Difference between Anime and Cartoon
-by Ishita Mondal
–Reading Time – 8 min Approx
–Edited by – Srishti Bhattacharyya
Having sips of coffee while watching your favorite manga comics sounds alluring! From Snow-White shows to Mickey Mouse series – animated caricatures have been entertaining us for decades. But have you ever noticed them carefully? If you have, you must have noticed the stark differences. There are two forms of comics available with significant differences – one is anime, and the other is cartoons. Though both of the types can be animated, the distinguishing features make them unique from each other. Here, we will be discussing the difference between anime and cartoon. The article will focus on every aspect of the two art forms, from definitions to features. Let’s proceed.
The Difference between Anime and Cartoon – The Definitions:
Let’s go for some simple Wikipedia study here. By definition, anime is hand-drawn or computerized, animated caricatures. It includes any animated works, no matter the style, story line, or origin. Majorly originated in Japan, it is often called Japanese cartoons or Japanese animation. Anime incorporates multiple factors like graphic art, characterization, cinematography, and other different forms of techniques. Some well-known anime shows are Dragon Ball, One Piece, Naruto, etc. Most of the anime are created in Japan.
On the other hand, a cartoon is a kind of illustration that depicts a character in a usually non-realistic or semi-realistic style. Sometimes cartoons are animated while sometimes it is enjoyed as two-dimensional comics on paper. It usually intends to evoke laughter with unusual body structures, exaggerated expressions, and many other ways. A wide range of variety including political cartoons and comic strips are available under this form of cartoon.
A cartoon is quite popular in printed media as a series of illustrations depicting some stories or contemporary facts. Moreover, metaphorical cartoons are found with hidden meanings lying beneath them. For example, political cartoons are sometimes allegorical. Simply put, the cartoon is a series of images intended mainly for satire or humor.
Popular examples of cartoons include Bugs Bunny, Tom and Jerry, Mickey Mouse, Scooby-Doo, SpongeBob Squarepants, and so on.
Now, let’s know what the difference between anime and cartoon is so that you can know why anime is not a cartoon and vice versa. But, before that, why not have a brief discussion on their origins? After all, knowing some historical facts can always enrich our general knowledge So, here, we have shed light on the origins of anime and cartoons.
The Origin:
By definition, it is clear that anime has originated in Japan, whereas the origin country for the cartoon is the US. It is said that the first cartoon was produced in 1499, depicting the characters of the Pope, the kings of France, and the Roman emperor. In that cartoon, they were seen to play the games of cards together.
On the contrary, anime is comparatively a recent innovation in the world of portraying animated caricatures. Its origin traces back to the early 20th century. The first anime, which was a full-length feature show, was Momotaro’s Divine Sea Warriors. In the USA, later innumerable examples of anime showed up. It is found that the first anime in the US was Dragon Warrior, produced in the 1990s. The creator was Akira Toriyama, who was famous for the Dragon Ball series, another popular show.
Since their inception, both cartoons and anime have seen considerable growth in their popularity. The caricatures have won millions of hearts. Nowadays, these have become well-established media of entertainment and business ventures for filmmakers and TV show producers.
The Major Difference between Anime and Cartoon:
How far are you enjoying the discussion? I hope the article is satisfying your craving for knowing exciting facts about anime and cartoons. Now, hold your interest and eagerness tight. We are moving towards some more incredible details of these two entertainment media. First, let’s discuss the difference between anime and cartoon. Once you know this, you may grow a critical insight into the cartoons and anime shows you see in the future. Here it goes –
Target Audience:
Though any age group can enjoy both, their target audiences are different. For anime, the target audience is majorly adults, whereas the cartoons mainly target children. The visualization, depiction of themes, time duration, and other factors depend upon this crucial factor. First, the makers research the market demand and audience behavior. Then, considering the people’s choices, they develop their shows accordingly.
Visualization:
When it comes to depicting the differences between anime and cartoons, the first point is visual expression. Yes, it is one such factor that distinguishes the duo from each other. For anime, the distinct facial expressions make the characters livelier. In addition, the well-designed physical features of the protagonists of any anime show bring a natural touch on the characters.
On the other hand, cartoons do not have distinct visual expressions. Their physical features are not as realistic as the anime figures. For example, the cartoon character Mickey Mouse has two legs and two hands behaving quite like human beings.
