What do you think?
Rate this book
Anime Impact: The Movies and Shows that Changed the World of Japanese Animation
#1 Amazon New Release - The life-changing power of AnimeA celebration of While many books on anime simply offer a list of "essential titles" and recommendations, Anime Impact goes deeper by showcasing the many voices of anime's biggest fans. You'll find many distinct stories that only each specific writer could tell, all painting a fun and surprisingly touching portrait of the true impact of anime over multiple generations.
Iconic movies and TV shows from Japanese animation-or anime-holds a special place in the hearts of countless fans around the globe. Since the early days of Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy to Makoto Shinkai's astounding success with Your Name, anime has left an undeniable impact on our culture.
Insights from filmmakers, authors, and YouTube Anime Impact explores the impression the medium has left on various fans with detailed discussions on television shows and movies from the 1960s all the way to the present. You'll hear from YouTube film critic Chris Stuckmann and many others like Ready Player One author Ernest Cline and YouTube stars Robert Walker, Bennett "BennettTheSage" White, Tristan "Arkada" Gallant of Glass Reflection and manga artist Mark Crilley. Learn how anime has impacted culture from authors, artists, critics, anime enthusiasts, and super fans such as John Rodriguez, Alicia Malone, Emma Fyffe, and many more.
Each writer has detailed their personal experiences of discovery and how anime has changed their life. Many discuss the implications that some anime shows and movies have on our society. Readers will learn about the impact
anime classics such as Gundam, Akira, Sailor Moon, Spirited Away and other Studio Ghibli films
the biggest names in anime like One Piece, Dragon Ball Z, Pok�mon, Naruto, and Attack on Titan
movies and shows both legendary and niche alike
truly unique hidden gems rarely seen outside of Japan
and much more
Anime from the While many books on anime simply offer a list of "essential titles" and recommendations, Anime Impact goes deeper by showcasing the many voices of anime's biggest fans. You'll find many distinct stories that only each specific writer could tell, all painting a fun and surprisingly touching portrait of the true impact of anime over multiple generations.
Anime Impact explores the effects and lasting appeal of anime across all genres and across five decades!
Iconic movies and TV shows from Japanese animation-or anime-holds a special place in the hearts of countless fans around the globe. Since the early days of Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy to Makoto Shinkai's astounding success with Your Name, anime has left an undeniable impact on our culture.
Insights from filmmakers, authors, and YouTube Anime Impact explores the impression the medium has left on various fans with detailed discussions on television shows and movies from the 1960s all the way to the present. You'll hear from YouTube film critic Chris Stuckmann and many others like Ready Player One author Ernest Cline and YouTube stars Robert Walker, Bennett "BennettTheSage" White, Tristan "Arkada" Gallant of Glass Reflection and manga artist Mark Crilley. Learn how anime has impacted culture from authors, artists, critics, anime enthusiasts, and super fans such as John Rodriguez, Alicia Malone, Emma Fyffe, and many more.
Each writer has detailed their personal experiences of discovery and how anime has changed their life. Many discuss the implications that some anime shows and movies have on our society. Readers will learn about the impact
anime classics such as Gundam, Akira, Sailor Moon, Spirited Away and other Studio Ghibli films
the biggest names in anime like One Piece, Dragon Ball Z, Pok�mon, Naruto, and Attack on Titan
movies and shows both legendary and niche alike
truly unique hidden gems rarely seen outside of Japan
and much more
Anime from the While many books on anime simply offer a list of "essential titles" and recommendations, Anime Impact goes deeper by showcasing the many voices of anime's biggest fans. You'll find many distinct stories that only each specific writer could tell, all painting a fun and surprisingly touching portrait of the true impact of anime over multiple generations.
Anime Impact explores the effects and lasting appeal of anime across all genres and across five decades!
557 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 15, 2018
73 people are currently reading
808 people want to read
About the author
Chris Stuckmann
3 books81 followersWriting about oneself can be challenging. It’s very easy to come off like a narcissistic jerk whose simply listing all his accomplishments without actually telling anything about yourself. So my goal here is for you to learn a little about why I do what I do.
No matter who you are or where you live, if you’re reading this, more than likely you have something in common with me: A love of movies. I yearn to be transported to another place when those lights go down in the cinema, and with each film, I’m always hoping for that chance. Sometimes I get it, sometimes I don’t.
