Via BoingBoing, we learn about Steam Boy, the new film from Japanese anime maestro Katsuhiro Otomo. Though I grew up addicted to Robotech, I’m pretty ambivalent about anime. Like any cinematic style, it can be awful or great. I did see Spirited Away, which was deeply surreal and quite wonderful.
What’s interesting to me about anime is its evolution. That is, unlike most North American narrative art forms, it’s not evolving toward reality. If you check out the trailer for Steam Boy, it seems to have the same quality as something done 20 or 30 years ago. Specifically, I refer to the sort of visual dissonance between the foreground and the background.
Can anybody recommend a good book on the history and art of anime? I’m looking for a survey or primer–something that will help me understand the conventions of the medium.
DarrenBarefoot.com 
Howdy; part of my blog functions as an anime review site, so I may be able to help you with your search for a decent anime primer.
Patrick Drazen’s written a book called “Anime Explosion – The What? Why? Wow! Of Japanese Animation”. The Comicshop on 4th should have it (tell ’em Jay sent you), and while it doesn’t really discuss the art of anime, it does discuss its history, context, and conventions.
As well, Gilles Poitras (a regular on rec.arts.anime.misc) also has a couple of good books out on the subject; the one I’d recommend is “The Anime Companion: What’s Japanese in Japanese Animation”.
Hope that helps.