Anime is commonly defined as animation originating in Japan. (アニメ?, an abbreviated pronunciation in Japanese of "animation", pronounced [anime] ( listen) in Japanese, but typically /ˈænɨmeɪ/ ( listen) or /ˈɑnimeɪ/ in English.) The definition sometimes changes depending on the context.[1] In English-speaking countries, anime is also referred to as "Japanese animation".[2]
While the earliest known Japanese animation dates to 1917,[3] and many original Japanese cartoons were produced in the ensuing decades, the characteristic anime style developed in the 1960s—notably with the work of Osamu Tezuka—and became known outside Japan in the 1980s.
Anime, like manga, has a large audience in Japan and recognition throughout the world. Distributors can release anime via television broadcasts, directly to video, or theatrically, as well as online.
Both hand-drawn and computer-animated anime exist. It is used in television series, films, video, video games, commercials, and internet-based releases, and represents most, if not all, genres of fiction. As the market for anime increased in Japan, it also gained popularity in East and Southeast Asia. Anime is currently popular in many different regions around the world.[citation needed]
Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Terminology
2.1 Word usage
2.2 Synonyms
3 Visual characteristics
3.1 Character design
3.1.1 Proportions
3.1.2 Eye styles
3.1.3 Facial expressions
3.2 Animation technique
4 Distribution
4.1 Broadcasting
4.2 Influence on world culture
5 See also
6 References
7 External links
History

Main article: History of anime

Screenshot from Momotaro's Divine Sea Warriors (1944), the first feature-length anime film

A cell from the earliest known Anime short from 1917.
Anime began at the start of the 20th century, when Japanese filmmakers experimented with the animation techniques also pioneered in France,