An eagle eyed viewer did the math once, and told me that in the year 2013, my grades for every movie I reviewed, averaged out to a B- for the whole year. I found it remarkable that he attempted to add that up, but more importantly, it tells me that my viewers really do care. They want the same experience that I want. Some call it escapism, and that can be an accurate term. But to me, it’s not that menial. A good movie is like a balm. It can soothe, enthrall, entice, inspire. That’s what I want when I go to the movie theater, that feeling, that moment.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been in awe of movies. I can’t recall the first time I saw Star Wars, but I certainly haven’t forgotten wearing out the VHS tape in my youth. Imagining that my friend and I were blasting snow troopers one winter on a snow day, or dressing up like Indiana Jones and making fan films were the sort of activities that filled my childhood.
As I grew older, my love for movies turned into a love for the art of film. I began to examine them, thinking about the director, the writer, the cinematographer. I tried to get inside their headspace, and discover why they made the film they did. I become entranced with film criticism, writing brief reviews from the age of 14.
I was tremendously inspired by Roger Ebert, and through him I learned that an opinion on a film was a universal concept. There was no right or wrong, there was simply, your thoughts. Through his television reviews with Gene Siskel, I discovered the idea of a debate on a film, but a respectful one. I didn’t realize it then, but I was teaching myself things that would really come in handy later in life.
It wasn’t until my twenties that I discovered reviewing movies on YouTube. I can’t say I’m the first one to start doing it, because there where a few back then that had already caught that bug. I immediately loved it, and have seen the medium grow and grow over these few years. It’s gone from a small group of “video bloggers” to a respected way of discussing film. Some YouTube reviewers are even recognized as press, and Rotten Tomatoes has opened the door for a handful of them to be certified.
My hopes are that YouTube reviewers will continue to gain more respect as legitimate film critics, and I’m absolutely positive I will see that occur in the near future.
Until then, I’ll be at the movies.
– Chris Stuckmann
Chris Stuckmann was tremendously inspired by Roger Ebert. It was through him that he learned that an opinion on a film was a universal concept. There was no right or wrong, there was simply, your thoughts. Through his television reviews with Gene Siskel, Stuckmann discovered the idea of a debate on a film, but a respectful one. It wasn’t until his twenties that Stuckmann discovered reviewing movies on YouTube. From the very beginning he fell in love with it. YouTube critics and reviews have gone from a small group of “video bloggers” to a respected way of discussing film. Some YouTube reviewers are even recognized as press, and Rotten Tomatoes has opened the door for a handful of them to be certified. As a result of all this, Chris Stuckmann has created a brand of recognizable and respected videos.
No matter who you are or where you live, if you’re reading this, more than likely you have something in common with me: A love of movies. I yearn to be transported to another place when those lights go down in the cinema, and with each film, I’m always hoping for that chance. Sometimes I get it, sometimes I don’t.
An eagle eyed viewer did the math once, and told me that in the year 2013, my grades for every movie I reviewed, averaged out to a B- for the whole year. I found it remarkable that he attempted to add that up, but more importantly, it tells me that my viewers really do care. They want the same experience that I want. Some call it escapism, and that can be an accurate term. But to me, it’s not that menial. A good movie is like a balm. It can soothe, enthrall, entice, inspire. That’s what I want when I go to the movie theater, that feeling, that moment.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been in awe of movies. I can’t recall the first time I saw Star Wars, but I certainly haven’t forgotten wearing out the VHS tape in my youth. Imagining that my friend and I were blasting snow troopers one winter on a snow day, or dressing up like Indiana Jones and making fan films were the sort of activities that filled my childhood.
As I grew older, my love for movies turned into a love for the art of film. I began to examine them, thinking about the director, the writer, the cinematographer. I tried to get inside their headspace, and discover why they made the film they did. I become entranced with film criticism, writing brief reviews from the age of 14.
I was tremendously inspired by Roger Ebert, and through him I learned that an opinion on a film was a universal concept. There was no right or wrong, there was simply, your thoughts. Through his television reviews with Gene Siskel, I discovered the idea of a debate on a film, but a respectful one. I didn’t realize it then, but I was teaching myself things that would really come in handy later in life.
It wasn’t until my twenties that I discovered reviewing movies on YouTube. I can’t say I’m the first one to start doing it, because there where a few back then that had already caught that bug. I immediately loved it, and have seen the medium grow and grow over these few years. It’s gone from a small group of “video bloggers” to a respected way of discussing film. Some YouTube reviewers are even recognized as press, and Rotten Tomatoes has opened the door for a handful of them to be certified.
My hopes are that YouTube reviewers will continue to gain more respect as legitimate film critics, and I’m absolutely positive I will see that occur in the near future.
Until then, I’ll be at the movies.
