ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses Japanese animation's impact in some key markets of Europe as a tool to comprehend similar processes occurred elsewhere, there including Asia. The first success of Japanese animation (‘anime’) in the 1970s and 1980s was due to its multiple releases (tv series and theatrical films) in an age dominated by a model of media consumption based on mainstream channels; the crisis of such model, which occurred at later stages, was due to changes in how media content is distributed and consumed. The chapter also discusses both the universal and particular aspects of anime's imagery, contents, and morals; it does so via highlighting relevant themes and features of this media form.
