Why not just call Manga ''comics'' and anime ''Cartoons''?

[Speed Force League Unlimited]

The only terminology that drives me batty is graphic novel. It's 22 pages of story, art, and cool paneling; it's a comic book people!

That term is used for a 60 pages+ story on the sidelines, sometimes in continuity and other times not

[Alan2099]

They call it that because Japanophile like to feel special.

[Marc Lombardi]

I call Anime anime, Cartoons cartoons, Comics comics and Manga manga. There's a difference for each one.

[JasonTodd428]

If someone says to me that they are reading a manga or watching an anime then its pretty clear what they mean and I can therefore know what a discussion with them will entail. On it's most basic level it's simply a way to make a distinction between these two particular types of "cartoons" and "comics". That distinction has never bothered me except when some fans get it into their heads that "manga" or "anime" are far superior across the board to other examples of those two media.

[Ghost]

Who knows. It gets even more complicated when you think about 'American' cartoons that were animated in collaboration with a Japanese studio. Shows like DuckTales, Batman: the animated series, Inspector Gadget, Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Thundercats, the Boondocks, and Tiny Toon Adventures. Are they anime, cartoons, American anime, etc?

[dupont2005]

The only terminology that drives me batty is graphic novel. It's 22 pages of story, art, and cool paneling; it's a comic book people!

What if it's four hundred pages?

[Kid A]

Who knows. It gets even more complicated when you think about 'American' cartoons that were animated in collaboration with a Japanese studio. Shows like DuckTales, Batman: the animated series, Inspector Gadget, Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Thundercats, the Boondocks, and Tiny Toon Adventures. Are they anime, cartoons, American anime, etc?

If you want to go by strict definitions, then sure it's complicated, but over time there's a set of attributes that people associate with anime, and they aren't in those cartoons. The borderline examples would be stuff like Avatar the Last Airbender.

[CSTowle]

They call it that because Japanophile like to feel special.

That's my guess, and as a nerd who can be prickly about certain things related to my hobby I'm OK with using the terms to avoid arguments.

[Fast]

I would have no problem with calling them all cartoons/comics etc. However each of these words have individual connotations that have already been discussed. If everyone was on the same page it would be fine but there has been a distinction (warranted or not) that has pretty much made it so that they now have to be seperate things in order for their to be a coherent conversation. Telling someone on CBR that "I love cartoons" vs 'I love anime' brings about different images whether they should or not.

[Legato]

It reminds me of the original argument on does comics count as literature?

[dupersuper]

Manga's a style of comic, anime's a style of cartoon. One uses the terms when one wants to specify said type.

[zhris]

HA! JAU, you pervert! Tentacles is hentai.

Personally I'd consider tentacles more ecchi than hentai, but I guess it could go either way.

Back on topic; We use those terms to denote cultural origin, the same reason we say 'Mexican Food', 'Chinese Chess', or 'Swedish Erotica'.

[t hedge coke]

We use those terms to denote cultural origin, the same reason we say 'Mexican Food', 'Chinese Chess', or 'Swedish Erotica'.

This. Otherwise, if used to describe a particular style or tic (to the exclusion of all other styles and MOs from the same region/culture) it's just orientalism. The thing unifying manga, from Lone Wolf & Cub to Plica to One Piece, isn't big eyes or sweatdrops, it's that they're comics made in Japan (initially) for a Japanese market.

The only thing making anime, anime, is that it's cartoons made via Japan primarily for its home market. It doesn't matter what style it's animated in, how fast or slow paced it is, or whether it's two weeks old or twenty years old, or where you/I first came to see it.

As terms, they should denote region of origin/initial-market.

[John Venus]

I use them to create a distinction. When I say 'comics' people are likely to think that I am talking about DC, Marvel, Image, Dark Horse or some other publisher instead of stories like One Piece, Naruto and Vagabond. However, when I say manga, people know exactly what I am referring to. If call Batman comics manga (aside from the actual Batman manga made in Japan) then people aren't going to get what I am talking about.

The same logic is applied to anime and cartoons as well. Using different terminology just makes it easier to see what you are referring to.

[Marc Lombardi]

So is it safe for me to Google Swedish Erotica?