The Themes:
For any entertainment show, a theme is essential as it primarily defines whether the show is going to be successful or not. If we are digging out how is anime and cartoon different, we must focus on this factor too. For anime, the themes majorly focus on real-time issues. The regular day-to-day lifestyle of humans is reflected in the themes of anime. In addition, you can find the depiction of genuine human emotions.
Cartoons are majorly for light entertainment purposes. Therefore, the themes of it are predominantly light without many grave issues. With comical dialogues, the cartoon shows tend to evoke laughter. Most cartoon lovers are either children or teenagers. As the themes do not depict any serious issue, the anime-lovers often criticize it for being too childish.
Nonetheless, despite being light entertainment, these cartoons often convey noteworthy moral messages through their presentation. In this way, behind the humorous subject matter, these shows sometimes portray important facts and notes.
Presentation:
As we discussed before, the presentation for anime is vividly realistic. From the portrayal of the physique to the depiction of life, all of the factors are presented in a life-like manner. Sometimes, adult themes are included. In those cases, the presentation happens to be quite violent and sometimes erotic.
For cartoons, the presentation is simple and less complex. The exhibition is designed to evoke laughter instantly with funny gestures and comical expressions by the characters. This is a stark difference between anime and cartoon.
Facial Expression:
Though it seems to be a trivial factor to be looked at, the discussion on the difference between cartoon and anime will be incomplete without it. Like physical features and other visual expressions, the facial expression is also prominent for anime figures. However, the cartoons often do not show any such prominent expression.
Whether it is pain, sorrow, grief, happiness, embarrassment, or surprise, the anime character never stops to amaze us with their beautiful facial expression. The emotion of stress is depicted with a “face fault” or an exaggerated expression. Similarly, to express the feeling of anger, the portrayal of bulging veins on the forehead is found. If there is any situation where a character is taunting someone, it may bring an “akanbe” face. In this expression, an eyelid is drawn down with a finger to expose the red portion below.
So, you can see how anime showcases different facial expressions. Now think of any cartoon show you remember – have you seen such expression in them? Mostly not. This is one of the major differences between these two forms of caricature.
Duration:
A vital factor that distinguishes cartoons from anime is the time length. Usually, the anime comes as either a series of episodes or a movie. The episodes are mostly of 22-25 minutes duration. For movies, there is no fixed time. It can be of either one hour or 2-3 hours or more than that.
For cartoon shows, the time duration varies drastically. You may find some of them to be of 5to 10 minutes. And some have standard time duration like one hour or two. However, as it is mostly for light entertainment purposes, people prefer to be short, crisp, and engaging.
Anime vs. Cartoon- The Popularity:
When the question of popularity comes, we must say that anime is quite popular nowadays. Earlier cartoons used to be a regular morning guest in most of the households. But as time passes, the emergence of intelligent technology has introduced a diverse range of anime shows. But still, there is a limitation. Most of the anime shows are Japanese. And they come either as English-dubbed or with subtitles in English. This restricts it from reaching a large number of people. On the contrary, cartoon shows have more global acceptance due to the easy flow of stories and widely accepted language.
Though anime has developed a strong hardcore fan base, cartoons still have a substantial global outreach. Anime is famous for its exciting narrative and unique depiction of story lines. But as people tend to incline towards light entertainment easily, watching anime shows with subtitles seems stressful.
Briefly, the cartoon is still more acceptable among people. But, gradually, anime is also on its way to gaining more popularity among people.
Anime and Cartoon- The Combined Entertainment:
While discussing the difference between anime and cartoon, let’s share an interesting fact. Some cartoons are that are influenced by anime. As Japan has been making successful anime shows for ages, Western media houses also planned to grow their audience base. In this way, multiple anime-influenced cartoon shows emerged. Some of them are:
- Voltron: Legendary Defender
- Batman: The Brave and the Bold
- Frankenstine Jr
- Stephen Universe
- Samurai Jack
- Winx Club
- Castlevania
- Teen Titans
Enjoy What you Love:
Now, you know how cartoons and anime are different from each other. Both of them have their unique features. So, consider your taste and go binge-watching the one you like. Let us know which type of entertainment you prefer.
-by Ishita Mondal
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