– Chris Stuckmann
Chris Stuckmann was tremendously inspired by Roger Ebert. It was through him that he learned that an opinion on a film was a universal concept. There was no right or wrong, there was simply, your thoughts. Through his television reviews with Gene Siskel, Stuckmann discovered the idea of a debate on a film, but a respectful one. It wasn’t until his twenties that Stuckmann discovered reviewing movies on YouTube. From the very beginning he fell in love with it. YouTube critics and reviews have gone from a small group of “video bloggers” to a respected way of discussing film. Some YouTube reviewers are even recognized as press, and Rotten Tomatoes has opened the door for a handful of them to be certified. As a result of all this, Chris Stuckmann has created a brand of recognizable and respected videos.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
January 2, 2019
Mainly picked this up to support Danika XIX (Comicbookgirl19), who has some entries into this book. Otherwise I probably wouldn’t have bought it. It was alright. I’m not as much into manga/anime as I used to be, but this has reminded me about some I really want to check out.
September 28, 2018
A good book about anime that falls short on the impact that changed the world of Japanese animation and that for the most part talks of the impact on the individual authors themselves.
June 19, 2018
I like this book, but I have to give it two stars.
Mostly because it fails to address the "Impact" part of it's title - and indeed, it's advertising; it was marketed as a book discussing the impact these anime had on the writers - far more often than it does. A LOT of the content of this books is little more than just reviews and some of them barely qualify as such and the writers fail to say anything particularly substantial.
The worst example of the lack of a discussion on impact came from Geoff Thew, who is known on YouTube as Mother's Basement - a channel in which he makes anime related video essays and also delves into gaming and live-action film from time to time.
He wrote a chapter about Jojo's Bizarre Adventure and failed to mention the fact that his "What's in an OP" videos about the series ARE WHAT LAUNCHED HIS YOUTUBE CAREER! How could one NOT discuss something like that in a book about how an anime impacted your life?
If not for those videos he would not be where is now in his YouTube career, had he not become a big name AniTuber he would not have met his girlfriend and he would never have written an entry in this book. I spent more time talking about how Jojo's Bizarre Adventure impacted his life than he did.
Some of the writers have no experience...it really shows. A lot of the writing is really bad and some of it comes off like the author is trying too hard to look like they know how to write and can craft brilliant writing, but end up falling very short. There are a lot of mixed metaphors and even when that's not the case the way they try to express themselves comes off clumsy, awkward and confusing. Some of them don't even have conclusions to their essays...
Reading this book I find myself asking A LOT how it made it past editors, to printers, to shelves.
Mostly because it fails to address the "Impact" part of it's title - and indeed, it's advertising; it was marketed as a book discussing the impact these anime had on the writers - far more often than it does. A LOT of the content of this books is little more than just reviews and some of them barely qualify as such and the writers fail to say anything particularly substantial.
The worst example of the lack of a discussion on impact came from Geoff Thew, who is known on YouTube as Mother's Basement - a channel in which he makes anime related video essays and also delves into gaming and live-action film from time to time.
He wrote a chapter about Jojo's Bizarre Adventure and failed to mention the fact that his "What's in an OP" videos about the series ARE WHAT LAUNCHED HIS YOUTUBE CAREER! How could one NOT discuss something like that in a book about how an anime impacted your life?
If not for those videos he would not be where is now in his YouTube career, had he not become a big name AniTuber he would not have met his girlfriend and he would never have written an entry in this book. I spent more time talking about how Jojo's Bizarre Adventure impacted his life than he did.
Some of the writers have no experience...it really shows. A lot of the writing is really bad and some of it comes off like the author is trying too hard to look like they know how to write and can craft brilliant writing, but end up falling very short. There are a lot of mixed metaphors and even when that's not the case the way they try to express themselves comes off clumsy, awkward and confusing. Some of them don't even have conclusions to their essays...
Reading this book I find myself asking A LOT how it made it past editors, to printers, to shelves.
April 12, 2022
It took me over a year, but I finally did it. I have mixed feelings about this book, but overall, I love that it's a testament to the rich history of anime. When I first picked it up, I didn't know it was basically just a collection of personal reviews. I thought it was going to be a structured account of like the progress made in Japanese animation over the years, so that difference of expectation was a little negative for me. I found the reviews around the mid '80s - early '90s to also be rather slow and tedious, but my enjoyment was always sparked when finding about new anime or seeing a reviewer connect with an anime that also brought me lots of joy. Overall, a good, nostalgic read that helped me find a nice selection of Japanese films to check out in the future.
April 26, 2018
Full disclosure: I'm one of the contributors to this book, and a friend of the lead author. Obviously, that colors my opinion somewhat. Yet after finishing my read-through yesterday, I feel compelled to share my thoughts. Take them with the appropriate amount of salt, but I do promise to remain objective to the best of my ability.
