First recorded in 1985–90; from Japanese, borrowing of English animation ( def. )
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The adult-targeted block played a major role in mainstreaming anime, launched live-action comedy performers like Eric Andre, Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, and resurrected old cartoon characters and titles with an absurdist twist.
From Salon • May 8, 2026
Sony, which was already in the anime business, bought it in 2021 for $1.2 billion.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
“The core anime fan is very passionate and engaged, and they talk about their fandom, which brings concentric circles of other viewers into the ecosystem,” said Purini.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
Though chaotic, the collection is organized by Conor’s interests, with anime, Irish cinema and horror some of its most densely populated sections.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026
You’d see me and go, “What does that poster say behind that guy—is the anime club meeting today?”
From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
