The term "anime" is derived from the Japanese pronunciation of the English word "animation."

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, created by Nagaru Tanigawa in 2003, is a popular light novel series and anime that explores themes of existentialism, time travel, and alternate realities.

Japan has a game show called "Human Tetris" where contestants have to contort their bodies to fit through holes in a moving wall.