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Q. What is Anime?
Anime is a style of drawing, simiar to manga, that originates from Japan. Anime is the animated cartoon series. Anime is derived from a french word.

Q. What is manga?
Manga is a large Japanese comic book company, but is used to refer to the Japanese comic book market, as people use Walkman to refer to personal stereos and Sellotape is used to refer to adhesive tape.

Q. So why does Anime have such a large following around the world, including elder audiences (as in above the age that people watch "cartoons")?
Many people got bored with the dire quality of american cartoons. Yes Disney use flashy animation, with hundreds of things moving on screen at a time. But Anime proves that it is the idea that counts, not the budget of the animators making it.

Q. I heard they use lots of death and sex in anime. Should my children really be watching it?
They use it as a teaching aid. In America it is taboo to show such things but anime doesn't really care. There should of course be gentle screening of the latest anime vid you've imported but that doesn't mean you shouldn't watch anime. Most animes get 'Parental Guidance' or 'Age 12' certificates in Britain. No anime, I don't think, has ever got an 'Age 18' certificate and only a FEW have got the 'Age 15' certificate. This is only my PERSONAL opinion. It's up to you to make your decision, but it is a lot tamer than people bang on about.

Hope this helps clear up a few things about anime.