The Anime Companion 2: More... What's Japanese in Japanese Animation?
by Gilles Poitras

August 2005 (Berkeley, CA) � Stone Bridge Press, publisher of books about Japan, rolls out the next volume to the well-loved 'Anime Companion!'

'The Anime Companion 2' boasts hundreds of all-new glossary-style entries to help you decipher anime's distinctive content, images, and cultural motifs. Ranging from Adachi-ku (in Tokyo, seen in 'You're Under Arrest') to Zomen (a mask, seen in 'Spirited Away'), with Miso Ramen in between (a favorite noodle dish in 'GTO'), Gilles Poitras covers the minutiae of anime in fascinating detail, including illustrations, anime images, film citations, and numerous references to the related art of manga.

More than a guide, 'Anime Companion 2' is a pop survey of Japanese art, kitsch, history, food, and daily life. Now with entries in kanji (Japanese characters) and English, plus maps of old provinces and current prefectures (and the 23 wards of Tokyo), 'The Anime Companion' remains the best friend an otaku (anime fan) ever had, and a fun way for the non-otaku to learn about Japan.

Author Gilles Poitras is a librarian in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is the author of 'The Anime Companion (Volume 1)' and 'Anime Essentials,' both published by Stone Bridge Press. He writes a monthly column for Newtype USA and appears in 'The Animatrix' and 'Otaku Unite!' documentaries. Dubbed "the most influential anime fan in America," Poitras has introduced films at the Smithsonian Institute and taught a class on anime at Pixar Studios. He is a frequent guest at anime conventions.

'The Anime Companion 2: More...What's Japanese in Japanese Animation?' Retails for US$18.95. It is 160 pages paperback with 35 b&w photos and illustrations. ISBN 1-880656-96-5

Published by Stone Bridge Press and distributed nationwide by Consortium Book Sales, 800-283-3572. Distributed in Japan by Yohan.