Afug

Anime has a plot/storyline that it follows. It's got a lot more work put into it than a cartoon if you ask me.

Thats a really horrible assumption. No matter where a cartoon is made there is just as much work put into it as the next place, even if it doesn't show. You're not seeing the behind the scenes that goes on. Go watch the special features in a pixar movie and tel me that theres not as much work put in. It takes 4 years to make a movie, and thats rushing it.
Again, Japanese animation likes to have an overarching story that continues from episode to episode (usually) but American cartoons like to do 30 minute bursts with the characters so they can be enjoyed separately. I don't see how there is anything wrong with that.

Maxi-Ryu99

I think most Anime that are shown in Japan is crap anyway. What I mean is that we do not even see 15% of the entire Anime that is released in Japan only.

This is more or less correct. Granted, there are some brilliant shows out there like RahXephon, but there is also complete and utter crap as well like Green Green. America has been getting more and more anime over here, and it's USUALLY the better stuff (although some of it is the top of the crap pile) but there are a lot of shows that don't make it for being mediocre or bad. I watched a couple things on TV when I was in Japan , and I saw some stuff that was awesome like Black Lagoon and Bokura ga Ita, and I saw some awful stuff as well. I was personally happiest when the american powerpuff girls came on and i could pick my language. that was awesome.

Kalico

This is more or less correct. Granted, there are some brilliant shows out there like RahXephon, but there is also complete and utter crap as well like Green Green. America has been getting more and more anime over here, and it's USUALLY the better stuff (although some of it is the top of the crap pile) but there are a lot of shows that don't make it for being mediocre or bad.

But this is exactly what I was actually preferring to. It's usually the better, more well known shows in Japan that make it international worldwide. I mean, why would Anime exporters or whoever is responsible to represent those chosen few Anime, want to take the risk and waste a lot of money for crappy Anime that will not make a success in the international Media Market? With the success of Anime like One Piece, Naruto or Pokemon for example, the Anime companies that produced them have made a fortune, not only on national Basis, but internationally. They earned so much money that they could afford to make the actions of the series more entertaining, in other words, spending more material for animating the action scenes. And even though most versions were edited for the international audience... They became successful, sometimes even near Disney level,... but not quite ,...

There are only a few exceptions like Saber Rider and the Starsheriffs (known as Seijushi Bismark in Japan) that became a success more internationally than nationally. They edited a lot about the original storyline to make it more appealing for the American market, but BAM!! It hit the nail right on the spot (<-or however you say it in English terms...) Maybe some of you may still remember Saber Rider and the Starsheriffs. I loved it. It was a hit in Germany, my home country...

I found most of these argument about the difference of Anime and cartoon could be counter argue by citing example from a wonderfully done Disney cartoon or a poorly done Anime. Animator on both side of the pacific are surely capable of both.

Anime has a flowing plot of an average 26 episodes. In many case these 26 episodes could be cut down to 12. Many episodes in between are generally single plot episodes. My current favor Anime is Gintama. Over 100 episodes with limited continuing plot. The same thing with Detective Conan, 507 and counting. Take away the fillers you cut the series in half.

I just want to add one observations since Kalico did a great job in explaining the technical of animation. The lower fps on Japanese Anime is obvious during action scenes. Take a sword fight for example. Couple of sword crash, some flashes, some yelling and some strong movement. Now we have an epic fight with little shown. The lower fps works well when it could get the views to fill in the rest with their imagination.

I do think that censorship for political correctness does limited the artistic expression in cartoon for younger audience.

Additionaly anime generally explores many difficult topics that cartoons don't. Take Evangelion or Full metal alchemist for instance, they challenge the idea of existencialism, the moralities of what you should and should not do to accomplish your goals. They actually make you think, that's one of the major differences between anime and cartoons. Anime is designed (generally, not all) to make you think about different issues that cartoons barely even touch. Cartoons are done for entertainment purposes and yes, with advice as well for younger audiences, whereas anime is not only entertainment but to challenge the minds from young audiences to adults.

That is a big category. Of course, cartoons from Disney or CN are totally different to anime. Anime has a more realistic style and comparing Naruto to Superman, Naruto is more mysterious since Superman just keeps flying and kicking butt and never loses, but on Naruto they lose. Like they lost Asuma and all. In Superman, no one dies, except normal citizens...no main character dies! .

Another one is that Parents don't understand because they know that anime is a cartoon in JP. NOT MY OPINION.

Well I wrote as much as I know.!

diabolikal

I guess what I see the main true difference w/o inserting my opinions is that Anime shows tend to follow an entire story arc throughout the entire show. It doesn't last just one show, or end with the end of a season, but goes on for the duration of the whole series. "American" cartoons typically have the same central characters with a few recurring side characters that come and go, sometimes they're there and sometimes they aren't, which can be said about anime to a degree, but I feel that in anime ALL the characters are pretty central if you give the show long enough to develop. And "American" cartoons typically have one story told every one to two episodes, and even though the main character(s) are the same, the story is different every time. I don't know, thats just the main difference I see, besides my opinon being that anime art is far superior to "regular" cartoons. Wish I was that artistic, lol.

Anime has a plot and storyline and usually came from manga but cartoon basically made base on the character already exist the character in cartoon is self central character done everything by his own but in anime character fallow where the story flow in anime the story retell from the beginning of the plot until the end of the story but in American cartoon it seam that the story didn't tell everything because only retell one side story and that it.
well that my opinion/(oOo)#

Cartoons are more directed towards children, not that a lot of anime aren't. It's just not all anime is directed towards children. Whereas all cartoons are.

If someone ever claims that an anime is a cartoon, just show em the first 10 minutes of episode 1 of Elfen Lied and see them call it a cartoon.

I dont realy know the difference but what i do know is that Anime has Episodes that follow each other and Cartoons has random episodes and only follow if theres
a "To Be Continued" at the end, that and anime has more details than in cartoons

I prefer the anime.
Maybe are the Passion of the Creators of the anime jejeje
In many Works of regular cartoons are based in Culture of other Countrys, the anime take the society and other controversial themes, the work art of the anime is Unike in this world

Japan Rulz for the anime

[quote=kyubixmunky]Cartoons are more directed towards children, not that a lot of anime aren't. It's just not all anime is directed towards children. Whereas all cartoons are.[/quote]

That is probably one of the stupidest generalizations I have ever heard. Go and watch shows like Venture Brothers, Family Guy, South Park, Robot Chicken, or anything made by radical axis. They are clearly NOT for kids. They even have a warning before they come on saying it's for 16 and up (used to be 18 but whatever). Too say all Cartoons are for kids is completely ignorant.

[quote=]Anime has a more realistic style and comparing Naruto to Superman, Naruto is more mysterious since Superman just keeps flying and kicking butt and never loses, but on Naruto they lose. Like they lost Asuma and all. In Superman, no one dies, except normal citizens...no main character dies![/quote]

Yeah...except SUPERMAN HIMSELF dies. You can look it up. The animated "movie" which was more like a special is called Superman: Doomsday. Maybe you need to actually watch shows like batman and superman, or the justice league. Characters DO die.

@Kalico: Long time no see, it's a pleasure to discuss with you... first of all thank you for the inside look into one of the techniques of animation that you gave in my private profile comment box. I really appreciate it. I have a friend in Germany who would love to join Disney one day. She has just graduated from Art Univeersity and works as Illustrator for an author who publishes kids books. Okay, in that case I must admit to you I also once tried to be kind of an illustrator, so we used to study it together,... unfortunately I failed to live up to my expectations and quit that private Art and Design academy... and studyInternational Tourism in Thailand instead...

but back to topic: Yes, in the mean time I agree that generalizations for certain kinds of Western cartoons are totally nonsense. Maybe one day something else would surpass the popular Manga and Japanimation culture.

@Kalico again: I'm really happy for you to have made it into Disney... I mentioned before that working as an Animation artist and related jobs (among them CG Designing etc... -> at PIxar) is one of the most difficult goals that one could ever reach, because only 5% can really make it. It is the same problem with the Art and Design branch. Even if one has a job, maybe it would be only freelance and the expensive Materials that eats up one's salary will make it really really tough to make a regular living with that. In addition to that it requires a lot of unpaid overtime work, am I right?
Back to Anime Industry: I have read in several Mangazine articles about the intense workload and pressures of schedules that Manga Artists and Animators in the various Animation Studios are faced with each and every day. Those guys don't even have time to eat and sleep well... My question to you, Ms Kalico is... Who in your opinion works harder? Your company or the Japanese Animation studios? Or is it the same in every Animation company in the USA? How are the working conditions in an animation studio like Disney...?

I think I will open up another thread for that specific discussion...

The stories that are presented in the anime are more complex...they show dramas...comedy...black humor...etc...in the most of the cases they made a mix of these genders....and animes are for all ages...and the most of them for adults because of their explicit content..like school days...paranoia agent..full metal panic (not the fumoffu serie)...etc..

Like others have been saying, it's the way things are drawn
and personally to me, in the order they are drawn
alot of anime has started as manga =o
and well cartoons are usually not
that's my major difference

A great difference
The anime regularly have a central story and a lot of little stories which complement the central.
And in the regular cartoons they just talk about an event and haven´t a central story. Some of the regular cartoons have one but the most of them don´t.

To me there is a big difference. I could quote examples but to be honsest in all of the cases already stated there is usually at least one other example to counter it. Then you just tend to go in circles.
In general I find that cartoons are aimed at younger children and if they aren't then the humor is very crude. They mostly don't have plots.
Anime has more depth with characters and better plots for the most part. Sometimes they do go on and on but there is a plot.

I find that people where I live find it difficult to tell the difference between the two because for the most part all they have seen of anime is the ones aimed more at kids, pokemon and so on. Not to mention that they usually dislike them because of the bad dubbing I didn't notice it when I was younger but I certainly do now.