A good resource if you want to learn how to draw anime-inspired characters
From Amazon
This book provides tips on how to draw in an anime style, and includes some interviews with anime professionals at the end. It's definitely aimed at teenagers and young adults, with the writing style and the advice the author chose to include. For the different character types and the creatures, the author shows the steps needed to draw the desired object, as well as what the finished product looks like. The author also goes into basic character construction, how to draw characters in different poses and performing various actions, and how to draw special effects.
Near the end of the book, the author includes tips on how to make pencil sketches, how to draw clothes and costumes on characters, and different kinds of character groups. There is also an example storyboard included, information on backgrounds, information on equipment used by animators, and information about going to art school. There are even brief interviews with the international relations manager at a Japanese animation studio, an American who works as a director in Japan, as well as with a Japanese director.
Personally, I think the author does a good job explaining the basics of drawing. However, for a book that claims to teach readers how to draw characters for Japanese animation, I feel the book doesn't entirely show how to draw in an anime style. While it's evident the drawings that are included are inspired by anime, many of the pictures feel like the author is simply inserting some elements of anime drawing into his own drawing style (with the author's own drawing style being more prevalent of the two styles).
By the time I finished reading Anime Mania: How to Draw Characters for Japanese Animation, I thought it would be a good resource for young people who want to learn how to draw anime-inspired drawings for a hobby. This is especially true by the time you read the interviews in the back of the book. The people who are interviewed make it clear that the anime industry in Japan is hard to break into, and that the pay (especially starting out) isn't the best. Personally, I would recommend this book to people who are interested in learning to draw anime-inspired characters as a hobby.
excellent instructional book
From Amazon
I bought this for my daughter and she was so very happy to get it. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. Excellent for anyone who wants to learn how to draw anime.
Useless
From Amazon
This is a picture book that discusses, in very general terms, anime drawing. It does not teach anything. There are no outlines of how certain anime staples are created, etc, etc. A waste of money.
Okay book
From Amazon
I think the manga mania books are better though because they provide better examples though a little lacking in instruction.
My chief complaint about this book is the lack of animation instruction I figure since this book is about Anime it would provide some lessons in animation as it's done in Japan.
I do find the the instruction in character design and drawing to be average at best. This book gives you some examples and some useful advice for entering the animation industry but so very lacking when it comes to the imparting of useful information of the animation process that the title Anime mania is a misnomer. Most people buy how to Animation books to learn animation techniques and I for one as an aspiring animator don't want to see more animation outsourced to foreign countries seeing as animation is declining in quality in this country I see outsourcing to foreign nations as a primary culprit in that respect second only to cheap producers and uncreative executives!
Anime mania is however a nice book to have as a collector's keepsake and the illustrations are quite inspiring one of the few reasons that makes this book worth buying.
disappointing
From Amazon
dont buy this book. buy a book from someone who actually draws manga or animates for a living. worst anime style ever!!!!