Anime Interviews : The First Five Years of Animerica, Anime & Manga Monthly (1992-97) (Paperback)

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: VIZ Media LLC; 1 edition (September 22, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569312206
• ISBN-13: 978-1569312209
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,797,764 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and unusual..., September 28, 1999

By A Customer

<Anime Interviews> has the dubious distinction of being the only book of its kind in the English-speaking world.

It is exactly what it claims to be: a look into the hearts and minds of some manga and anime creators. For those looking for reviews and summaries of their favorite manga and anime series, look elsewhere. The interviews are about the creators, not their characters and storylines.

Unfortunately, <Anime Interviews> is not, by any means, an impartial cross section. The interviews focus almost exclusively upon the genre popular in the United States. Shoujo manga is completely neglected except for a token interview with Nanase Ohkawa of CLAMP at the end of the volume.

Still, it is enjoyable book.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Animerica's Best, July 24, 2000

By	"claypigeon" (Albuquerque, NM, USA) - See all my reviews

The best anime magazine has put out the best set of interviews from some of the biggest names in anime. A very well-done collection of interviews along with pictures and illustrations of artists, creators, charaters, and more. Even though it only contains interviews, it gives a background on the interviewee and brings about many questions and answers that we have all wondered. Definitely a masterpiece

3.0 out of 5 stars A way to see a "snapshot" of the anime and manga industry of the mid-to-late 1990's, July 14, 2009

By	Lesley Aeschliman (Enumclaw, WA) - See all my reviews

Anime Interviews: The First Five Years of Animerica, Anime & Manga Monthly (1992-97) was published in 1997. The book compiles interviews with anime and manga artists that were conducted between 1992 and 1997 for Animerica magazine. At the beginning of each interview is an introduction, and at the end of each interview is an afterword and a select filmography put together in 1997.

For readers of Animerica that may have already read the interviews when they were originally published, the versions included in the book have been expanded from their original versions (including material that had not been printed until this book was published). On the flip side, though, some of the more interesting revelations from the original interviews had to be excluded. This was primarily due to space constraints, but in the introduction, the Animerica editors also explain that some information had to be left out to "help create a clearer, more sharply focused picture of each creator's work as a whole."

The interview subjects in this book are Yoshiyuki Tomino, Rumiko Takahashi, Hayao Miyazaki, Masamune Shirow, Ryoichi Ikegami, Yukito Kishiro, Yoshiki Takaya, Kosuke Fujishima, Yashuiro Imagawa, Hiroki Hayashi, Haruka Takachiho, Hiroyuki Kitazume, Shoji Kawamori, Kei Kusunoiki, Buichi Terasawa, Mamoru Oshii, Gisaburo Sugii, Leiji Matsumoto, Ryosuke Takahashi, and Nanase Okawa. Overall, I thought the interviews included in this book covered a wide spectrum for both anime and manga. While this book may not focus solely on anime creators, the manga interviews that are included are with people whose works have been made into anime (for example, Rumiko Takahashi). All of the subjects answer questions about their works, their influences, as well as other topics.

When reading this book, the reader needs to keep in mind that the book is out of date. While some may argue it makes the book irrelevant, I think it needs to be looked at as a "snapshot" of the time it was written. As a reader, I found it fascinating to see what the perspectives of the anime and manga industry were back in the early-to-mid 1990's. Of course, as I was reading through some of the filmographies, I would mentally fill in some of the items that were released after the book was published.

I would recommend this book for anime fans, whether they're new fans or have been interested in anime for a long time. Readers can find out some interesting tidbits and facts about various anime and manga creators and their works.