Poll: Is it inaccurate or offensive to call Anime "Cartoons"

[Raven's Nest]

Why should cartoons from one part of the world get their own special name. I don't see us coming up with a special name for Canadian cartoons.
CAPTCHA: stande polygon

For the same reason the Indian film industry is called Bollywood, Sergio Leone's westerns are known as "spaghetti westerns" and Iron Maiden comes from the genre of music known as New Wave Of British Heavy Metal.

They have their own unique and prolific way of doing things. I'd say the products of Japanese animation companies probably have the most unique and prolific style of any other country... Deservedly entitling them to dub the niche "anime".

No attempt to trivialise the medium itself should rob it of it's status as an established niche/medium/style.

Edit:

I don't think anyone has a problem with anime being referred to as a cartoon. But when that label is applied with negative connotations is what gets anime fan's collective goats. To deliberately suggest that something like "Clannad" or "Death Note" should warrant only the same respect as "Spongebob Squarepants" by the use of a generalising label could be mildly offensive to some fans (hell, it could even be considered flaming).

It'd be like someone who had only seen the film "Saw 4" declaring that all films like "The Shawshank Redemption" are as crap as "Saw 4" because they're just films, or that "Star Wars" could only be considered as good as "Battlefield Earth" because they are both Sci-Fi films.

 

[Adam28]

I voted no of course, I call them anime though.

Who voted yes?

 

[GrimHeaper]

Many people call Avatar an Anime because of it's theme and art styles.
Though since it wasn't made in the east it's actually western animation(cartoons)instead of eastern animation(anime).

 

[Firehound]

Anime is cartoons, the only real difference being Anime comes from Japan, and Japan seems to see that the style is useful for more then kid's shows.

American animations- frequently referred to as cartoons, have attempted less childish series, but due to culture stigma of the style as an actual form of art, and not a form of children's entertainment, often these series fail.

 

[garfoldsomeoneelse]

Pretentious (adj.): Attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed

They are cartoons, no matter what anybody says to the contrary.

 

[Shiny Rabbit]

well, "cartoon" is a blanket term for anything animated so I don't see it as offensive.

 

[Souplex]

Why should cartoons from one part of the world get their own special name. I don't see us coming up with a special name for Canadian cartoons.
CAPTCHA: stande polygon

For the same reason the Indian film industry is called Bollywood, Sergio Leone's westerns are known as "spaghetti westerns" and Iron Maiden comes from the genre of music known as New Wave Of British Heavy Metal.

They have their own unique and prolific way of doing things. I'd say the products of Japanese animation companies probably have the most unique and prolific style of any other country... Deservedly entitling them to dub the niche "anime".

No attempt to trivialise the medium itself should rob it of it's status as an established niche/medium/style.

There are just as many American cartoons, but they don't have a specific name. Ballywood movies still have the word movies at the end.

 

[archvile93]

Anime is a sub-genre of cartoons, that goes without saying. However, it is implied when saying 'cartoons' that you refer to western cartoons which very rarely handle adult subjects or have any emotional depth. Therefore many fans of anime find it offensive when anime is grouped in with western animation.

In the west, cartoons are seen as only capable of catering to children (spongebob etc.) or being light hearted comedy with perhaps some social satire (The Simpsons, South park etc.). Many fans of anime are trying to fight this view that animated material is not serious (think of it like the "games are art" conflict), and as such do not like the use of the word 'cartoon' when referring to material with emotional depth.

In other words: Anime differs greatly from people's connotations with the word 'cartoon', so while it is technically an appropriate term (moving drawings) the fans would not like to have the uninitiated think of anime as cartoons, since that would mean introducing them to the medium would be impossible, seeing how they will think of it as cartoons and never take it seriously.
It is actually rather annoying. The single most moving experience of my life was an anime, and I would so much like to let others experience it as well, but there is no way of getting them to accept it.

Edit: It may be that the definition of cartoon doesn't include all moving drawings. In that case, I am wrong. It probably comes from a linguistic misunderstanding: in my language, the word meaning 'cartoon' is 'tegneserie'; literally "a series of drawings"

Eh, I never plan on watching Anime. Partly because I feel strange watching for some reason, and partly because I may only get to watch half the series only for the producer to pull a "no export for you," down the line.

