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[Neonivek]

I don't think there's enough of a division between the Anime and Not-Anime camps on this board for the definition to matter much.

There isn't. I am just backlashing against

the proper term for chinese anime is

[drumroll]

anime

christ

Not so much the correction as the tone of it.

[Culise]

Er no anime is literally the japanese word for cartoon

Yeah but it did replace the word Japanimation. So it has its meaning derived from it.

Only in the West, but it wasn't derived from it.  It's derived from "animation", being the Japanese word for that.

Either way blanketing "anime" to mean animation in a blanket term for a western definition... isn't an improper use of the term.

Especially when the western definition is synominous to Japanimation.

Err, that is correct?  Did I misinterpret something?  All I'm saying is that while one replaced the other in common usage, it isn't actually directly derived from the other. 

[Flying Dice]

Personally I would not mind in the slightest if "anime" came to be the term used to describe all animated shows (in western definitions, given that that's already more or less what it is in Japan); it'd probably do some good in breaking the western stigma associated with "cartoon". It's not really a good thing for creation to be stifled because of flawed preconceptions about animation not being a viable medium for serious work.

[FuzzyZergling]

But then we'd need to make up another word to differentiate between eastern-style animation and western-style animation.

[Flying Dice]

But then we'd need to make up another word to differentiate between eastern-style animation and western-style animation.

Bam. Though, honestly, there's been a not-insubstantial amount of convergence in the past decade or so, with teams on both sides of the Pacific adopting bits of the opposite style.

[majikero]

I rather not draw more lines in the sand. Just mix and match at your own convenience.

[Darvi]

Just do the same thing they did to J-Pop and J-RPGs?

[Leafsnail]

Cartoons are probably more respected as a medium for adults in the west than in Japan.  There aren't really any anime with the mainstream recognition that something like The Simpsons had.

[Solifuge]

semantics, hoo~

This is anime drawn by a Japanese studio.
This is a cartoon drawn by an American studio.
This is anime drawn by an American studio.
This is a cartoon drawn by a Japanese studio.

[Flying Dice]

Cartoons are probably more respected as a medium for adults in the west than in Japan.  There aren't really any anime with the mainstream recognition that something like The Simpsons had.

Mm, the thing is, I can't think of a single cartoon with that sort of respect that isn't a comedy. Or even one that's a sophisticated comedy (and not in the sense that Family Guy makes Futurama, older seasons of the Simpson, and ATHF look sophisticated). You don't have that sort of recognition very much with anime yet, but the future prospects are much better than an endless stream of gag shows.

There's also the aspect of exposure; in the west, at least, given that (for example) the Simpsons started airing in what, '89? South Park started in the late '90s, and so on. You didn't see a lot of anime that wasn't purely children's material start airing in the West until around the turn of the millennium (with some exceptions and some quibbling about expectations re: content of childrens' shows in the west and east), and even then high-quality translations were rare things. On top of all that, it was something of a niche market that people weren't as prone to stumbling across as western comedies that aired on major networks.

Of course, that's all dealing with Western audiences, but I wouldn't be entirely surprised if the situation is much the same in Japan, albeit with the lack of gag comedy cartoons as a mainstream thing: your oldest main demographic is composed of 20-somethings who were about to enter or were going through secondary school while the first major wave of "serious" anime hit their stride. Expressing surprise that there isn't a large adult audience for anime is about as useful as doing the same in response to the fact that there wasn't a large adult audience for video games in the '90s.

[Furtuka]

Isn't it that a lot of what we view as good quality anime is actually aired at around midnight over in Japan or something like that?

[Flying Dice]

Isn't it that a lot of what we view as good quality anime is actually aired at around midnight over in Japan or something like that?

It's pretty much the same here, honestly. If you still have television, that is.

[Neonivek]

Cartoons are probably more respected as a medium for adults in the west than in Japan.  There aren't really any anime with the mainstream recognition that something like The Simpsons had.

Well, there are "family shows" that are more child centric in Japan that are popular. Though yeah nothing like the Simpsons where it was as much for adults as it was for children (well back in the day).

[Flying Dice]

Man, now I'm feeling nostalgic about the times when the Simpsons was actually good.

[Leafsnail]

Mm, the thing is, I can't think of a single cartoon with that sort of respect that isn't a comedy. Or even one that's a sophisticated comedy (and not in the sense that Family Guy makes Futurama, older seasons of the Simpson, and ATHF look sophisticated). You don't have that sort of recognition very much with anime yet, but the future prospects are much better than an endless stream of gag shows.

I'll offer Archer as an example of both fairly sophisticated comedy and drama elements.

I also don't think there's any indication that anime will start gaining respect.  I guess there are a couple of really good shows every season but for the most part it's really, really poor to the degree that gag shows would be an improvement.  Looking at a complete season line-up is usually a soul-crushing activity.

There's also the aspect of exposure; in the west, at least, given that (for example) the Simpsons started airing in what, '89? South Park started in the late '90s, and so on. You didn't see a lot of anime that wasn't purely children's material start airing in the West until around the turn of the millennium (with some exceptions and some quibbling about expectations re: content of childrens' shows in the west and east), and even then high-quality translations were rare things. On top of all that, it was something of a niche market that people weren't as prone to stumbling across as western comedies that aired on major networks.

Of course, that's all dealing with Western audiences, but I wouldn't be entirely surprised if the situation is much the same in Japan, albeit with the lack of gag comedy cartoons as a mainstream thing: your oldest main demographic is composed of 20-somethings who were about to enter or were going through secondary school while the first major wave of "serious" anime hit their stride. Expressing surprise that there isn't a large adult audience for anime is about as useful as doing the same in response to the fact that there wasn't a large adult audience for video games in the '90s.

I guess this is possible?  The thing is that while western cartoons were generally thought of as "for kids" back in the 90s, they didn't have the intense (and, to be frank, largely deserved) negative associations that anime currently carries.