~What is Аниме exactly?~

The word Аниме -- pronounced "ah-knee-may" -- is an abbreviation of the word animation. In Japan, the word's used to refer to all animation. Outside of Japan, it's become the catch-all term for Анимация from Japan.
For decades, Аниме was produced by and for Япония -- a local product, with a distinct look-and-feel to not just the artwork but the storytelling, the themes, and the concepts. Over the last forty years, though, it's become an international phenomenon, attracting millions of Фаны and being translated into many languages. A whole generation of viewers in the...