Anime vs. Animation & Cartoon: Are Anime, Animation and Cartoon All Just The Same Thing?

Senior Journalist -

To answer the question… yes and no.

I’ve had arguments with mostly Generation Z, Alphas, and others in general about this for years. I’ve been watching anime for several decades. No point in arguing with them or anyone else. They are going to insist anime is everything because in Japan it just means animation and cartoon. Which is true, but outside of Japan it distinctly means Japanese animation. In Britannica it is defined as “a style of animation that was created in Japan and that uses colorful images, strong characters, and stories that have a lot of action.” And no, Boondocks and Avatar: The Last Airbender are not animes. They are anime-inspired series. The creators themselves have stated this. But leave it to my generation of Gen Z, Alphas, and others, they will die on that hill of delusion, calling them anime just to prove their narrow-minded perception.

I like distinction. If everything is in the ingredients, then it is that food. Anime to me follows a criterion: it has to have Japanese art style, plot direction (continuation, especially in growth mentally and physically), character expressions, a specific brand of Japanese humor, cultural references, and wordplay. One of the reasons Gintama is not translated fully is because it is the quintessential example of these criteria pushed to the extreme. It also has to be accepted by the culture who invented it first even to the point they incorporate it into their manga magazines (Shonen, Shojo, Seinen and Josei). Even the animation production is different from America and other countries in frame rate, speaking patterns, character mannerisms, and so forth. I like to know what I’m getting myself into. Same with Chinese and Korean animation. I want to know if I’m watching a donghua. Same with an Arab animation. I want to know if I’m watching an al-rusum al-mutaharika. Animation in Nigeria are called iwara, ihe ngosi, and gudana. In South Africa it’s animasie, umfa nekiso, izithombe. I love that because it allows me to embrace that culture’s perspective and the hard work they put into producing their animation.

It makes sense why many Generation Z and Alphas think anime is everything. They grew up in a time when anime was infused into their culture. Some didn’t even know what it was until someone told them or they learned it on their own. They want to participate and belong to anime, especially since it’s such a popular medium. So they’ll do anything to claim it as everything else. Most Millennials and Gen X, however, consider anime its own distinct thing because before its mass importation into America, it was an extreme subculture. Companies, like Harmony Gold, WEP, Streamline Pictures, Sandy Frank Entertainment, Trans-Lux Television, would translate rare but not extremely popular animes they thought might appeal to American audience by localizing them heavily for American TV standards and tastes. So they didn't seem like they were from Japan. It wasn’t until companies like OceanDub, Saban, DiC, 4Kids, ADV Films, Funimation, U.S. Renditions and the rise of the internet in the mid-90s that anime became more visible and accessible. So the argument seems more like a generational divide.

I feel the same way about manga. If it’s not the reverse opening of a comic book, read from right to left, with Japanese art style, plot direction (continuation, especially in lifespan), character expressions, specific Japanese humor, cultural references, and wordplay, then it’s not manga. You can argue all you want, but for those of us who like the distinction, it matters. For example, some might argue if an anime or manga done by Americans fits the criterion, then it’s anime. But like Denzel Washington said in an interview about hiring a Black director for Fences, it’s culture. That's the main ingredient.

My question is, why get stuck on wanting everything to be anime when you can create your own medium of animation or support those that are engrossed in your culture? Why not let your uniqueness stand out?