Tokyo | Long before Naruto, Dragon Ball Z or Pokémon became household names across the world, anime had a very quiet and humble beginning — a two-minute black-and-white silent film made in Japan in the year 1917.
Most people who watch anime today have no idea that the genre is over a hundred years old.Japanese animator Junichi Kouchi created the very first known Japanese animated film, Namakura Gatana — which roughly translates to “The Dull Sword” — and released it on June 30, 1917. The short clip followed a young samurai boy as he tried to use his new sword on people in town, only for the townspeople to beat him up every single time.Kouchi kept the animation simple and funny, drawing every single frame completely by hand.
From Niche Hobby to Mainstream Obsession
Around the same time, two other Japanese animators — Seitaro Kitayama and Oten Shimokawa — were also making their own short animated films independently, which is why historians consider 1917 the true birth year of anime as a medium.
For the next few decades, anime remained small and limited. Animators worked with basic tools, drawing thousands of frames by hand with very little money or support. That began to change during World War II, when the Japanese government started funding animated films for propaganda purposes, which accidentally helped the industry grow bigger and faster than it ever had before.
The real turning point, however, came in 1963, when a man named Osamu Tezuka — widely regarded as the “God of Manga and Anime” — brought his comic book character Astro Boy to Japanese television. It became Japan’s first-ever televised anime series and changed everything. Tezuka introduced the now-famous anime art style — big expressive eyes, dramatic facial emotions, and fast storytelling — much of which he had adapted after studying early Disney films like Bambi and Mickey Mouse.
Anime slowly began reaching audiences outside Japan through the 1980s and 1990s, carried by shows like Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon, and Pokémon, which aired on television channels across Asia, Europe, and the United States. Children who had never visited Japan were suddenly obsessed with Japanese characters, stories, and culture.
Today, anime is a global industry worth over $25 billion, with platforms like Netflix, Crunchyroll, and Disney+ spending heavily to acquire and produce anime content for worldwide audiences. The Japanese government itself now treats anime as an official part of its cultural identity, using it to build influence and interest in Japan across the world.
It is a remarkable journey — from a two-minute silent cartoon about a clumsy boy with a sword, to one of the most widely watched and beloved forms of entertainment on the planet.
Anime in 2024: From Saturday Morning Cartoons to a Global Cultural Revolution
Over a hundred years later, anime has never been more popular. In 2024, Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, and One Piece continued to dominate global streaming charts, pulling in millions of viewers every week across platforms like Netflix and Crunchyroll. Japan’s animation studios now produce hundreds of new titles every year, covering every genre — from action and romance to horror and science fiction.
The industry crossed $25 billion in value in 2023 and shows no signs of slowing down. Hollywood has taken notice too, with major studios actively adapting anime into live-action films and series. Meanwhile, a new generation of animators across India, South Korea, and the United States are now entering the industry, inspired by the same stories that once played on Saturday morning television.
