Anema
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| Anema: Age of the Robots | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Johnny Tay |
| Website | http://www.anemaonline.com/ |
| Launch date | 2003 |
| Genre | Sci-fi, Anthropomorphic |
Anema: Age of the Robots is a comic series produced by Singapore artist, Johnny Tay. It was published as a black and white comic in book form in 2003 and 2004, then converted into a full-color webcomic under the title Anema Online.
It is also the first English continuous-story comic series in Singapore since its independence in 1965[citation needed].
The story of Anema revolves around a global conflict on an imaginary planet of the same name. The natural inhabitants, the Anemals (a word play of Animals, as the characters resemble our own lifeforms) are locked in a war of survival with the Robots they created, which have turned evil.
Anema deviates from standard sci-fi plots of robots-gone-bad and instead centers its story on the Anemas, and how they relate to this brave new world.
Much content is focused on the adventures of a dog called F.D, documenting his rise from an unknown freedom fighter to a respected commander of the Anema Forces, and later Captain of the Elite Team. Needless to say, F.D. will play a crucial role in ending the war.
Tay has managed to combine diverse elements in telling his story, to the extent that Anema's genre is impossible to pigeonhole. Exciting action, adventure, fantasy and sci-fi aspects form an eclectic mix of Anema's essence.
Opinion is divided on whether Anema is a production worthy of high merit. Purists have dismissed it for its 'raw' artwork, with one critic telling the author to 'prepare to be the greatest failure in this industry's history.'[citation needed]
But views also oscillate to the other side of the spectrum, perhaps due to Johnny's unorthodox style which has divided audiences. MAGE magazine (a manga/comics/anime magazine) comments that the author is 'one of the rare few...a true comic artist.'
Fans are known to have compared Anema to other great titles like The Sandman, Bone and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind[citation needed].