The first thing you need to know about "Anime Impact" is what it isn't. It isn't a list of "making-of" facts and trivia. It isn't going to delve into behind-the-scenes anecdotes. If you're expecting to walk away knowing everything there is to know about the anime being covered here, you'll likely walk away disappointed.
What "Anime Impact" IS is essays on how anime touches lives, framed around the greatest anime ever created. It's a love letter to the art, penned by folks who came upon their love through badly dubbed imports scrounged from old video stores and mail-order catalogs. And, speaking personally, that's EXACTLY what I looking for.
Over and over, I found myself marveling at how a contributor's personal experience with a particular anime mirrored my own. Jeffrey Timbrell's trauma when the Zentradi bombarded Earth in "Robotech." Emma Fyffe's inspiration at the female-forwardness of "Tenchi Muyo!" ... even if it IS just harem anime. Ernest Cline's joy at discovering "Cyber City Oedo 808" - a joy that prompted one of those frantic searches for a horribly dubbed VHS copy that those anime fans who grew up in the VHS era remember all too well.
Even when the experience wasn't related to my own, the way contributors bring bits of themselves into what otherwise might have been stuffy academic dissertations is wonderful. I don't need August Babington to tell me that Hayao Miyazaki's "Castle in the Sky" is a classic, but I sure do enjoy hearing how his discovery of "Castle" became one of the biggest nights in his life. And just try not to be affected by the story of how the Dragon Ball series literally saved Derek Padula's life.
Criticisms? I have a couple. Most of the contributors manage to inject a bit of themselves into their writing, but a few entries do fall into the "college dissertation" trap. Luckily, that's not the norm.
My larger issue, though, is the complete absence of stills or artwork. Here we have a book detailing one of the world's most beautiful art forms, and we can't get anything more than a couple drawings stuffed into the table of contents? I understand that Mango is an indie publisher and that the book already weighs in at 450 pages. Yet the exclusion of art make the entries look cold and clinical. Which is terrible, because that's precisely the opposite of what they are.
Still, I urge you to look past the bland presentation, because there's so much goodness to be found here. Again, no, you won't be slathered in facts and factoids. If that's all you want, you'll be better served by the plethora of anime fansites repositories scattered across the Internet. If you're looking for relatable stories of anime fandom, on the other hand, then you've come to the right place.
It's that relatability that makes "Anime Impact" particularly outstanding for folks who haven't yet bought into anime as a serious art form. These aren't people likely to be excited by anime trivia. Rather, they're looking for a reason not to write anime off as trivial. This book supplies those reasons. It perfectly articulates how anime can be just as (if not more) affecting than the Hollywood films most Westerners grew up with.
Which is to say, this book just might make a fan out of that non-fan in your life. And isn't that what we current fans want most? To spread our love of anime to others? I know I do. And I think "Anime Impact's" relatable recounting of classic anime can be just the thing to turn that trick. That makes it a win in my book.
The first thing you need to know about "Anime Impact" is what it isn't. It isn't a list of "making-of" facts and trivia. It isn't going to delve into behind-the-scenes anecdotes. If you're expecting to walk away knowing everything there is to know about the anime being covered here, you'll likely walk away disappointed.
What "Anime Impact" IS is essays on how anime touches lives, framed around the greatest anime ever created. It's a love letter to the art, penned by folks who came upon their love through badly dubbed imports scrounged from old video stores and mail-order catalogs. And, speaking personally, that's EXACTLY what I looking for.
Over and over, I found myself marveling at how a contributor's personal experience with a particular anime mirrored my own. Jeffrey Timbrell's trauma when the Zentradi bombarded Earth in "Robotech." Emma Fyffe's inspiration at the female-forwardness of "Tenchi Muyo!" ... even if it IS just harem anime. Ernest Cline's joy at discovering "Cyber City Oedo 808" - a joy that prompted one of those frantic searches for a horribly dubbed VHS copy that those anime fans who grew up in the VHS era remember all too well.
Even when the experience wasn't related to my own, the way contributors bring bits of themselves into what otherwise might have been stuffy academic dissertations is wonderful. I don't need August Babington to tell me that Hayao Miyazaki's "Castle in the Sky" is a classic, but I sure do enjoy hearing how his discovery of "Castle" became one of the biggest nights in his life. And just try not to be affected by the story of how the Dragon Ball series literally saved Derek Padula's life.
Criticisms? I have a couple. Most of the contributors manage to inject a bit of themselves into their writing, but a few entries do fall into the "college dissertation" trap. Luckily, that's not the norm.
My larger issue, though, is the complete absence of stills or artwork. Here we have a book detailing one of the world's most beautiful art forms, and we can't get anything more than a couple drawings stuffed into the table of contents? I understand that Mango is an indie publisher and that the book already weighs in at 450 pages. Yet the exclusion of art make the entries look cold and clinical. Which is terrible, because that's precisely the opposite of what they are.
