The most important college classes you will take are in the fine arts. During your initial college years, you will likely take classes in drawing, painting and sculpture. These courses will teach you the fundamentals of art. In addition, you should take cartooning classes. According to the Animated News Network, the term anime can refer to both animated cartoons and manga, which are Japanese style comics. (Reference 2) If you enjoy creating animated cartoons, you may also want to create manga. Basic fine arts and cartooning classes will help you learn these skills as well.
Although anime is no longer a specifically Japanese art form, its origins begin in Japan. Japanese anime is characterized by certain conventions, such as characters with big, round eyes, exaggerated body proportions and uncomplicated movements. Therefore, it would be helpful for you to take classes in Japanese language and/or culture. They would allow you to understand why anime conventions exist, the appeal of anime, and how its popularity has helped it spread to other countries around the world.
Anime can be either hand-drawn or computer generated. Traditionally, anime has been hand drawn, but taking classes in computer animation will increase your chances of finding a job as an anime comic. According to the Ringling College of Art and Design in computer animation classes you will learn how to use animation software to create your artwork. In addition, these courses will help you develop skills in modeling, lighting, motion and sound and will also help you learn how to tell a story through animation. (Reference 3)
If you plan to work as an independent anime comic, it will be helpful to take some basic business classes such as accounting and marketing. This will make you better prepared to understand how to publish and monetize your work and decipher contracts. If you obtain a job with a movie or television studio, these skills will also be helpful to understand the financial aspects of creating movies, television shows and commercials.