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

[ScotRotum]

calling Evangelion a cartoon would make people who haven't seen it think the simpsons and that is misleading hence it is certainly inaccurate to call anime cartoons but not offensive.
The point is they imply a different set of genres and are not perfect synonyms.

 

[DracoSuave]

The words have the same meaning... but also don't.

The words used to describe the phenomenon is 'connotation' vs 'denotation.' Denotation is what a word technically means. For example: Father and daddy technically mean the same thing, a male parent.

'Connotation' however refers to implied meaning that extends beyond the technical meaning. Father and daddy have the same denotation, but the connotation between the two is completely different. 'Father' is more formal, and it is generally meant to indicate emotional coldness or neutrality. 'Daddy' is more informal, and extremely familiar. You would read psychological studies refering to someone's relationship with their father. You would not read those refering to someone's relationship with their daddy.

As well, when you call someone 'daddy' it has a totally different subtext than if you call them 'father.'


The words 'Cartoons' and 'Anime' have the same general principle. They both have the same denotation, however they have completely divergent connotations. Cartoons generally refers to children's programming, and anime refers to imported animation from japan, stripped of context with regard to target audience.

So, do they mean the same thing? Yes, by denotation. But do they mean the same thing? No, by connotation.

 

[aeroz]

the problem isn't the term its american mindset. You think there aren't animated series in japan that are the equivalent of spongebob? There are, tons of them.

Japan just doesn't have america's stigma against animation that its "for kids" thus it tackles more mature themes. Full Metal Alchemist, Naturo, and Hello Kitty would all be grouped as "anime" in the US, but in native japan they are meant for very different audiences.

Technically anime is just Japan's word for animation just as cartoon is America's word. Problem is Americans over all view anything animated as made for children, Japan doesn't thus you find animated series aimed at adults

 

[CrazyGirl17]

...Aren't they technically the same thing? And anyone who gets pissy about it is (most likely) one of those "die-hard" fans that annoy me so much.

 

[William Dickbringer]

I'm gonna say no, it isn't offensive. Everyone will know what you mean by it. I do say anime, but only to distinguish between Japanese and Western cartoons. Japanese (from my experience) cartoons are far more dramatic and complex, whereas the Western animes are simple, but still good in their own right.
Both are animes in the same way that both are cartoons.

Yeah this sums up my feelings

 

[Tucker154]

My Global teacher called Anime cartoons,and I was tempted to get up and give a lecture of the differences between the to,but then I remembered I was lazy.And thats the same reason why im note going to go all lecture-y now.

 

[Mcface]

i always find it hilarious how people call it "anime" short for animation, when in reality they have pretty shitty, and often a lot less animation than western "cartoons"

don't try to reason with weabos though.

 

[lightningmagurn]

First of all, backstory: I have a lot of friends who watch anime, some of them get angry at me when I refer Naruto and Bleach as 'cartoons' and say that I do this just because I personally dislike them. I'm told the phrase 'cartoon' is offensive because it "trivialises the depth and complexity of anime". I disagree.

Cartoons have brought us classics such as Rocco's modern life, Spongebob squarepants, Ed Edd 'n' Eddy, Cow and Chicken and many more. If anything I would consider it a compliment to be compared to such a great medium of entertainment.

So I put it to the escapist community, is there anything wrong with calling anime "cartoons"?

EDIT: Fuckin' poll being a ***** atm

I'm with your friends on this. I've yet to see a cartoon with even the depth of the simplest anime, and the word cartoon is indicative of children's entertainment, which anime is not.
Off topic: I hate cartoons.

If you want a cartoon with depth watch this. All the way through please. It's very good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8stkqssLYc
I don't really know how to embed so I'll just stick a link in here.

 

[Xpwn3ntial]

I sense an angry Weeaboo tribe approaching this thread armed with large swords. (Oh, sorry."Katanas")

*Readies bat*
Did someone just say "weeaboo?"

It's been said dozens of times already but they are more or less the same thing by the definitions of the word. The only reason anime gets a title is by virtue of being non-western.

 

[Corjha]

Anyone here ever watch Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt? Is someone gonna tell me that that's NOT a cartoon?

Edit: For that matter, is someone gonna tell me that Doraemon's not a cartoon?

 

[Ih8pkmn]

I classify anime as cartoons, but I think it's a bad idea to classify all anime as cartoons. A good deal of it can be classified as "Perverted".

ZING!

I kid, I kid. It's cartoons. Sometimes more mature cartoons than what we have in the west, but cartoons nonetheless.

 

[godfist88]

well thats what they are, cartoons. your friends shouldn't get so offended when you say that.

 

[Canid117]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animated_cartoon

Sounds like they are Cartoons to me. Your friend sounds like he needs to get over himself.

 

[Cavouku]

Meh, while yes, different words bring along different ideas, no reason to get upset at intermingling them.

Besides, anime isn't always serious and dramatic and deep... in fact, I don't think I've seen an anime that didn't have at least ONE over-the-top reaction, or sexualization, or bad joke blaring out there, somewhere.

The way I see it, if we are going to get offended by this, if someone called a cartoon an anime, a fan of cartoons would have as much right to be upset. Yet we'd see that as being more silly of them than the reverse.

But I'm a bit pessimistic about Japanese cartoons. The glossiness makes my eyes barf rainbows, so I'm not the most objective source.

I'm gonna watch some Foamy the Squirrel.

 

[kikon9]

I'd say anime is a specific genre of cartoons.

This.

 

[RevRaptor]

honestly any one who makes a fuss when you call an anime a cartoon needs to get a life. Anime is just Japan's word for cartoon. I've been a fan of asian cartoons from way back, when I first started watching them the movies were called manga, because manga entertainment was the only company importing them hence manga. Now if you do that the fan boys get all angry because apparently only the comics are called manga. Bet most of them don't even know where the term comes from.

 

[Cid Silverwing]

No toon has any more inherent depth or complexity than anything else. Those "friends" of yours are obviously a bad case of Narutards since it's about anime.

If it's animated, it's a cartoon. "Anime" is just a sub-genre of it.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

honestly any one who makes a fuss when you call an anime a cartoon needs to get a life. Anime is just Japan's word for cartoon. I've been a fan of asian cartoons from way back, when I first started watching them the movies were called manga, because manga entertainment was the only company importing them hence manga. Now if you do that the fan boys get all angry because apparently only the comics are called manga. Bet most of them don't even know where the term comes from.

?

It's the Japanese word for comic books, just like "anime" is the Japanese word for animation. U.S. Manga was and still is an awesome distributor of Japanese animation, but it didn't invent the word.

 

[bushwhacker2k]

It's probably silly to get offended over it.

The word cartoon comes from the Italian "cartone" and Dutch word "karton", meaning strong, heavy paper or pasteboard, if Wikipedia is to be believed.

The word anime comes from the English word "animation" and the Japaneses' seeming-obsession over using English words and shortening words or phrases, so it's pretty much short for animation.

So if it's drawn on paper and in the end gives the appearance of movement then it's both anime and a cartoon, but as with many things it isn't used for it's precise meaning and instead uses the meaning it's taken on. Cartoons refer to western animation and anime refers to Japanese (or possibly Eastern) animation.