Anime refers to animation basically, and its essence is cartoon. Anime is one of the most popular genres of movies in Japan and all over the world.

Some terms exist parallel with the original anime movie that you need to know, such as MOE, ODA, OVA, OAV, ONA, ... Nevertheless, in today's sharing, we will explore the exciting thing that revolves around OVA.

Our topic today, “What does OVA stand for in anime – a style of Japanese film”, will show you everything you are eager to know.

What is an OVA episode?

OVA  (Japanese: オリジナル・ビデオ・アニメーション) is a popular kind of Japanese animated film made especially for particular audiences without prior showings on television, in cinemas or theaters. OVAs may be based on its manga or TV series.

What does OVA stand for in anime?

OVA is an abbreviation of Original Video Animation (another format: OAV - Original Animation Video). OVAs are separated from the Anime series and are usually just a little bonus from the producers. Hence, OVA may not relate to the anime itself. They were made for video consumption to broaden the market to more audiences.

Most OVAs run from four to eight episodes, yet several have only one. They often lean on digging into complex or continuous plots of source-material anime.

In 2008, OAD (original animation DVD) came out and marked the moment OVA became more popular in LaserDisc and DVD. OAD refers to DVD releases published bundled with the source-material manga (anime).

With a much higher budget per episode, in general, OVA technical quality may surpass that in regular anime series; it even equals that of animated movies now and then.

By and large, OVAs should be broken up in 4 categories: A single and standalone episode which is planned as a production target (Aki no Kanade); A single episode aims to build hype for a fuller anime series (Corpse Party: "Missing Footage"); A series of OVAs (Corpse Party: Tortured Souls); finally, there are 1–2 extra episodes touching on things the season did not (Tokyo Ghoul).

OVAs in nature are not associated with a show or the original anime movie or a special episode of anything. It is intended for a small number of viewers without advertisements. It means a more otaku friendly theme, so there is no need to follow broadcast code. It is OK to have a violent scene.The OVA dates back to the early 1980s. When VCR tapes became a popular fixture in Japanese homes, the Japanese anime industry grew at a huge rate. Demand for anime is so high that consumers are willing to go directly to the movie store to buy new cartoons right away.

However, this type of development also faced many difficulties throughout its history in Japan. From 2000 up to now, OVA appeared in a new form and marked its growing step.

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