Why are Westerners of all ages now so fascinated by Japanese animated films, movies made purely by Japanese animators for Japanese audiences? The U.S. audience for Japanese animation ranges from millions who don't even know that what they're watching is Japanese, to the growing anime cult, with anime fan clubs on almost every college campus, as well as anime fan magazines and social anime sections in video stores. In Samurai from Outer Space, Antonia Levi uncovers the hidden meaning of Japanese animation: the symbols and stories drawn from Shinto, Buddhism, and Japanese art - the things that Western viewers will overlook unless they are pointed out. With 20 color illustrations, Samurai from Outer Space is both an introduction for beginners and a goldmine of information for the already addicted.