If you would google anime vs cartoons, I doubt that the search engine will fail you.
The common results often sides with Anime as the victor and the latter scorned and ridiculed. And if you have the time to read those pages, maybe it will serve as a trivial debate for you to laugh on.
So what’s up with Anime vs Cartoons?
Japanese Animation, or Anime for short is commonly neglected to be called cartoons or perhaps even refused to be called such. The word cartoon seemed to have been stuck with the western and perhaps anything animated but not from Japan. Also, it’s prevalent that anime is declared superior than cartoons, but thank goodness it’s not yet common knowledge as far as I know.
They are everywhere! In fact, it’s a good marketing niche like the great selling power of sex! Sounds funny but true.
Back then, the common debate would be anime vs western, but as time goes by it slowly transformed into Japanese Animation vs The World. But what are the possible reasons with this never-ending debate?
For the sake of smooth reading, let me refer to Japanese animation as anime and anything else as cartoons, western or not. (You’d prefer that anyway, right?)
First theory.
Often it is justified that anime is superior when it comes to form and content. The usual reasons are not limited to: Great detail, complex stories, superb character development, focused in realism, and anything else you could think of. Then the opponent, cartoons or simply anything that is not from Japan, contains the opposite of what is described above.
One point for Anime here, right?
Wrong!
The obvious problem here is that people often overlook either side. For the people siding with anime, it can be possible that they have disregarded the other and would easily come up with a justification that anime is superior in whatever terms they specify. Same goes with the cartoons. In reality, no matter how good you are in justifying your reason on why this and that is superior, you have to remember that it’s purely opinion. It’s the opinions and the disagreements that fuel this never-ending debate. It’s not actually a debate since neither side have an absolute answer. In short, setting up debates such as this is pointless and stupid; people participating in it and defending their interests with every tooth and nail are rather narrow-minded idiots than art appreciators.
Second theory.
Let’s go back to the old version of this debate (The Japanese animation vs Western Animation). Let’s say Ms. X likes anime and Ms. Z likes cartoons. There happened to be a debate about anime vs. cartoons, how convenient. Ms. X starts with saying that cartoons are for children because of how they look and how they lack story, furthermore if cartoons would have something serious then it would be no less than a bunch of buff men and women in spandex and capes flying around saving the world. Ms. Z now retorts to Ms. X with saying that anime simply circulates in Japan regardless of what theme, or even worse in a non-Japanese setting with elements of Japanese culture (in short, it’s mandatory to have an essence of the country!). It is often set in high school with a twist of conflicts that revolves to ninjas to 300-foot robots.
And so the cycle repeats.
What is wrong with this?
First of all, both sides are definitely wrong because both were generalizing. Sure, western animation has been confined to superheroes in spandex and anime into “ordinary” high school life–well this is the prevalent mentality. You can’t blame those people thinking that way, but feel free to remind them that their idea doesn’t even pose as a valid fact.
Second, anime came from Japan and it would not hurt if the authors would integrate their own culture. Same thing applies for anyone, anywhere else. But of course anyone can be forgiven with the proper research, remember that.
Third, both sides are still expressing their opinions, remember that. 
Third Theory.
I’d like to make it short as possible, thank you.
Weeaboo, a slang term for Japanophile. This term is commonly referred to people who are not Japanese but has a strong desire to be one in terms of culture and language. But in a more applicable term, it befalls the youth who, after watching a few series of anime and learned a few Japanese words, builds up a strong ridiculous desire of going to Japan without even thinking of the consequences. These people are often blinded by what they see on the television, particularly in anime. Most weeaboos think that anime completely reflects the real Japan, therefore it’s a good place to live. An effective tourism advertisement eh? Not really.
Because of the strong impact of anime, it actually makes the weeaboo ignorant of the bad side of Japan, just like anywhere else.
And how does this relate to my article? Simple.
Tell a weeaboo that anime sucks and he/she will never stop talking about how great it is. (Because it’s from Japan, not because of it’s quality.)
And of course, that’s pure opinion.
Lesson. Don’t generalize. It will kill you someday.
Remember, there is no need to separate Japan from the world. So much for the world unity theme. Hypocrites. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against either side.
Lastly, an opinion is an opinion. Remember that.
