The Internet has made it possible for fans of any phenomena to quickly search and find information about many topics of interest. But most sites tend to focus on specific subjects or favorites, and comprehensive resources that encompass everything on a given subject are generally hard to come by. In the case of anime, the tried-and-true Anime Web Turnpike provides a starting point to the plethora of anime sites out on the Web, but since fans generally tend to focus on their favorite titles, it is often difficult to find information about older and sometimes obscure titles that aren't fan-favorites, or haven't been heard of by most fans.
The ANIME ENCYCLOPEDIA, written by Jonathan Clements and Helen McCarthy, takes on the daunting task of providing a comprehensive all-in-one resource. In the interest of keeping the book accessible in both size and cost—the book already weighs in at close to 600 pages—the publication gives priority to titles that are available in English-language form and/or on Japanese video. Overall, the ANIME ENCYCLOPEDIA provides a much broader perspective on the anime phenomena compared to other mainstream publications, whose views and criticisms seem to be based on their limited exposure to high-profile titles such as POKÉMON.
The description on the back cover labels the book as "for both anime newcomers and battle-hardened otaku" alike, and even those who have followed anime since the early 70s and claim to have "seen it all" will most likely find themselves astonished, even humbled, by the sheer number of titles covered, some of which date all the way back to 1917. As an English-language publication, the titles are listed by their English titles, but each entry also gives the original Japanese title and alternate names under which the entry may be known, along with other pertinent info such as release date, format and a list of production credits. The information supplied is equally comprehensive as the number of anime titles—each title is given at least a one-paragraph summary of what the show is about, while some of the more well-known titles delves into further detail such as its production, broadcast and English adaptations where applicable. And if you're a concerned parent, you'll be glad to know that the ANIME ENCYCLOPEDIA also supplies ratings for most titles as well. The amount of work and detail that went into this publication is quite admirable, to say the least.
That said, I do have a few quibbles about some of the information supplied. For instance, the information given for GUNDAM WING states a "sudden cancellation" and that this cancellation forced the release of the OVA ENDLESS WALTZ. While it is true that ENDLESS WALTZ addresses some unresolved plot points, GUNDAM WING actually ran its full length of 49 episodes as originally planned rather than being cancelled. In fact it was its success with fans that prompted the release of the OVA series to meet popular demand, and to date GUNDAM WING remains the only alternate-universe GUNDAM series successful enough to see a sequel. It is also a little-known fact that it was the original GUNDAM TV series (not GUNDAM WING) that was cut short ahead of schedule due to lackluster ratings during its original broadcast, and that the producers had to request a one-month extension so they could wrap up the story. Regrettably, this information is noticeably absent from the description given for the original GUNDAM series in the publication.
While I've learned a great deal about GUNDAM from other GUNDAM experts, I'm far less qualified to give information about other titles, and thus am not in a position to gauge the accuracy of the information supplied for the numerous other entries in the book, many of which I've admittedly never even heard of. But I do have another quibble with the ANIME ENCYCLOPEDIA, and that is the numerous instances where the facts and info supplied are also accompanied with the writers' thoughts and opinions about a given show. While the ENCYCLOPEDIA does a good job with sticking to the facts for the most part, the occasional word of sentiment such as "lackluster" or "boring" is brought up in quite a few of the descriptions.
In the case of ESCAFLOWNE, for example, the description states that the series was "bowdlerized for the American TV market". Now don't get me wrong—I will heartily agree that the U.S. broadcast was "heavily and extensively modified" (to put it in more objective terms), and I'll also agree that this move didn't sit well at all with ESCAFLOWNE fans in America. At least in this sense, the publication accurately reflects the sentiments of the fans about the U.S. TV broadcast. But that's the precise problem: sentiments.
The dictionary definition of an "encyclopedia" is a publication that sticks with the pure facts, and lets the reader form his/her own opinion about any given subject. If the intent of a publication is to supply interpretations and opinions about a given subject, that's perfectly valid, even desirable, for a magazine or a guide book, but an encyclopedia by nature should strive to be as objective as possible in its presentation of information.
When I discussed my thoughts with Stonebridge press, they fully expressed their willingness to listen to their readers. Indeed, Stonebridge has even set up an email address, animeinfo@stonebridge.com, printed in the publisher's note at the beginning of the book to which readers can submit their feedback. And Stonebridge ensures its readers that any valid corrections, omissions, constructive criticism and suggestions can be incorporated into the next edition of the ANIME ENCYCLOPEDIA.
My observations may sound harsher than I actually intend them to be, and in particular I find Stonebridge's willingness to listen to the anime community a very welcome gesture. And my quibbles about the semantic definition of an "encyclopedia" aside, I'm sure that readers may actually agree with the sentiments expressed, while newcomers may find the thoughts and opinions helpful in deciding which titles they want to purchase and learn more about.
In fact, my only real gripe is that this resource isn't available as a CD-ROM with a search engine. (I almost said "website", but Stonebridge deserves to be compensated for their effort, after all.) All said and done, I applaud the amount of time and effort that went into creating an all-encompassing publication about anime. The ANIME ENCYCLOPEDIA is about as comprehensive a source of information about numerous anime titles that you'll find anywhere.
