Anime (アニメ) is a word derived from “animation” and is used by people in Japan to refer to any animated drawings. In English, it is mostly used to refer specifically to Japanese animation . W hile the films looked different, the content would be familiar to anyone who watches anime today. They told funny stories about samurai and brought Japanese folk tales to life. According to Natsuki Matsumoto, the first animated film produced in Japan may have stemmed from as early as 1907. Known as Katsudō Shashin ( 活動写真 , "Activity Photo") , from its depiction of a boy in a sailor suit drawing the characters for katsudō shashin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU7a8a7ZKoE In 1917, nearly twenty short animated films were released in Japan! It was in the middle of World War 1, and anime was a new curiosity. At the time, however, animation was mostly used in the context of anti-American propaganda. Manga artists Oten Shimokawa and Junichi Kou...