The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917
Encyclopedia
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, and a "revised and expanded" edition was released in 2007. In the United Kingdom, it was published by Titan Books
. It gives an overview of most of the famous anime
works since 1917.
'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". 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 the manga for being "designed for all readers; laymen and experts (fans and academicians) alike". 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". Patrick Macias
from The Japan Times
comments "while Clements and McCarthy's mastery of Japanese culture, both high and low, is impressive, the authors sometimes stumble when they try to step outside their fields of expertise". 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". Sarah criticises the book saying that Clement's and McCarthy's "descriptions can betray personal preferences which may not coincide with the reader’s".
Encyclopedia
An encyclopedia is a type of reference work, a compendium holding a summary of information from either all branches of knowledge or a particular branch of knowledge....
written by Jonathan Clements
Jonathan Clements
Jonathan Clements is a British author and scriptwriter. His non-fiction works include biographies of Confucius, Koxinga and Qin Shihuangdi , as well as monthly opinion columns for Neo magazine...
and Helen McCarthy
Helen McCarthy
Helen McCarthy is the British author of such anime reference books as 500 Manga Heroes and Villains, Anime!, The Anime Movie Guide and Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation. She is the co-author of The Erotic Anime Movie Guide and the exhaustive The Anime Encyclopedia with Jonathan Clements...
. It was published in 2001 by Stone Bridge Press in the United States, and a "revised and expanded" edition was released in 2007. In the United Kingdom, it was published by Titan Books
Titan Books
Titan Publishing Group is an independently owned publishing company, established in 1981. It is based at offices in London, England's Bankside area. The Books Division has two main areas of publishing: film & TV tie-ins/cinema reference books; and graphic novels and comics reference/art titles. The...
. It gives an overview of most of the famous anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
works since 1917.
Reception
Anime News NetworkAnime News Network
Anime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
'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". Animation World Network
Animation World Network
Animation World Network is an organization for animators, with an extensive website with news, articles and links for professional animators and animation fans. AWN also publishes a printed journal, "Animation World"....
's Fred Patten
Fred Patten
Frederick Walter Patten is known for his work as a historian in the science fiction, anime, manga, and furry fandoms, where he has gained great distinction through a substantial contribution to both print and online books, magazines, and other media....
comments on the book being "300 pages larger; a 40% expansion" in its "Revised and Expanded" edition compared to the original volume. He commends the manga for being "designed for all readers; laymen and experts (fans and academicians) alike". 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". Patrick Macias
Patrick Macias
Patrick Macias is an author and co-author of several titles on pop culture fandom, specifically relating to Japanese culture and otaku culture in America...
from The Japan Times
The Japan Times
The Japan Times is an English language newspaper published in Japan. Unlike its competitors, the Daily Yomiuri and the International Herald Tribune/Asahi Shimbun, it is not affiliated with a Japanese language media organization...
comments "while Clements and McCarthy's mastery of Japanese culture, both high and low, is impressive, the authors sometimes stumble when they try to step outside their fields of expertise". 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". Sarah criticises the book saying that Clement's and McCarthy's "descriptions can betray personal preferences which may not coincide with the reader’s".