What does OAV mean?
OAV stands for Original Animation Video and is sometimes known as OVA (cos it's easier on the tongue). And basically what it is, is an anime that is made for a direct-to-video release instead of for a cinema or TV showing. The advantage of this are lower production costs which means film-makers can play around a bit and try out new ideas. As for other terms you may come across here's a quick lowdown....

Anime- pronounced ah-nee-may - has come to mean Japanese animation as opposed to any other kind.

Manga - pronounced mahn-ga - a generic Japanese word for comic, first used in 1815 by the Japanese artist Hokusai for his satirical drawings or "irresponsible pictures". However, manga has now come to have a much wider meaning and can be used to describe the whole genre : caricature, cartoon, comic strip, comic book, graphic novel and animation.

Mecha - Shorthand for mechanical and means anything from a motorbike to a giant robot.

Otaku - Japanese word that has come to mean fanboy/girl. Although the term is not particularly complimentary in Japan it does not have the same meaning for Western fans of anime.

OST - Original Sound Track ie. the songs, title and incidental music from an anime.

MV/MP/ME - Manga Video/ Manga Publishing/ Manga Entertainment. In its various guises Manga Entertainment are the biggest Japanese video distributor and comic book publisher in the UK.


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