The initial and very profitable Japanese animation dates back a century, to 1917, and Japanese anime production has since sustained steady growth. The distinctive anime art style appeared in the 1960s with the contributions of Osamu Tezuka. Due to his creative artistry, it spread internationally in the late 20th century. Since the beginning of the 21st century, manga has gained global renown to such an extent that its name is now surfacing in various discourses far beyond Japanese shores.