Still, I urge you to look past the bland presentation, because there's so much goodness to be found here. Again, no, you won't be slathered in facts and factoids. If that's all you want, you'll be better served by the plethora of anime fansites repositories scattered across the Internet. If you're looking for relatable stories of anime fandom, on the other hand, then you've come to the right place.
It's that relatability that makes "Anime Impact" particularly outstanding for folks who haven't yet bought into anime as a serious art form. These aren't people likely to be excited by anime trivia. Rather, they're looking for a reason not to write anime off as trivial. This book supplies those reasons. It perfectly articulates how anime can be just as (if not more) affecting than the Hollywood films most Westerners grew up with.
Which is to say, this book just might make a fan out of that non-fan in your life. And isn't that what we current fans want most? To spread our love of anime to others? I know I do. And I think "Anime Impact's" relatable recounting of classic anime can be just the thing to turn that trick. That makes it a win in my book.
September 21, 2023
Book does what it says on the tin: shows how anime impacted the contributing authors. As a whole, it captures a point in time when anime wasn't as big stateside and serves as a nostalgia trip for anyone familiar with the times and media. It was cool to read people's discussion about shows I was familiar with and to get a more personal perspective on things I had only heard of.
One mixed blessing of this book is the multiple authors. Having chosen to read this book cover to cover, I found the differences between one author and the next to be drastic sometimes. Some were relatable while others had an almost alien perspective. Some authors brought an intense emotional insight while others gave a thorough critical analysis of a particular work. Essays on works less familiar to me coupled with a writing style that I found difficult could make reading a slog occasionally.
One thing I'd advise is to note which titles are of interest, should you choose to read it. There are definitely things that were discussed that I would like to watch. If you want to watch more anime, this book can serve as a guide in that regard.
One mixed blessing of this book is the multiple authors. Having chosen to read this book cover to cover, I found the differences between one author and the next to be drastic sometimes. Some were relatable while others had an almost alien perspective. Some authors brought an intense emotional insight while others gave a thorough critical analysis of a particular work. Essays on works less familiar to me coupled with a writing style that I found difficult could make reading a slog occasionally.
One thing I'd advise is to note which titles are of interest, should you choose to read it. There are definitely things that were discussed that I would like to watch. If you want to watch more anime, this book can serve as a guide in that regard.
September 21, 2018
The title requires a bit of a clarification. The authors featured in this book are focused on selling their personal stories and perspectives on the impact specific anime have had on the industry. This is basically a book of persuasive essays/anime recommendations. There are some really good authors featured here who sold me on titles I would have never otherwise checked out, but some of them are a bit dry.
Some (but not all) of the highlights of the book:
1. Chris Stuckmann (the main author)'s essay on GoShogun: The Time Etranger managed to sell me on adding a film I'd never even heard of before. (Okay, I only added it to my 'plan to watch', but that's further than a lot of anime get. I'm also not big on mecha.)
2. I'm not a Naruto fan, but Omar Rivera did a great job sharing his story and telling about how powerful Internet fandom/communities can be for introverted kids and for kids who feel embarrassed by having "nerdy" interests.
3. John Rodriguez is a great persuasive writer. I agree strongly with his thoughts on Tokyo Godfathers: "Tokyo Godfathers is often ranked as one of Mr. Kon's lesser works. Don't you buy it. It's accessible. It's uproarious. It's brave in its inclusivity."
I received a free eBook copy through a Goodreads giveaway, which had no effect on my review/rating.
Some (but not all) of the highlights of the book:
1. Chris Stuckmann (the main author)'s essay on GoShogun: The Time Etranger managed to sell me on adding a film I'd never even heard of before. (Okay, I only added it to my 'plan to watch', but that's further than a lot of anime get. I'm also not big on mecha.)
2. I'm not a Naruto fan, but Omar Rivera did a great job sharing his story and telling about how powerful Internet fandom/communities can be for introverted kids and for kids who feel embarrassed by having "nerdy" interests.
3. John Rodriguez is a great persuasive writer. I agree strongly with his thoughts on Tokyo Godfathers: "Tokyo Godfathers is often ranked as one of Mr. Kon's lesser works. Don't you buy it. It's accessible. It's uproarious. It's brave in its inclusivity."
I received a free eBook copy through a Goodreads giveaway, which had no effect on my review/rating.
May 6, 2020
I have some major reservations about this. I started by giving it 5 stars for breadth and ambition, then knocking off 2 stars for execution, then putting one back because it's easy enough to skip what one doesn't like (unlike in a novel), then taking 1 off again for missed opportunity.