OT: Yes they are, cartoon refers to all animation. Since Anime does that, it is. Most would say anime so you know right off the bat its from Japan. Why that is such an important distinction is anyones guess, but I suppose it's for convenience since most people in here will either talk about American cartoons or Japanese ones, making specific terms for cartoons of other nationalities unecessary.

 

[Syntax Error]

It is Cartoons. The problem is because the term has a "kids stuff" connotation. See the Animation Age Ghetto section in TvTropes for a more detailed explanation on what I mean.

 

[Fiskmasen]

It's offensive to actual cartoons.

 

[Pyro Paul]

An Anime IS A CARTOON. It is a Japanese cartoon. Pure and simple.

Wrong.

a Cartoon is a simplistic drawing with little editting and intended to serve as a blue print for more complex work to occur ontop of it. It is also known as a 'Gesture' or 'Sketch'. the word arises from midevil times where individuals would draw 'cartoons' onto glass sheets to serve as the work lines to transform it into stained glass works of art.

during the age of the printing press, this was acctually used as a tongue in cheek insult towards members of the opposing political party, as exaggerated Cartoons of political figures where printed to point out the 'Simplistic unrefined stupidity' of that person.

Over time, the 'cartoon' had evolved to become synonomus with the comics printed in a news paper. then with the advent of animation on film and television, this type of illistration found its way into animated arts. Thus, we now see 'cartoons' as the simplistic, childish, and slapstic comedic animations we see on TV.

Anime is short for Animation.
it is an extention of Manga or 'whimsical drawing' brought to an animated format.
although variations of Manga do tread into 'Cartoon' territory, for th e most part it tends to draw more influence and similarity to the comics books Americans brought over after the end of World War 2.

so, no. the Two are not the same thing.

 

[SageRuffin]

Not really. Anime is short for Animation. People tend to generalize it to Japan. I think it's completely fine to call them cartoons, since that's what they are. However, I call them anime, for the sake of understanding.

This guy speaks the truth. To piggyback, the term "anime" is simply Japanese shorthand for "animeshon", Japanese phonetics for "animation". For the layman:

anime -> animeshon -> animation -> cartoon.

So it's all related really. I personally don't how more people don't understand that.

 

[A Pious Cultist]

Offensive? If you get OFFENDED by that I think you need to take a fucking time out.

Manga is the Japanese term for comics. Anime is the Japanese term for cartoons. They often refer to them as such when using English.
Anime and Manga are just useful terms for differentiating between Western and Japanese products.

 

[MajoraPersona]

It's ridiculous! It's an insult!

That's like saying this:

And this:

are at all similar!

Honestly, they're both forms of animation. Some have humour, some have an overarching plot. Some are made for kids, and some are made for adults. The terms used (cartoon vs. anime) have NOTHING to do with plot, genre, etc. They have EVERYTHING to do with whether it was made in Japan or not. Anime-style cartoons have, in many cases, been referred to as anime (think Avatar: The Last Airbender; heavily story-driven, made in the USA).

Offensive? It shouldn't be, honestly. Inaccurate? Perhaps, but not for genre reasons. There are certain mental associations with each of them: in one, weird, random things happen to everyday people, and they have to deal with them. In the other...

 

[wolf thing]

there all cartoons to me. i find that people call it anime because they thinks its better than any other form of animation which is not true although i can see the want to destiqus between the too but when you look to deep into it the reason for it, it just falls apart. i hate when people use it becuase they think its bettter than any other form of cartoon it just closed minded hell i know a guy refuse to call anime animation and think it is a completely diffrent art form.

 

[Pyro Paul]

Anime if short for Animation

Cartoon's = Animation

Is there really much of a difference?

Cartoon = Gesture, Sketch, Short unrefined drawing.

Anime = Animated Illistration.

yes... yes there is.

 

[Georgie L]

I'm agreeing with The Poetry Book analogy, Yes a Poetry book is still a book full of writing but the content is what differentiates it from say a novel.
An anime is still a animation, but the content is what differentiates it too.

It's not really offensive to call it the wrong thing (if anything you'd have to be a whiny butt-hurt dumbass to care) but it's still not the same thing.

 

[jpblade666]

I've known plenty of Japanese people to call them cartoons. I live in a very asian neighborhood and everyone agrees, they might be different styles but they are still cartoons/animation. And as far as I can tell the only people I've ever seen get offended at calling anime cartoons are Americans/Europeans. Namely weeaboos.