The History And Evolution of Anime pt.2

Here is the continuation of the History And Evolution of Anime that I previously posted:

It was during the 1980s that anime made a breakthrough after being accepted in the mainstream in Japan. In this time, the Gundam franchise experienced a boom in production and it signaled the jumpstart for success not only for its recognition all over the world but also for the careers of their creators such as Rumiko Takahashi. Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z have become the favorites of many people worldwide. Other series like Neon Genesis Evangelion and Cowboy Bebop were popular in Japan and attracted attention from the West.

Various anime, particularly those created by H. Miyazaki garnered many awards. In 2002, the Berlin Film Festival gave Spirited Away a first prize while it won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2003. On the other hand, the Innocence: Ghost in the Shell was featured at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind produced by Miyazaki in 1984 was perhaps the most influential anime of all time. It received many awards and recognition all throughout the animation and movie industry.

In 1958, the first color anime feature film entitled Hakujaden or The Tale of the White Serpent was produced by the Toei Animation. Hakujaden was more Disney-like as it was inspired by musical numbers and animal sidekicks that you can typically observe in Disney productions. But, it is still considered as the first "anime" ever. Such film was released in the US in 1961 as Panda and the Magic Serpent.

By then, more and more animation studios, including those in Western Countries tried to create anime-like films and series. The Animatrix and the Nickelodeon series Avatar: The Last Airbender were influenced by anime. Other animated series such as Teen Titans, Martin Mystery (Canada/France) Totally Spies! (France) and Team Galaxy (France) have at least a few anime characteristics.

Anime has become commercially profitable in western countries as early commercially successful western adaptations of anime, such as Astro Boy, have revealed. The phenomenal success of Nintendo's multi-billion dollar Pokémon franchise was helped greatly by the spin-off anime series that, first broadcast in the late 1990s, is still running worldwide to this day. In doing so, anime has made significant impacts upon Western culture.