The main problem is the author has distributed his workload with uneven results. Some contributors write wonderfully evocative essays that arouse your interest without spoiling too much, convey a great sense of the tone and beauty of a show, and entice you to watch it (or lead you to realise you wouldn't like it). But other writers have crafted essays that either (a) tell you a lot about the writer and little about the show, or (b) expect you to have seen the show to be able to appreciate their article, or (c) describe the plot and events and characters with the intricacy and excitement of a perseverating tweenager, or (d) bore you to death:
"Please Teacher! and Please Twins! is a rare media-mix in which the two texts form a "worldview" that bears its own reflexivity."
Gee, I was hoping the next anime I watch would be a show which bore its own reflexivity. Thanks for the hot tip!
But as I've said, if the essay is sub-par, skip it (but either way you won't be motivated to watch the show the bad essay describes, which could be a shame. The one about Jojo's Bizarre Adventure (one of my faves!) does a terrible job of explaining what makes the show so interesting to those of us who like it. Among everything else, I think it's the gayest anime out there, like Liberace crossed with Tom of Finland crossed with Wayland Flowers and Madame level gay. Oh, and the article on Sword Art Online was given to a hater--apparently a famous hater who receives death threats via his youtube channel based on fans (crazy fans, obviously) reacting to his hatred. That's not who should be writing about the anime.
There should have been a template: what's it about? what makes it distinctive? who would like it? who wouldn't like it? what is it similar to? How is it different/better/worse than those similar shows? etc., etc. Like the OED--you don't read the definition of "asthma" and think "wow, if only the guy who wrote "slattern" had handled this word. It all matches.
Nonetheless, thanks to this book I've been exploring older anime that I never would have thought I'd be interested in. Galaxy Express has turned out to be particularly weird but haunting, and I'm glad I'm watching it.
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!
The main problem is the author has distributed his workload with uneven results. Some contributors write wonderfully evocative essays that arouse your interest without spoiling too much, convey a great sense of the tone and beauty of a show, and entice you to watch it (or lead you to realise you wouldn't like it). But other writers have crafted essays that either (a) tell you a lot about the writer and little about the show, or (b) expect you to have seen the show to be able to appreciate their article, or (c) describe the plot and events and characters with the intricacy and excitement of a perseverating tweenager, or (d) bore you to death:
"Please Teacher! and Please Twins! is a rare media-mix in which the two texts form a "worldview" that bears its own reflexivity."
Gee, I was hoping the next anime I watch would be a show which bore its own reflexivity. Thanks for the hot tip!
But as I've said, if the essay is sub-par, skip it (but either way you won't be motivated to watch the show the bad essay describes, which could be a shame. The one about Jojo's Bizarre Adventure (one of my faves!) does a terrible job of explaining what makes the show so interesting to those of us who like it. Among everything else, I think it's the gayest anime out there, like Liberace crossed with Tom of Finland crossed with Wayland Flowers and Madame level gay. Oh, and the article on Sword Art Online was given to a hater--apparently a famous hater who receives death threats via his youtube channel based on fans (crazy fans, obviously) reacting to his hatred. That's not who should be writing about the anime.
There should have been a template: what's it about? what makes it distinctive? who would like it? who wouldn't like it? what is it similar to? How is it different/better/worse than those similar shows? etc., etc. Like the OED--you don't read the definition of "asthma" and think "wow, if only the guy who wrote "slattern" had handled this word. It all matches.
Nonetheless, thanks to this book I've been exploring older anime that I never would have thought I'd be interested in. Galaxy Express has turned out to be particularly weird but haunting, and I'm glad I'm watching it.
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!
December 6, 2019
Movie critic YouTuber Chris Stuckmann is an anime fan. A look at one of his Anime DVD & Blu-Ray collection videos makes it pretty clear about this love and passion for the Japanese medium. Today, many people have the notion that anything that is animated is for kids, therefore it shouldn't be taken seriously as an art form.
But Chris has another viewpoint: anime can be as impactful, artful and groundbreaking as every other film ever produced. From renowned artists, animators, directors, and producers like Hayao Miyazaki, Mamoru Hosoda, Satoshi Kon, Shinichirō Watanabe, and up and coming talents like Makoto Shinkai, Naoko Yamada and Mari Okada.
However, anime extends farther than the big screens of movie theaters. It's a cultural phenomenon, with myriads of people from all over the world who's lives were touched by their favorite anime series, the characters who speak for them and relate to them, and the journey the characters go as they face many challenges.
