Think of anime, and you likely picture epic battles, adorable creatures, and characters with eyes bigger than your dinner plate. But how did we get here? Believe it or not, anime has a super long and fascinating history that explains those iconic features and why we love it so much.

Anime's Ancient Ancestors (Early 1900s –1945)                                           

• Picture this: old-timey silent films and flipbooks were the hip entertainment back in the day. Some creative Japanese artists saw them and thought, "Hey, we can make cartoons too!". This sparked the very first anime experiments.
• Early anime mostly had a political slant, used by the Japanese government during World War II. Not the most cheerful material, but still the roots of today's shows.

Astro Boy Blasts Off! Anime's Big Break (1945-1960s)

• After the war, animators were inspired by Disney and wanted to bring more joy to the world. Enter Osamu Tezuka, the legend who gave us 'Astro Boy'! This little robot dude ushered in a wave of super-popular TV anime shows.
• Tezuka's style, those huge sparkly eyes, became the classic anime look we know and love.

Giant Robots & Beyond: Anime Gets its Groove (1970s-1980s)

• Time for space cruisers and giant mecha suits! Shows like 'Space Battleship Yamato' and 'Mobile Suit Gundam' showed that anime wasn't just for kids anymore.
• Plus, with captivating tales like 'Lupin the Third' and epic historical dramas like 'Rose of Versailles', anime proved it could tackle any topic.

Going Global: Anime Conquers the World! (1990s-2000s)

• Get ready for 'Akira', 'Dragon Ball Z', and a little show called 'Pokemon', because these 90s hits put anime on the worldwide map.
• Then came Studio Ghibli! Think films like 'Spirited Away' and 'Princess Mononoke' – beautiful stories and mind-blowing artwork that stole hearts all over.
• The internet? Streaming services? It was like rocket fuel for anime, getting shows beamed everywhere!

Anime Today: Bigger and Better Than Ever

• Now anime is HUGE! Every season brings heart-pounding action with shows like 'Attack on Titan', fantasy adventures like 'Sword Art Online', or tear-jerkers like 'Your Name'.
• The styles get wilder, the storylines get deeper, and it feels like anything's possible.

Why it Sticks

Anime's come a long way from its sketchpad origins. Sure, the big eyes and crazy hair are part of the fun, but the epic stories about fighting aliens or finding your true friendship stay with you. Whether you're new to anime or a long-time fan, its unique way of seeing the world is why it has a fandom like no other.