I remember my first introduction into what was then a new style of animation and illustration called Anime. Here in Portland we have this very cool little indie theater called Cinema 21 and I remember seeing "AKIRA" from the front row. I noticed that this style had more to do with graphics and layout.
I've always been fascinated as to when they create full-on animation (or what we call "money shots") and when they cut corners and simplify in other scenes. So, I think in America we saw this new Anime style come through to us from the hands of Katsuhiro Otomo. Soon to follow would be the master Hayao Miyazaki with "My Neighbor Totoro".
It seemed to take awhile for Anime to really catch on here in the states, but once it did, it had everyone's attention. It is a style that shows a huge range of animating qualities, from the hyper-active loop cycles and exaggerations in "Speed Racer" to the beautifully paced, inspiring "Spirited Away." Akira was a ground breaker here in the US... Anime was here to stay.