Chris brings a number of people from different backgrounds (from bodybuilding instructor, YouTubers, Ernest Cline, and many other) in this book and each have contributed on a number of anime series and movies thought the past 60+ years and how it had an effect on their personal lives, as well as how it depicts the society we live in.
It's not an history book on the origins of anime, but more like a love letter from fans of the medium and how it has changed their lives.
But Chris has another viewpoint: anime can be as impactful, artful and groundbreaking as every other film ever produced. From renowned artists, animators, directors, and producers like Hayao Miyazaki, Mamoru Hosoda, Satoshi Kon, Shinichirō Watanabe, and up and coming talents like Makoto Shinkai, Naoko Yamada and Mari Okada.
However, anime extends farther than the big screens of movie theaters. It's a cultural phenomenon, with myriads of people from all over the world who's lives were touched by their favorite anime series, the characters who speak for them and relate to them, and the journey the characters go as they face many challenges.
Chris brings a number of people from different backgrounds (from bodybuilding instructor, YouTubers, Ernest Cline, and many other) in this book and each have contributed on a number of anime series and movies thought the past 60+ years and how it had an effect on their personal lives, as well as how it depicts the society we live in.
It's not an history book on the origins of anime, but more like a love letter from fans of the medium and how it has changed their lives.
August 11, 2023
Not a bad little book of essays. I would encourage anyone going into this to look at this largely as a collection of personal essays from the contributors, rather than a comprehensive book of anime film history and its impact on various parts of the world, because there is very little of the latter here. The majority of the essays focus on the writers listing how certain series or films impacted their lives personally, so if that's what you're here for, this book will be a treat! If you want something that's more about the history aspect and how anime has impacted various markets, altered distribution of media, etc. then it's best to look elsewhere.
For the most part, I enjoyed this collection well enough once I realized the nature of it. I must admit to being baffled by the inclusion of some series or films and not certain others that I recall having a more widespread impact in the western sphere, but again, these essays largely seem to come from personal experience and focus on the personal experience, rather than solely concerning history on audience and market.
For the most part, I enjoyed this collection well enough once I realized the nature of it. I must admit to being baffled by the inclusion of some series or films and not certain others that I recall having a more widespread impact in the western sphere, but again, these essays largely seem to come from personal experience and focus on the personal experience, rather than solely concerning history on audience and market.
June 5, 2022
I don’t know if I can recommend this as research material. Each article does give a good overview of the influence or cultural impact/significance of the anime it covers. If one or more of the anime in the table of contents is something you’re looking into then it should be a good starting point, but not if you are looking into an overall look at anime. All the articles are brief and a great deal of them contain details about how the anime impacted them personally. The complaint over how difficult it was to find anime before it became mainstream also crops up so much it gets annoying. I recommend this mostly as a source of reviews as a lot of these articles read like someone gushing to you about something “that you must read” or, in this case, watch.
Also, kind in mind (as the book itself warns you)– spoilers!
Also, kind in mind (as the book itself warns you)– spoilers!
August 6, 2018
A collection of short essays written by various people including authors, youtube personalities, and fans, "Anime Impact" focuses more on the impact these shows and movies have had on their lives over the past 50 years. Many of the writers are in their early 20s to early 40s and as an almost 30-somthing myself, I found myself having nostalgia about the shows they were talking about and identifying with their experiences.
I read the whole thing and have a good list of anime I haven't seen before that I now want to see and oldies that I want to revisit. I would not recommend reading the whole thing like I did. It is better perused by titles you are interested in.
Recommended for anime fans ages 16+ as some of the anime listed in the book contains rape scenes and other adult situations.
I read the whole thing and have a good list of anime I haven't seen before that I now want to see and oldies that I want to revisit. I would not recommend reading the whole thing like I did. It is better perused by titles you are interested in.
Recommended for anime fans ages 16+ as some of the anime listed in the book contains rape scenes and other adult situations.
March 6, 2019
I received this book for free from a Goodreads giveaway.
I actually watch quite a bit of YouTube so I’ve seen Chris review cinema as well as videos from other contributors to this book.
I enjoyed reading this book and there are definitely some anime that I need to watch. Some chapters of the book were better than others, but overall an enjoyable read if you like anime.
It took me a long time to read because the sections are short, and it’s easy to put down only after a few pages. It’s not a novel so it doesn’t drive you forward with plot, but it’s not suppose to.
Well done Chris!
I actually watch quite a bit of YouTube so I’ve seen Chris review cinema as well as videos from other contributors to this book.
I enjoyed reading this book and there are definitely some anime that I need to watch. Some chapters of the book were better than others, but overall an enjoyable read if you like anime.
It took me a long time to read because the sections are short, and it’s easy to put down only after a few pages. It’s not a novel so it doesn’t drive you forward with plot, but it’s not suppose to.
