The Ani-Man at Japanimation.com:
What you don't know!

1. Did you know that one of the most influential films to inspire many anime series actually came from America? Yes, you heard that right-we crazy Americans are responsible for giving ideas to some of the most well known Japanese artists! The early 80's movie Blade Runner, starring Harrison Ford and Rutger Hauer inspired the whole "cyber-punk" craze in Japanese Anime.
   

   Perhaps the anime series most directly related to this movie is BubbleGum Crisis. For example, in Blade Runner, special police are assigned to control the android population called "Replicants". In BGC, special police, the A.D. squadron, are assigned to protect the human race from androids called "Boomers". In fact, Priss, one of the main characters in BGC, has a band called the "Replicants"!
   

2. Did you know that the "Japanese tea ceremony", (Cha-no-yu), often seen in various anime series, is really an ancient ritual practiced in Japan for over 500 years? It started out as a very formal and specialized way of preparing tea for people. Linked to the ideologies of Zen and Buddhism, many practitioners of "Cha-no-yu" do this for both spiritual purpose as well as the more pragmatic goal of making some tea. Not to be taken lightly, there are several special schools in Japan that teach students the proper way to prepare tea. So the next time you go to a Japanese or Chinese resteraunt, we want you to ask the waiter serving your table if he or she can perform the "Cha-no yu" before serving your food.
   

   In the series Rurouni Kenshin, you see everyone's favorite ninja, Aoshi Shinomori, perform the tea ceremony before he drinks with Kenshin in a filler episode of the dismal fourth TV season.
   

3. Did you know that in Japan, huge age differences between lovers are not as taboo as it is here in America? Sure, Michael Douglas can date whatever or whomever he likes, but we are not as forgiving when it comes to the rest of the people. In Japan, however, if you are a 35 year old man dating a much younger girl, other people would not even raise an eyebrow. This is very evident in anime, where many of the couples formed are of despairingly vast age differences. In the popular historic series Rurouni Kenshin, many of the couples there are different in age. Kenshin, who is 28, is the love interest of Kaoru, 17. Misao, age 16, is completely head over heels for Aoshi, who is 26. Shinsen Gumi extraordinaire Saitou Hajime, who is 35, has a wife named Tokio. While we are not told how old she is, one must wonder how young this girl is to be married to a scowling, no-good cop!
   

   

4. Did you know that in Japan, there is a common saying that they are "wet"? Loosely translated into English, this term represents the sentiment in many Japanese people in placing a high value on emotions and feelings. Characters in anime are often shown expressing their feelings in a very "wet" way. (And no, I am not talking about that, you sick minded people) In Tenchi in Tokyo, every time Tenchi gets nervous, a big fat sweat drop forms on his head. In Ping Pong Club, Izawa sprouts a huge nosebleed everytime he sees an attractive girl walk by. Finally, in Kare Kano, cute little Tsubasa literally cries a river of tears when her friends trick her into believing a fat Totoro is walking around.
   

   The use of sweat drops, gushing tears, and nosebleeds are used heavily in anime to characterize expressions and feelings. These acts are often exaggerated, but it does get the idea across that in Japan, they consider themselves "wet" people.

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