Anime is an abbreviation of the Japanese word animeshon, which is based on the English word animation. Outside Japan, the term most popularly refers to the medium of animation originating in Japan, with distinctive character and background aesthetics that visually set it apart from other forms of animation such as Walt Disney films, Warner Bros. and short cartoons. Within Japan, the term anime is used to refer to all forms of animation from around the world. While some anime is entirely hand drawn, computer assisted animation techniques are, in recent years, quite common. Storylines are typically fictional; examples of anime representing most major genres of fiction exist. Anime is broadcast on television, distributed on media such as DVD and VHS, or included in computer and video games. Anime is often influenced by Japanese comics known as Manga. Some anime storylines have been adapted into live action films and television series.

The history of anime begins at the start of the 20th century, when Japanese filmmakers experimented with the animation techniques that were being explored in France, Germany, United States and Russia. In the late 1960's, the United States saw its first large scale exposure to anime in the Speed Racer TV series, a dubbed version of a Japanese series.

During the 1970s, anime developed further, separating itself from its roots. This occurred as a result of the growing popularity of manga comics, which were often later animated, especially those of Osamu Tezuka, who has been called a legend and the god of manga. As a result of his work and that of other pioneers in the field, anime developed characteristics and genres that are fundamental elements of the art today. The giant robot genre, known as mecha outside Japan, for instance, took shape under Tezuka, developed under Go Nagai and others, and was revolutionized at the end of the decade by Yoshiyuki Tomino. Robot anime like Gundam and Macross became instant classics in the 80s, and the robot genre of anime is still one of the most popular in Japan and worldwide today. In the 1980s, anime was accepted in the mainstream in Japan, and experienced a boom in production. The mid to late '90s, on into the 2000s, saw an increased acceptance of anime in overseas markets.