Cartoon Is Not Anime [Vice Versa]

Cartoons or Anime?

My niblings (nieces and nephews) would exclaim "Anime" but me? Cartoons, period. While my peers were watching Pokemon, Dragon Ball, and Sailor Moon in the 90s (if I remember correctly), I found fun in the old episodes of Tom & Jerry, lol! And no, Anime is not Cartoon and Cartoon is not Anime. Each of them are distinct in their own right. Like what? Let us explore them below.

Origin

Accordingly, the first film-based animation cartoon creation was released in the US in 1906, called Humorous Phases of Funny Faces by J. Stuart Blackton.¹

Anime on the other hand, is from the word animation, and the first one called Katsudō Shashin (Activity Photo) was said to have been produced in Japan in 1907 although the first known anime to have survived until the modern times, The Dull Sword was released on June 30, 1917.²

It is believed that the term was coined in the 1970s and became more popular in the 80s.

The truth is, I used to think that every animation from Japan is considered Anime and those from anywhere else are Cartoons. That is not an accurate notion of course. While Anime is a specific animation style from Japan, it can be adopted by animation creators anywhere. Here's an example of an Anime in the US.

The term "Cartoon" is more general and can be used for any animation, regardless of where it is created. However, I tend to equate Cartoons to comic books and Anime to Manga. Of course, that is not correct either.

Storytelling, Art Style, Theme & Episodes

Anime usually has complex and multiple plotlines (that's probably why I don't like them much, lol). Their storylines (narratives) and character arcs are intricately woven making the stories rich and immersive. The themes include action, romance, comedy, and more, featuring mostly semi-realistic human emotions.

Anime production generally focuses less on movement, and more on the detail of settings and use of "camera effects", such as panning, zooming, and angle shots. Diverse art styles are used, and character proportions and features can be quite varied, with a common characteristic feature of peculiar drawing style, i.e. large and oval eyes, with very defined lines. The animation is produced before the voice acting.³

Cartoons, on the other hand, focus on simplicity. They have straightforward plots and are usually, satirical, humorous, and comedic. I like light-hearted and funny themes and I get that mostly from cartoons.😉

A cartoon is an animated film, usually a short film, featuring an exaggerated visual style. The style takes inspiration from comic strips, often featuring anthropomorphic animals, superheroes, or the adventures of human protagonists. Especially with animals that form a natural predator/prey relationship (e.g. cats and mice, coyotes and birds), the action often centers on violent pratfalls such as falls, collisions, and explosions that would be lethal in real life.⁴

In 1843, cartoons referred to "humorous artworks in magazines and newspapers. Then it also was used for political cartoons and comic strips. When the medium developed, in the early 20th century, it began to refer to animated films that resembled print cartoons."⁵

Here's a clip of my favorite cartoon, Tom & Jerry.

Target Audience

Cartoons are often aimed at younger audiences while Anime can be watched by all ages, although geared toward more mature ones.⁶

But then, time is changing and so are our choices. While I and other people I know (including the Farmboy) are no longer considered "young," we still love to watch cartoons, and my younger niblings (ages 9, 13, 16, 17) prefer Anime.

Conclusion

Anime and Cartoon are two different types of animation, although some insist they are basically the same. Anime is Japanese-style, with certain unique or distinctive characteristics and attributes (mentioned above) that distinguish it from other animations. While it originated in Japan, it has been adopted by animators worldwide.

The term "Cartoon" was accordingly derived from "cartone," an Italian word referring to heavy paper or pasteboard used by artists for initial sketches and drawings. It has evolved over the years, it includes humorous comic strips, satirical illustrations, and animated films or TV shows.

With tech, tools, and people evolving, only time will tell how both will change in the next years or decades.

So are you an Anime or Cartoon fan?