From Astro Boy to sci-fi and porn, anime ain't what it used to be

In Japan, anime has long been considered a form of artistic expression. But in the US, like other styles of animation, it's generally regarded as something for children and teenagers.

Anime master Hayao Miyazaki's surprise win at the Berlin Film Festival in 2002 - his Spirited Away shared the Golden Bear with political drama Bloody Sunday - started to change this perception. Now, Anime!!, a series of films at New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), looks set to seal anime's reputation as an art form in its own right.

'We definitely view anime as a valid form of artistic expression at MoMA,' says Barbara London, who curated the 33-film show. 'We've had a few animation shows by younger artists here before, but this really ratchets it up a few notches. We're providing a full overview of the history of anime, and this allows viewers to appreciate its development as an art form.

The series features work from Osamu Tezuka, the originator of anime, and continues through to the present with some of the younger artists who are working today. It's a comprehensive look at a diverse world.'

Anime is so popular in parts of Asia that it's worked its way into the fabric of popular culture. Totoro, the giant cat-like creature from Miyazaki's My Neighbour Totoro, is ubiquitous among schoolchildren, and series such as Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon have been venerated by teenagers all over the region. Fullmetal Alchemist, the latest series to develop a large following, is now showing on TVB.

Anime such as these may look modern, but the style is inspired by hand-drawn manga comic strips from the start of the last century. An early Japanese cartoon film called Momotaro played in cinemas as far away as Europe in 1918.

The typical anime look - two-dimensional, flat drawings, characters with big Caucasian eyes and a cinematic approach to composition - dates from the 1960s and Tezuka, the godfather of anime. Tezuka, who trained as a doctor, created popular classics such as Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion.