Anime=Cartoons - Yes or No?

[HellCat]

One of the things that tends to annoy alot of fans is when people class anime as cartoons. However, some of them don't mind at all. What's your opinion on the matter?

Personally, when I think of the word cartoons I think more characters like Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse. I consider a cartoon to be a light hearted affair. That's not to say I don't like them, I love the old WB shorts. But when you consider how there are alot of animes that can be a great deal darker then your average WB/Disney short, then giving them the title of cartoon doesn't seem apropriate to me.

[joshualane]

It's all just "animation" to me. I tend to not call them cartoons or anime because there are stigmas associated with both terms.

[HellCat]

It's all just "animation" to me. I tend to not call them cartoons or anime because there are stigmas associated with both terms.

That's actually a pretty good view on the matter.

[StrangerAtaru]

Animation is animation, whether if it is made in the US, France, Russia or Japan. Its not what it is made of that makes it different, it is the style and evolution of the matter that defines it, yet in the end it is still animation. It just happened that American style evolved from various comedic enterprises while anime evolved from the content of manga.

[JeffTMBG]

In Japan, all animated shows are classified as 'anime,' just like in the US they are all classified as cartoons. Besides, despite the fact that anime occassionally has more mature content than american animation, yo'd have a hard time convincing me that shows like Ranma or Excel Saga don't fall into the "cartoon" category.

[VinceA]

Anime is a form of cartoons (in my mind). Different & wonderful but still cartoons I tend not to get too uptight as to the classification of my entertainment

[Howard]

It would be a shame to not include many of the drawing styles used in anime as cartooning, especially some of the expressions used in shows like Sailor Moon, but in many ways not all anime could be called "cartoons". You would be doing Miyazaki a disservice to call his films "cartoons", and Akira, Evangellion, Maison Ikkoku and Perfect Blue don't really seem to be what we'd call "cartoons" in this country, but shows like Ranma 1/2, Lupan the Third, Sailor Moon, and Urusei Yatsura are definetly done in a cartoony style. Perhaps "anime" or "animation" fits the Japanese style better than "cartoons", which brings to mind Bugs Bunny, Donald Duck, Tom and Jerry, The Simpsons, Ren and Stimpy, or The Critic (to name a few).

[Arxane]

I'm with the general consensus here that I prefer the term "animation". Calling anime cartoons doesn't irk me, but the word "cartoon" does tend to make people think more of animation intended for a young audience. Anime are cartoons, but they're (usually) not what Americans typically think cartoons are.

[EscaflownePilot]

It's all about the connotation a word carries.

When one says, "I'm watching cartoons right now.", almost everyone immediately gets an image of "Bugs Bunny" or "Mickey Mouse" in their head. Rarely does one ever get an image of something like "Dragon Ball Z" in their mind when they hear the word "cartoon".

Likewise, does anyone get an image of "Mickey Mouse" when one says "anime"? Nope.

People turn it into a big deal - the anime haters strongly argue that because we otaku like to use the word "anime" we think it's all far above regular "cartoons"... and likewise, otaku like myself get all hissy if Evangelion or Akira isn't called an anime. Fact is, though, there are some anime series just as loose or light-hearted as Bugs Bunny, and there are some U.S. animations that are just as mature as Evangelion (like Spawn).

It just all comes down to connotation. Regardless of the fact that all animation is animation, be it a cartoon or an anime, you don't want someone to get the wrong idea or interpretation. The connotations both words carry are different, therefore I see nothing wrong with using the appropriate word for the appropriate situation. Doesn't mean one is better than the other.

Just because someone uses the word "antagonist" in place of "villain" doesn't mean one is more correct than the other. The two words carry slightly different connonations, therefore it's best to use the most appropriate word for the situation. This is no different.

[Sigma]

Cartoons are normally associated with light hearted and comical animation like Bugs Bunny, The Simpsons, ATHF, etc. Anime on the other hand is usually associated with more adult oriented themes, but as we all know not all anime is adult oriented. I don't see alot of adults watching Beyblade, Hamtarro, and Pokemon. It really just boils down to those sterotypes, but in the end it is all animation. I do tend to call anime, anime and cartoons, cartoons tho because I know whats from Japan and what isn't, but if someone calls an anime a cartoon then it's no big deal because they are both just another name for animation.

[purplehairedwonder]

I'm going to agree with everyone else in saying that when you say "cartoons" what usually comes to mind is Bugs Bunny or what you watch on Saturday mornings as little kid. And I would suppose that if you said "anime" to some random person on the street they would get the image of Pokemon in their minds, but would still think of it as a cartoon. You usually have to specify what type of cartoons, so you would say anime and generally people would understand what you meant. In my mind anime is (for lack of a better term) a better form of cartoons, with a different artistic stlye than american cartoons. But in the end it is all animation, so I guess it really just depends on what you perceive it to be.

[Joe Mama]

I don't really get mad when someone calls anime a cartoon, but did you ever once see an anvil fall on, oh say...Spike's head from Cowboy Bebop, not trying to sound cliche', but when people do say cartoon, I think of something like BugsBunny, because it's comedic in a way, Cowboy Bebop most of the time is not, you know? Plus on another note, the word Anime means, Japanese animation, and when people say cartoon that just makes me think of American animation.

[Allen's Nickname.]

Cartoon = Funny picture.

Cartoon != Amimation.

Excel Saga = Cartoon.

Cowboy Bebop != Cartoon.

Ren and Stimpy = Cartoon.

Batman: TAS != Cartoon.

[Keldran]

It is... semantics.

[Tash]

In America, the term "Anime" was tagged to Japanese Animation, because that's how you say Animation in Japan. Before that, it was commonly tagged as "Japanamation", but that wasn't politicly correct.

So in short:
Most people use it to distinguish the country of origin, although it's just another way of saying "Cartoon".

[Masamune2052]

To me, 'anime' is referring to animation from Japan. That's how I've always seen it, and that's what I'll continue doing.

[Tea]

What I believe was already said. Animation is animation is animation. Labels are confusing.. (Cartoon = childish animation. Anime = Japanese animation.)

[Luna]

I don't really care one way or the other what other people do,but tend to use the term "anime" for Japanese series....."cartoon" for almost anything else...

[Joe Mama]

I don't really care one way or the other what other people do,but tend to use the term "anime" for Japanese series....."cartoon" for almost anything else...

That's pretty much what I'm trying to say

[Pepperidge]

By definition, anime are cartoons. However, I don't really like to refer to them using the word "cartoon", simply because of the stigmas that the term carries.

I try to just call it all "animation" unless I'm making a distinction.