Are You Ready for Anime? The 1st Annual L.A. Anime Festival May 2 – 14 at the Egyptian Theatre By Bobby Okinaka Anime is the name given to Japanese animation, both film and television series. The popularity of anime in the U.S. grew with the expansion of the home video market. That gave way to the release of children’s shows from Japan like “Pokemon” and “Dragonball Z” on Saturday morning cartoons. Now theaters across the country are screening feature films, proving there is a market for anime in the United States. Soon it won’t be long before the word “anime” will not need to be followed by an explanation. On May 2 –15, a broad selection of anime will be screened at the 1st Annual L.A. Anime Festival at the American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theatre. Some of the films will be making their stateside premiere, including “The Cat Returns” (Neko no Ongaeshi), the latest work from Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki, the makers of Oscar winner, “Spirited Away.” Fans of the classic series “Speed Racer” will be able to enjoy four episodes uncut and in the original language with English subtitles. And for the first time anywhere, all nine episodes of “The Animatrix” from the creators of “The Matrix” trilogy will be screened on May 14. Even though the latest Pokemon movie will be screened, not all of this festival will be kid-oriented fare. Themes in anime are often mature and the violence can be as graphic as any Schwarzenegger flick. Robot hookers, school girl assassins, busty barbarians, and genetically-altered cops are standard characters in adult-themed anime plotlines. So make sure to check the rating before entering the theater! The festival is sponsored by the Japan Foundation. A schedule and ticket information is available online at: http://egyptiantheatre.com/archive1999/2003/anime1.htm General admission tickets are $9. The Egyptian Theatre is located at 6712 Hollywood Boulevard, just east of Highland in Hollywood. April 27, 2003