Well done Chris!
July 10, 2019
The title for this book is a bit misleading. Rather than showcasing the impact of just a few anime that revolutionized the industry and had long-reaching effects, Stuckmann brings together a large swath of people to write about their favorite anime and talk about what they liked about it. Which, is fine, I suppose. But if I wanted to read people's reviews of a particular show, I'd hop on Amazon and read the reviews there. It's a shame because I really think this is an interesting concept for a book but it's far too broad.
December 31, 2022
This is getting between 3 & 4 stars! I really enjoyed parts of this book. It’s an analysis of important/ life changing anime from the perspective of consumers, critics, and filmmakers! I loved the essay style analysis of each movie and that the animes ranged from very popular to hidden gems! Something was missing from here, which is why it didn’t get a definitive 4 stars, but nonetheless I loved reading about the industry that I love from people who love it as much as I do. Also some of the writers featured in this one were incredible!! Specifically the author, Chris, was a fanatic writer!
June 6, 2018
I recommend this book to everyone to read to learn how various anime from 1963-2018 have impacted various people's lives and to learn about different anime films and series. I greatly enjoyed reminiscing reading about shows I've seen, especially my favorites, and I also now have a long list on my Netflix and VRV queues to start watching as soon as possible of those I have not seen and would now like to.
September 10, 2018
I really enjoyed reading this book. Everyone felt a connection to the anime that they wrote about; an experience that I have had as well. It was interesting to see how anime has evolved in the US because I was blessed to start watching anime at a period when fans weren't once in a blue moon occurrences. Of course, there were some entries that I connected with more as I had also watched those animes or at least had heard of them. Overall, a great experience.
January 12, 2019
Interesting introduction to anime - the essays aren't just a guide to the best of anime, but more importantly why these particular anime are important to the essayist.
Copy editing is hit or miss - lots of tense and possessive/contraction confusion that can take you out of an essay for a moment, but generally overridden by the authors' passion for their subjects.
Excellent starting place for newbies and anime fans who might not be aware of some of the titles.
Copy editing is hit or miss - lots of tense and possessive/contraction confusion that can take you out of an essay for a moment, but generally overridden by the authors' passion for their subjects.
Excellent starting place for newbies and anime fans who might not be aware of some of the titles.
September 16, 2018
Anime Impact: The Movies and Shows that Changed the World of Japanese Animation by Chris Stuckmann was interesting to read. It is a collection of essays about how Anime impact the authors' lives over the last 50 years. I t was interesting but I thought it would be more about Anime and not thoughts on it. It is well written.
I received a copy thru a Goodreads Giveaway.
I received a copy thru a Goodreads Giveaway.
July 8, 2021
Anime Impact is a series of essays on different anime series or movies that were picked as ones that impacted the medium. Each essay has the author's thoughts, insights, and/or how these series or movies affected them. You can feel the passion and how much each author feels for their subject. I even find some movies and series I want to check out now, after reading these essays.
August 6, 2021
The first half of the book was great and the people talked about the shows that changed/helped shape their lives. However, in the second half the tone change and I wasn't a fan, the tone was one on what life lessons each show/movie could teach you and I found that those entries ranged from annoying to tedious.
May 27, 2025
A very medicore collection of very short essays about anime over several decades.
Most of the essays focus more on telling you a summary of the story or about a character. There's no real meaningful info or insight here.
Most of the essays focus more on telling you a summary of the story or about a character. There's no real meaningful info or insight here.
September 14, 2018
I love anything to do with Japanese anime I have for 30 years. My kids love anime my 19 year old daughter draws anime mostly so when I won this I was excited I love it. The information was great.
October 5, 2018
After many months, I’ve finally finished, and found even more anime to delve into! Thank you, Chris Stuckmann and all contributing authors! You’ve made this anime fan even happier!
December 4, 2018
Not quite what I was expecting. Still, it was interesting to read how some people related to the medium and there were a number of good recommendations in there I want to look into watching myself.
June 1, 2019
hey.
hey.
hey.
remember that cool thing?
it was cool, right?
hey.
hey.
remember that cool thing?
it was cool, right?
May 20, 2020
Doesn’t really talk much about how much it influenced Movies and TV today but it did y’all about how much it impacted these influencers.
April 10, 2022
More essays than anything else.
The only thing I found useful was the yearly listing.
Kindle edition could have had a graphic at the start of each listing!
Was disappointing overall.
The only thing I found useful was the yearly listing.
Kindle edition could have had a graphic at the start of each listing!
Was disappointing overall.
September 22, 2022
Literally hundreds of interesting ideas on what to watch. Literally.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews