Anime for Dummies: The Difference Between Anime and American Cartoons
It’s Saturday 8:00am, your youngest child is watching TV. You ask your child: “What are you watching?” and he answers: “Cartoons.” Next you go into your eldest child’s room, he too is watching TV, and you ask: “What are you watching?” He replies: “Anime.” Then you ask: “What’s anime? Is it cartoons?” Most Americans categorize anime as cartoons, although they have similar characteristics anime goes beyond the expectations of American cartoons. American cartoons focus on content intended for children whereas anime, even though having some of its content for children mostly focuses on realism and real-life social issues. By understanding the differences between anime and American cartoons and factors making anime appealing, one will understand why it shouldn’t be called a cartoon and come to appreciate the misunderstood sub-culture, while becoming intrigued by it.
First of all, what is anime? Americans often stereotype anime as “nothing more than [a] senseless cartoon featuring cutie-pie romping critters,” or cartoons providing children entertainment (Price). One reason why Americans associate cartoons with anime is the dictionary defining a cartoon as a “drawing or painting…a drawing intended as satire, caricature, or humor…a ludicrously, unrealistic, or one-dimensional portrayal or version…or an animated cartoon” (Cartoon). For the Otaku; “a name given to men and women who are obsessed with manga and anime,” anime represents more meaning than cartoons. Brender) “To define anime simply as ‘Japanese Cartoons’ give no sense of depth and variety that make up the medium” (Napier, 6). Anime is a style of animation originating from japan which focuses on “more mature story lines,” where realistic looking characters face situations similar to the real world.(Anime)
By understanding the difference between Anime and American cartoons and what makes anime more popular, you will realize why anime fans are aggravated by the stereotyping. Firstly, American cartoons create a false world where the viewer gains nothing from watching thirty minutes of nonsense. For example, in Fairly Odd ParentsTimmy Turner is bullied by his babysitter and his only happiness comes from his fairy godparents, who grant him anything he wishes for. In each episode Timmy goes through the same situation: Babysitter bullies him, Timmy is miserable, Timmy makes wishes that his godparents grant, Timmy ends up happy in the end. In my opinion this cartoon teaches the viewer nothing, by having Timmy go through the same situation over and over again, the viewer sees no change in Timmy, he is still seen as a “silly boy in a pink hat.” Another example is Spongebob Squarepants where Spongebob always repeats the same tasks of working at the Krusty Krab, annoying Squidward, and jelly fishing. In my opinion, I would feel as if my IQ has dropped by watching both cartoons. The common theme in American cartoons is that they are purely repetitive comedic entertainment which children learn to see the world as a joyful environment.
American cartoons show the viewer an innocent world, whereas Anime has it’s characters go through a variety of real life situations creating multiple emotions in order to teach the viewer life isn’t as peaceful as American cartoons portray it to be. For example, Fullmetal Alchemist revolves around brothers’ Edward (Ed) and Alphonse (Al) who are trying to undo the consequences of attempting to resurrect their mother; failing causing Ed to lose an arm and leg, while Al lost his entire body leaving his soul in a suit of armor. Throughout the series both are looking for the Philosopher’s Stone in order to restore their bodies. During their journey both are fixing their past, but having a difficult time living in the present and putting trust in others. The viewer is learning that the past; although seemingly possible, can’t be fixed and in order to repent for what was done, one must look forward to the brighter future. At the end of the series both brothers are able to restore their bodies and learn the value of trusting others when a situation can’t be handled alone. Also realizing they can never bring their mother back, both decided to cherish the memories they had with their mother. The viewer is taught the lesson of life and death; we are only in this world of a short period of time and should live our lives to the fullest.
Another example is Gundam Seed; along with incorporating the issue of creating the perfect human, the anime conveys a wide variety of human emotions through Kira Yamato. Kira is a Coordinator; people genetically altered before birth, who is in the middle of the war between Coordinators and Naturals; non-altered humans. Kira gets dragged into the war by saving his friends (who are Naturals)and ending up attacking his own people (coordinators). The main concept of the Anime is coordinators believe all people should be born genetically altered, while Naturals believe the opposite, similar to today’s issue of Cloning and Stem Cell research. Throughout the series Kira is afraid to fight since he would be fighting and killing his own people, but does so in order to protect his friends. The viewer sees Kira’s struggling emotions through his experiences of losing comrades, friends and killing others, while figuring out what he should really be fighting for. In the end Kira realizes he shouldn’t be fighting for anyone, but attempt a rational solution of reasoning with both sides in order to prevent more killing; even though his beliefs are difficult to accomplish he follows through with them. Gundam Seed is an anime than is teaching the viewer multiple life lessons and struggles of life, death and different beliefs which we all go through especially now since we are in the war in Iraq. The most important lesson the viewers learn is that there can never be a perfect human, as coordinators believe themselves to be; if they were the perfect beings then they wouldn’t resort to war and think so highly of themselves, proving that every human being is flawed in one way or another. Anime can teach the value and struggles of using science in attempting to create the perfect world.
“Anime often disguises contemporary struggles and themes in its entertaining medium” (Price). Americans categorize anime as cartoons since American animations are drawn more to children, but little do most Americans know anime “viewers range from little children watching Pokemon and other child-oriented fantasies, to college students of young adults enjoying the harder-edged [anime]” (Napier, 7). The most significant feature about anime is that any age, race, and gender can enjoy it since anime comes in a variety of genres; including but not restricted to: romance, comedy, action, science fiction, horror, historical, appealing to people of different interests all of which incorporate real life situations. Manga, “often described as comic books” is the parent of anime; most anime seen on television start off as manga then produced into a series, which is another significant feature since anime can also be read if a person prefers reading over watching the anime on the television. (Napier)
Japanese Animation is an American sub-culture gradually growing over the past few years, gaining immense popularity from viewers off all ages, races and genders. Anime is used as “a realm of fantasy in which pent up repression can be released in an exciting and justifiable arena, and for a direct confrontation of those very issues that plague human society and consciousness” (Price). American cartoons creates a fantasy world where everything is portrayed as innocent causing the viewer to believe the world is the same as the cartoon, whereas; through the use of realistic animation, emotional characters, and the real life situations Anime shows the viewer the joys, pains, struggles, and reality of the world we live in. “The distinctive aspects of anime…are the elements that initially capture western viewers attention…but for others it’s the engrossing stories that keep them coming back for more” (Napier, 10).
