THEM Anime Reviews, otherwise known as THEM or T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews, is an
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
review
A review is an evaluation of a publication, product, service, or company or a critical take on current affairs in literature, politics or culture. In addition to a critical evaluation, the review's author may assign the work a content rating, ...
website that writes about current and past
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
in any form, including
OVAs
, abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...
and
ONAs
The Selk'nam, also known as the Onawo or Ona people, are an indigenous people in the Patagonian region of southern Argentina and Chile, including the Tierra del Fuego islands. They were one of the last native groups in South America to be enco ...
. The website offers reviews,
editorial content
and hosts
forums.
History
THEM was founded in 1993 by
Arizona State University
Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...
Honors College
Honors colleges and honors programs are special accommodation constituent programs at public and private universities – and also public two-year institutions of higher learning – that include, among other things, supplemental or alternativ ...
students as a school club for fans of
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
and
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
.
It became an anime review website, named THEM Online, in 1996,
and Carlos Ross, who later became one of the editors in chief of the website, became a writer in 1999.
By 2007, Ross would be part of Arizona State University's College of Liberal Arts & Science. In June 2000, the current domain name of the website was registered.
At the time, the site was using ASU servers, which were later changed.
In the first six years of the site, from 1996 to 2002, only one guest review was accepted and all "submissions from non-THEM members" were not accepted.
At the time, Ross's wife, Christine (aso known as Christi), was the web designer and assistant reviewing editor, joined by fellow reviewers Raphael See, Jason Bustard, Eric Gaede, and many others. In October 1999, THEM hosted awards for anime they found specifically notable or enjoyed, working with Anime Cafe. See was instrumental in getting the awards to happen. Bustard worked for Anime Club Reviews, and Gaede, the son of
Bill Gaede
Guillermo "Bill" Gaede (born November 19, 1952) is an Argentine engineer and programmer who is best known for Cold War industrial spying conducted while he worked at Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Intel Corporation (Intel). While at AMD, he ...
, became famous on
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
as Asalieri, with the site later cutting off contact with him due to the devotion by him, and his father in "disseminating crackpot pseudoscience."
In June 2002, the ASU-hosted site was last used, with a transition over to a new site for reviews, which is still used to this day. In the following year, those who were not part of THEM began contributing content while Pete Harcoff worked on the
web design
Web design encompasses many different skills and disciplines in the production and maintenance of websites. The different areas of web design include web graphic design; user interface design (UI design); authoring, including standardised code an ...
, which allowed the site to continue.
That year THEM presented a "team game show for fans of Japanese animation," hosted by Angel Hungerford, Carlos Ross, and Christina Ross at
LepreCon
LepreCon is an annual science fiction convention with an emphasis on art held in and around Phoenix, Arizona usually in May around Mother's Day weekend. It is the second oldest science fiction convention in Arizona. It is sponsored by LepreCon ...
29 in 2003 in Tempe, Arizona. The same year, in September, the new, and current look, of THEM's website premiered. As late as 2004, THEM still defined itself as "a science-fiction/fantasy society" based at ASU.
In January 2005, Janet Crocker, the content editor for ''animefringe'', described the website as a "great low-frills and old anime review site."
[ Only citing her specific review, as it is the relevant one here.] She also noted that the website has various types of reviews, has a separate section for adult content, and called it a frequent stop for her to "get honest and to-the-point opinions."
In March 2005, the website was profiled by the ''
Phoenix New Times
''Phoenix New Times'' is a free digital and print media company based in Phoenix, Arizona. ''New Times'' publishes daily online coverage of local news, restaurants, music and arts, as well as longform narrative journalism. A weekly print issue ...
''. Ross, and his wife, Christina, were described as "anime fanatics," who ran the website, preparing for an anime convention known as AniZona 01. Ross and Christina described their love for anime, and what it meant to them.
In March 2006, Ross was interviewed on
G4's ''
Attack of the Show!
''Attack of the Show!'' (''AOTS'') is an American live television program and that aired on G4. AOTS features segments on pop culture, video games, and movies. After an initial run from 2005 to 2013 (which originally aired from 2005 until 2013 ...
'', talking about ''
Diamond Daydreams
is a Japanese game series, set in Hokkaidō. The series was developed by Red Entertainment and published by Hudson Soft. An anime version and a manga adaptation have also been released.
History
The series began with , which was released on ...
'', ''
Samurai Gun
is a manga series written and illustrated by Kazuhiro Kumagai and serialized in ''Weekly Young Jump''. It was adapted into a 13-episode anime series directed by Kazuhito Kikuchi. The anime is licensed in the United States, Canada, the Unit ...
'' and ''
Azumanga Daioh
is a Japanese ''yonkoma'' comedy manga series written and illustrated by Kiyohiko Azuma. It was serialized from February 1999 to May 2002 in the monthly magazine ''Dengeki Daioh'' by MediaWorks; three additional chapters were published i ...
''. In October of the same year, Ross retired from being editor-in-chief of the site, with the duty taken up by Stig Høgset.
In November 2009, Bradley C. Meek, a writer for the website and for anime3000.com, showed up on ANNCast, a podcast hosted by Zac Bertschy and Justin Sevakis of
Anime News Network
Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and oth ...
, to discuss anime he had been watching. In December 2009, Scott Green's
Ain't It Cool News
Ain't It Cool News (AICN) is an entertainment news website founded by Harry Knowles and run by his sister Dannie Knowles since September 2017, dedicated to news, rumors, and reviews of upcoming and current films, television, and comic book proje ...
recommended the THEM, calling its reviews "worth checking out." In January 2010, Meek, a writer for THEM, was a guest writer on the blog of freelance writer Tim Maughan.
In 2018, Ross, an editor-in-chief emeritus of the site, stated that THEM was still an "internet
safe space
The term safe space refers to places "intended to be free of bias, conflict, criticism, or potentially threatening actions, ideas, or conversations". The term originated in LGBT culture, but has since expanded to include any place where a margi ...
," and that LGBTQ issues would not be tagged with "audience appropriateness" notes like they were in the 1990s.
He also said that LGBTQ people are a central and vital part of the site itself. As of 2020, the website has over 1500 full-length reviews, and currently has staff of reviewers from across the globe.
Features
THEM Anime Reviews regularly posts anime reviews, has a list of editorials,
and
forums.
The website has, since 2005,
had a section specifically about adult anime. Currently, Enoch Lau, Melissa Sternenberg, Robert Nelson, Stig Høgset, and Tim Jones, are some of the reviewers on the site.
Sternenberg is also a professional
voice actress
Voice acting is the art of performing voice-overs to present a character or provide information to an audience. Performers are called voice actors/actresses, voice artists, dubbing artists, voice talent, voice-over artists, or voice-over talent ...
who has voiced characters in various visual novels and animations. One of the active reviewers of the website is Nicoletta Christina Browne, a musician and
geoscience
Earth science or geoscience includes all fields of natural science related to the planet Earth. This is a branch of science dealing with the physical, chemical, and biological complex constitutions and synergistic linkages of Earth's four spheres ...
educator, while Robert Lu is the site's convention reporter, along with being reviewer and editor of an anime review site, ''Animesou''.
Additionally, Jason Huff, one of the website contributors, runs his own site, called ''The Anime Review''.
References
External links
* {{Official website, http://www.themanime.org/
Anime and manga websites
Entertainment databases
American entertainment websites
Internet properties established in 1996
Online film databases