Something has been slowly infiltrating America, readying itself for an invasion of gargantuan robot-sized proportions. Big eyes. Gigantic explosions. Speed lines. Yellow mouse-like creatures that emit electricity and say “pika” over and over again. All of these invading forces have a common link. They are all aspects of what is known as anime or Japanese animation. They also have something else in common. Each of these characteristics is part of the anime stereotype. Following the stateside release of the classic anime film “Akira,” or perhaps even reaching back to the television show “Speed Racer,” the bulk of American audiences have held a narrow view of Japanese animation. And the recent success of the kid-focused Pokemon franchise hasn’t helped broaden viewer perspective. “In the United States, there’s a stigma surrounding animation,” said Robert Josephson, co-owner of Mayhem Collectibles in Ames. “Unfortunately, most of the general public think of them as cartoons.” However, the time for Japanese animation to explode in America appears to be drawing nearer. Films such as “Ghost in the Shell” and “Princess Mononoke” (which is being presented at Iowa State this weekend by SUB Films) and television shows such as “Sailor Moon” and “Dragon Ball Z” have sparked the interest of an increasing amount of American viewers. SUB Films chose to show “Mononoke” because it was a foreign film and met the animation requirement. There was another reason as well. “We chose it because anime is very popular,” said Mendi Antisdel, SUB Films director. Josephson sees a growing number of people, especially college students, coming to his store to rent anime from the selection of nearly 1,000 titles. T-shirts featuring “Dragon Ball Z” characters are frequently sighted on college and high school campuses across the nation. The Cartoon Network features an almost all-anime lineup, Monday through Friday afternoons, featuring three hours of programming that includes “Gundam Wing,” “Tenchi Muyo” and the ever-popular “Dragon Ball Z.” Even the mouse king of animation has acknowledged the power of Pikachu – Disney has begun to purchase anime films and release them alongside their standard “Toy Story” and “Beauty and the Beast” sequels. “I think over the next five to 10 years anime’s going to be one of the largest entertainment hobbies,” Josephson said. Pikachu goes pop Not only is Japanese animation growing in popularity, it is also beginning to affect popular culture. A less than obvious example of anime’s influence would be recent action motion pictures. “`The Matrix’ looks like it could have been an anime film,” Josephson said. Music has also been influenced by the influx of anime. Techno music is frequently used in Japanese animation – many techno compilation albums feature anime-style characters on its covers. Alternative rockers Eve 6 feature a picture of a girl that could have been pulled straight from a Japanese animation. Bands including Korn and Green Day sell shirts that feature the members drawn in an anime style. Video games have continued to incorporate more of the anime look – this is not surprising because video games and anime are intertwined in Japan, which carries over to the American versions. Role-playing games (RPGs) may actually be one of the most important factors in the growing success of anime in America. “I think RPGs kind of paved the way for anime into the mainstream,” said Steve Skutnik, anime entusiast. “A lot of games and anime represent the same style – wild hair colors, wild design, the aspect of the eyes.” Breaking Stereotypes But what exactly is anime? “It’s pretty much what American animation wants to be or would like to be,” Josephson said. Though anime is a genre that will potentially affect and change the entire entertainment industry, the majority of American entertainment consumers have not properly understood it. Japanese animation is much more than large eyes and multi-colored hair. “It is not like Superman or Spider-Man,” said Ryo Yano, Japanese Association President. “Anime and manga [the comic form of anime] are similar to a novel.” The films offer complex stories dealing with mature subjects and cover a wide range of topics. “Anime, in general, takes on a much more broad range of ideas, settings and concepts than the mainstream American movies and animation and also in a much more mature and philosophical way,” Skutnik said. The theme of “Princess Mononoke,” for example, is that humankind’s stupidity and tendency to destroy the environment will eventually kill off the species. Much of the American-released Japanese animation is grandiose or epic in nature, with sharp animation and cutting-edge storylines. “They pay painstaking attention to detail,” Skutnik said. Across the sea Animation subject matter varies greatly in Japan. There are the better known science fiction and fantasy titles that have been shipping to America for many years. In addition to these films, there are also movies focusing on such diverse topics as sports, history and gourmet cooking that have not found their niche in the U.S. market. “Animation of baseball is very popular in my country,” Yano said. Though there have been some less traditional titles released in America, the majority of anime available to the general public has been either science-fiction/ fantasy in nature or geared toward children. Originally, when anime debuted in Japan, it was intended for children, Yano said. Now, however, animated shows and movies are made for an audience that includes everyone under 45 or 50 years old. “My father is 50 years old – he doesn’t understand about manga [and anime],” Yano said. For the generations that came after Yano’s father, anime is a part of everyday life. “They really love manga [and anime],” Yano said. And now, America is beginning to embrace Japanese animation. There are various reasons anime fans believe this is happening. “I think the thing about anime which makes it so appealing is there is no subject matter that is alike,” Josephson said. “And there’s always a twist to it.” Anime is intense, entertaining and colorful, Josephson added. And it appeals to a more mature audience than is attracted to American animated films. “I think it offers a different market for people that seek something a bit deeper,” Skutnik said. The Future Even though the Japanese animation audience is growing each day, the genre still has obstacles to overcome. American audiences have often found anime to be confusing at best and beyond comprehension at worst. The language barrier and different storytelling style have caused problems for viewers. “Some of the meaning is lost,” Yano said. Anime are often available in both English dubbed and English subtitled versions. Sometimes the dubbed films make sense, and sometimes they don’t. “They’re hit and misses, mostly,” Josephson said. The way anime films develop plot also can be perplexing. “The thing about Japanese storytelling is that it’s not typical American cinema,” Josephson said, “and they don’t go with the beginning-middle-conclusion type of thing like we do.” Poor translations and complicated stories have plagued the majority of anime that has been released in America. There have been films, such as “Princess Mononoke,” however, that have presented the best aspects of Japanese animation, retaining the magic of the originals. “I’ve seen the Japanese dialogue and I’ve seen the American dialogue,” Josephson said, “and excluding some of the finer points, it comes off pretty much right around 80 to 90 percent accurate.” America also needs to catch up on Japan’s latest releases. “The hard part to believe is where it is fresh and new here, it came out in the ’80s in Japan,” Josephson said. “We’re a little behind in most of our anime.” With more and more anime overcoming these barriers, the genre has a promising future. “I totally think it’s going to grow,” Skutnik said. “Japanese culture still has a huge impact in America.” However, Josephson said anime needs one more thing to push it over the edge. “It’s an art form that deserves more than what it’s getting,” he said.