicians) alike".[9] Animefringe's Ridwan Khan commends the book for having "the entries summarize the plot, offer an opinion, and often discuss points of interest, including similar anime or historical roots. Icons indicating the presence of bad language, nudity, and violence follow each entry. For many, including librarians, parents, and club leaders, this is potentially a very useful at-a-glance feature".[10] Patrick Macias, editor in chief of Otaku USA magazine, writing in The Japan Times, reviewing the second edition, comments ""Anime Encyclopedia" works best when it aims to stick to the facts, which it happily gets right more often than not." but "while Clements and McCarthy's mastery of Japanese culture, both high and low, is impressive, the authors sometimes stumble when [comparing Samurai Champloo to Pink Floyd's "The Wall"] they try to step outside their fields of expertise".[11] Valerie MacEwan commends the book saying, "only the most ardent aficionado of anime would find this volume lacking in detail. [It is] easy to use, fully indexed and cross-referenced with titles in Japanese and English".[12] Sarah of Anime UK News said "Where Jonathan Clements and Helen McCarthy really come into their own is the way they trace the influence of earlier shows that most of us have never seen". She notes that while the entries are not rated with a star system that Clement's and McCarthy's "descriptions can betray personal preferences which may not coincide with the reader's".[13]

References

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  1. ^ "The Anime Encyclopedia, Revised and Expanded Edition". Stone Bridge Press. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
  2. ^ "The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917". Amazon. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
  3. ^ "The Anime Encyclopedia A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917". Titan Books. Archived from the original on 2 December 2008. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  4. ^ "New Anime and Manga Books Announced". Anime News Network. 9 January 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  5. ^ ixarette. "Orange is the New Black". The Official Schoolgirl Milky Crisis Blog. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  6. ^ "The Anime Encyclopedia 3rd Revised Edition: A Century of Japanese Animation". Stone Bridge Press. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  7. ^ "The Anime Encyclopedia, 3rd Revised Edition: A Century of Japanese Animation". Amazon. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  8. ^ Phillips, George. "The Anime Encyclopedia A Guide to Japanese Animation since 1917 By Jonathan Clements & Helen McCarthy". Anime News Network. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
  9. ^ Patten, Fred (26 July 2007). "Book Review: The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917, Revised and Expanded Edition". Animation World Magazine. Archived from the original on 8 August 2007. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
  10. ^ Khan, Ridwan (May 2002). "The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917". Animefringe. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
  11. ^ Macias, Patrick (19 August 2007). "Keeping up with anime is by no means kids' play". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
  12. ^ MacEwan, Valerie. "The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917". Pop Matters. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
  13. ^ Sarah (10 August 2007). "The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917". Anime UK News. Retrieved 20 June 2009.

Further reading

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