Ask John: What Does “OAV” Stand For?

Question:
What exactly are OAVs, and how are they different from anime we see on T.V.?

Answer:
The terms OAV and OVA are used interchangeably in Japan and stand for Original Animation Video. OAVs are simply anime created for direct to home video release, as opposed to TV series which are made for television broadcast and movies that are created for theatrical premier. OAVs commonly have better production quality than TV series because they have bigger budgets and fewer time deadlines. And because they’re created for a select market, OAVs can deal with more esoteric plots and genres, and are free to be as graphic as they choose to be. There is no standardized length for OAV series, nor is there any standardized running time for OAV episodes. Often times, because OAVs are created for rental or sale, poor commercial performance may prematurely end the life of the series, or series may end after only one or two episodes due to studio project changes or scheduling conflicts with other, higher priority projects. Dallos was the first OAV ever released in December 1983. It was quickly followed by Area 88 and Fantastic Adventure of Yohko: Leda, but it wasn’t until the 1985 release of Megazone 23 that the OAV industry really took off.