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Japan's Anime Revolution! - Twenty Animated Films That Changed the World
by Jonathan Clements

Japan

Tuttle Publishing

Pub Date: 5/12/2026

Trade Paperback, 256 Pages

behind the scenes of 20 films, with 50 Full-color Images

Key Selling Points

A survey of the 20 most important Japanese anime films and filmmakers—from Hayao Miyazaki, Yoshiyuki Tomino and Mamoru Oshii to Naoko Yamada—with detailed discussions of the storytelling techniques and technological innovations that have changed the face of modern animation

Includes 50 color images presenting a visual history of Japanese anime over the past 75 years

Author Jonathan Clements has published several books on anime including The Anime Encyclopedia and Anime: A History

Japanese anime films are massively popular—with an estimated 600 million fans worldwide, it is one of the fastest growing entertainment genres, generating over $31 billion in annual revenues

Summary

Twenty pivotal moments in anime filmmaking—and the untold drama behind them. From secret production battles to box-office triumphs, Japan's Anime Revolution reveals how each landmark film transformed Japanese animation

Anime expert Jonathan Clements presents gamechanging moments in Japanese film history—from Japan's first black-and-white animated feature to modern blockbusters which have redefined the art form. From box-office hits to career-threatening flops, each of these case studies has changed the anime world in its own unique way, influencing developments in content, production methods, or distribution, capturing all the vibrancy and diversity of this world-beating medium.

This illuminating book describes the twenty most notable films in anime history, including:

Momotaro—Released at the end of World War II, this was Japan's first featurelength anime

My Neighbor Totoro—Miyazaki's iconic work, consciously created as an alternative to formulaic animated films with no conflict or antagonist

Ghost in the Shell—The influential sci-fi feature that inspired The Matrix

Spirited Away—The first Oscar-winning anime—and highest-grossing Japanese film of all time!

A Silent Voice—Adapted from a popular manga, an essential entry from a woman director

Plus 14 other landmark films!

Clements reveals behind-the-scenes decisions that changed the course of Japanese animation. Which movie was finished by a staff of out-of-work waitresses? Which animator hated his work so much that he threatened to shave off his own eyebrows?

How did a maverick producer enlist fans to drive his movie to box-office gold? Which director learned his trade by watching The Bad News Bears ten times?

Illustrated with full-color images, this fascinating book is a must-read for every devoted anime fan!

Contributor Bio

Jonathan Clements is the author of Anime: A History and A Brief History of Japan. He's a contributing editor of The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and has worked on dozens of anime films as a translator, voice actor, or dubbing director—including Grey: Digital Target, Sol Bianca, and Musashi: Dream of the Last Samurai. He has provided commentary tracks to films including Vexille, Golgo 13, and Weathering with You, and has been jury chairman at the Scotland Loves Anime film festival for the last decade.