Anime Guide: Find Your Taste, History & How It’s Made

How to find anime that fits your taste

Start with the kind of experience you want, not a “best anime” ranking. A genre is only a clue: two action shows can have very different pacing, humour and themes.

• I want something funny

  Try comedy first, then narrow it by romance, workplace, school or absurd humour.

  Browse comedy picks→

• I want action and momentum

  Look for action or adventure, then check the synopsis and episode count to see whether the commitment fits.

  Browse action anime→

• I care most about the story

  Character drama, mystery and fantasy can all be story-first. Start with the themes you enjoy in books or films.

  Browse story-driven picks→

• I want striking visuals

  Animation style varies by studio and even by episode. Use our animation picks as a starting point, not a promise that every scene looks the same.

  Browse animation picks→

• I don’t know where to start

  Pick a shorter series or a film, read the synopsis and content notes, then try the first episode or trailer.

  Get a random pick→

A short history of anime

There is no single moment when anime suddenly began. Early Japanese animation films were made in the 1910s; many early films have since been lost, so surviving archives are an important part of the record.

1. 1910s–1940s: early Japanese animation

   The National Film Archive of Japan has digitised and published 64 Japanese animated films from 1917 to 1942. These surviving works show that animation in Japan developed across many artists and short films, rather than starting with one modern TV series.

2. 1963: television anime reaches a landmark

   Astro Boy, produced by Osamu Tezuka’s Mushi Production, began its television run on January 1, 1963. Tezuka’s official archive describes the series as a work that changed the history of Japanese animation.

3. Today: many formats and production partners

   Anime now includes television seasons, films, web series and original video. A project may be an original story or an adaptation, and may involve a studio, publishers, broadcasters, distributors and streaming services. The exact arrangement differs from title to title.

How an anime episode is made

The order can overlap and varies by studio, but a typical production moves from planning and scripts into boards, drawings, colour, compositing, sound and final delivery.

1. 1. Plan the project and story

   A team develops an original idea or secures rights to adapt a manga, novel, game or other work. Producers arrange the schedule, budget and partners; writers shape the story and scripts.

2. 2. Design and storyboard

   Artists develop character and background designs. The director and storyboard team plan shots, staging and timing so the crew can see how each scene should flow.

3. 3. Draw the movement

   Key animators draw important poses. In-between drawings connect those poses and help create the motion. Layouts and backgrounds establish where the action happens.

4. 4. Colour and combine the images

   The drawings are coloured, then characters, backgrounds, camera moves and visual effects are combined into shots. This compositing stage helps create the final look.

5. 5. Add voices, music and sound

   Voice performances, music and sound effects are recorded or prepared and mixed with the edited picture. Recording order and workflow vary between productions.

6. 6. Edit and deliver

   The team checks timing, picture and sound, prepares the finished master, and delivers it to the broadcaster, cinema or streaming service.

This is a simplified overview. A real production can involve many more roles and partner studios, and some steps happen at the same time.