To the Japanese, it's still considered anime. This is because, for Japanese, anime refers to any work that is animated. To anyone outside of Japan, it gets murkier. Americans specifically use the noun to mean "animation created within Japan".
Animation created outside of Japan can be inspired by anime, but it can’t actually be anime because it simply lacks that Japanese je ne sais quoi. But Seriously — What Is Anime? The issue here is that pizza is easier to define than anime.
Some fans claim that as pizza is the product of Italian culture (like the ingredients they have readily available and their customs surrounding eating), anime is a product of Japanese culture. Animation created outside of Japan can be inspired by anime, but it can’t actually be anime because it simply lacks that Japanese je ne sais quoi.
So, here are five anime that take place outside of Japan. Born during the Warring States of ancient China (475-221 BCE), Shin and Hyou (Chinese: Xin and Piao, respectively) are left orphans and now live as servants in the kingdom of Qin. They dream of becoming “ Great Generals of the Heavens” to escape their current lives.
No. It must be done in Japan, for a Japanese audience. Of which we (at least me) as American(s), watch. Hence Airbender, is not anime.
Not every anime is set in Japan. Some occur in other areas and times much different than the beautiful countryside of Japan or the busy streets of Tokyo. The change in scenery makes it easier to immerse the viewer in a story that the anime wants to tell.
This is because, for Japanese, anime refers to any work that is animated. To anyone outside of Japan, it gets murkier. Americans specifically use the noun to mean "animation created within Japan".
Anime is almost entirely drawn by hand. It takes skill to create hand-drawn animation and experience to do it quickly.
Anime is a Japanese loanword used to refer to any sort of animation. Outside of Japan, in other countries, anime is generally considered to be a type of a cartoon. You can make a cartoon in a style similar to anime, but it can't truly be considered an anime. Why not, you ask?
For example, Avatar:The Last Airbender is produced in America, but takes on a lot of the distinctive characteristics of anime: Conversely, Panty & Stocking looks a lot like some western animation and is produced in Japan.
To the Japanese, it's still considered anime. This is because, for Japanese, anime refers to any work that is animated. To anyone outside of Japan, it gets murkier. Americans specifically use the noun to mean "animation created within Japan". So, since it wasn't created in Japan, it's not an anime as Americans would recognize it.
Anime is what it is today thanks to the efforts made in Japan for the sake of the genre. It's just like having your ethnic food in a foreign country. Some times it gets close but most of the time it'll have to acknowledge that it's not the same as if you had it in your home country.
While you can say it's ethnic food, it's just not the same. Strictly speaking, 'anime' is just animations produced within Japan, as it's the Japanese word for cartoons/animations, but their distinctive style sometimes dictates how people define them term 'anime'.
Anime doesn't HAVE to be strictly Japanese, but some rules have to be followed for this (the same applies to "manga," the comic book version of anime). If an anime is made in Japan (especially if the original language of creation is Japanese) then it is free to be called anime. Same goes for manga.
Black Butler is an anime adapted from a manga series written and illustrated by Yana Toboso. Set in Victorian-era London, Black Butler follows Ciel Phantomhive, Phantomhive's 12-year-old Earl, who acts as the Queen's watchdog, keeping crime in the underworld in check.
Hellsing Ultimate is an original video animation (OVA) that follows Kouta Hirano's manga, Hellsing , more closely than the original Hellsing anime. It follows the Royal Order of Protestant Knights' story initially led by Abraham Van Helsing.
Based on the manga written by Ryosuke Takeuchi and illustrated by Hikaru Miyoshi, Moriarty The Patriot follows William James Moriarty's youth, Sherlock Holmes's arch-nemesis. Based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes series, this anime is set in late 19th century England.
An original animation produced in Wit Studios, Great Pretender, is a 2020 Netflix anime. This anime follows Makoto Edamura, a small-time local Japanese conman who wants to do greater things. However, when his plans to lead an honest life fail, he decides to become a conman.
Set in 2071, Cowboy Bebop follows Spike Spiegel, an exiled former hitman of the criminal Red Dragon Syndicate, and other bounty hunters working aboard the spaceship Bebop. A terrible accident with the hyperspace gateway leaves the Earth uninhabitable, forcing humans to settle on nearby planets, moons, and space rocks in the solar system.
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is an anime based on the manga written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki that follows Jonathan Joestar's linage and story. Set in real-world England with an added touch of the supernatural, this anime is critically and commercially acclaimed for its plot and characters.
Adapted from the manga written and illustrated by Naoki Urasawa, Monster is a 74-episode 2004 anime that enjoyed critical and commercial fame. Following Dr. Kenzo Tenma, a Japanese surgeon living in Düsseldorf, Germany, this anime is a psychological horror that keeps viewers at the edge of their seats.
Take, for example, this Japanese DVD cover. Here, Betty Boop is being described as an “antique anime.”. American animator Max Fleischer first drew the famous cartoon flapper girl in 1930. So, even though it’s not Japanese, it’s anime.
You can acknowledge the nod to anime, but you can’t outright call it anime.
The issue here is that pizza is easier to define than anime. When seeking a formal definition of anime, once you start poking and prodding, it all becomes a little bit fuzzy.
Creating anime-inspired content should be an homage, not a cash grab. This requires researching anime, knowing the titans in the industry, and understanding its importance to Japanese culture. That being said, one thing is frustratingly clear: the definition of anime remains frustratingly unclear!