I was just having an argument with these guys...

Who were saying that Avatar is an anime, but all it does is mimic the drawing style and wasn't made in Japan. It just uses the style as a base for it's characters.

But, since they're all close-minded, one-sided ****, I'll just further the discussion here. I believe that anime is something that can only be defined as a REGIONAL style of drawing. If someone uses elements of the style outside of the region, it won't be considered the same. I hope this makes sense. I mean, everything we consider as anime all have one thing in common: They're all made in Japan or have been dubbed in Japan. Avatar has neither.

What are your thoughts?

 

"The term anime does not specify an animation's nation of origin; instead, it is used as a blanket term to refer to all forms of animation from around the world"

"Dictionary sources define anime as 'a Japanese style of motion-picture animation' or 'animation in the style of that originally developed in Japan'"

 

If someone in Russia made an amazing anime, you certainly would.

Let's do a little role reversal here; no one plays Baseball quite like the American Leagues, does that mean people in Japan aren't playing "real baseball"?

 

It's drawn in the style of anime. I'd say it's Nick's version of anime, like Kappa Mikey is.

 

But that's not very common.

I think anime is just Japan's style of drawing cartoons and if someone came and mimic the style from another country, then you can say it's SIMILAR to anime, but not anime. Hell, most anime aren't even for kids now-a-days.

Kappa Mikey isn't an anime either. It just mimics that drawing style.

 

The World Series is America's "style" of playing Baseball, and if Japan came and made their own baseball league from another country, then you can't just call that "baseball". Hell, most Baseball players aren't even asian now-a-days.

 

Most reasons why people think Avatar is an anime is because it actually has an on-going plot and has some elements that are similar to typical anime.

 

Most reasons why people think Japan is playing baseball is because it actually has bases, and balls, and has some elements similar to typical Baseball. You know, like the fact that it's Baseball.

 

Sports is a different story. Sure baseball orignated in the U.S. (correct me if I'm wrong), and it's still baseball in other countries, but, even though anime is still animation, it is so different from what you see on TV today that it's almost in it's own catergory. It's basically cartoons with an actual plot. People can't mimic it and call it anime because anime is originally from Japan and Japan only. People play different sports in different countries for years, just like how anime has only been made in Japan and written in Japan for years.

 

I call Avatar an Anime simply because it's easier to describe it that way than to describe it as "an American show that is drawn in an anime style and has some of the same features of an anime, but has been toned down slightly for kids". I don't really give a f*ck if it's not, that is how I will describe it. Besides, so few people even know the difference, you would have to spend 10 minutes educating them on the differences before you even got to an explanation, at which point they would say "so... it's an anime?" or "so... it's an american anime?"

And I expect any minute now some butthurt politically correct person is gonna jumo on you for your use of the word "***", so... inb4PC

 

The fact that in the country of Japan itself both the terms "anime" and "manga" have no connotation of style or country of origin, should speak enough to the fact that it is not meant to be taken as such, and they have no affinity for staking a claim in their own established "style" of animation.

Go to Japan and hold up a Spiderman or Incredible Hulk comic and ask them what it is. You know what they'll say? "Manga". Show them Afro Samurai or Avatar and ask them what it is: "Anime". Because animation is animation, manga is manga.

The makers of Avatar are not mimicking something, the artists behind that show have the genuine ability to draw the show as such, and should be respected as such and not undermined. The term "anime" in both dictionary definition and origin refers simply to something in the style of that innovated by the Japanese, not something exclusively drawn by their hands.

 

The only way you would be wrong to call it anime is if the Japanese government protected the anime industry by making it "named". France did that for champagne meaning that only the wine produced in the Champagne region could be sold and marketed as "Champagne".

 

Ok, you're absolutely right.

I just felt that it's not an anime since the Japanese differentiate themselves from others (animation wise) and I respect them for that. I just thought that, since it's the Japanese's idea to craft and make such a style that the title of "anime" should be exclusive to them and them only. Just as "american animation" should be exclusive to America. But, if someone who's not Japanese makes the same exact thing, then I suppose (by your logic) you can call it anime.

And that's pretty unlikely to happen, isn't it?

 

I don't really think there's such a thing as "American Animation" either. Or, at least, not any more because it's been such a long period of time since it was introduced. I'd probably say that around the time of Disney's introduction, if someone in Russia made a cartoon similar to a Disney cartoon there would be a similar reponse to the one you have, but over time the feeling was simply lost and it's a non-issue. The fact that Japanimation is a newer medium, I suppose you can expect that response as the style leaves the hands of the Japanese and other experiment and innovate with the style.

 

Pretty much. Plus there are thousands of people on the internet debating over it since some consider it anime when it's just an experimentation/innovation with the style, like you said. But, since they just experiment with it, what type of drawing style would you call it?

 

Unless the Japanese government felt that the anime industry was seriously under threat then no it would not happen. In other words, it is very unlikely to happen any time soon.

People tend to prefer the original ones anyway.

 

It seems you are contradicting yourself here, or maybe I just missed something. Care to elaborate?

 

someone correct me if i'm wrong but i thought that the word anime means a cartoon from a different country. if the animation is from the same country you're from, you simply call it a cartoon. is that right?

 

Naw, anime is the Japanese style of drawing.

Here's an example:

 

Well for my thoughts, I think Avatar is an anime. It's Japanese style and the dictionary mentions that an anime is Japanese style so why shouldn't it be an anime?