Anything that is animated has to be a cartoon; that is a perception that many have.
Despite the striking resemblance with cartoons, ancient anime has a heart of its own. The roots of anime vs. cartoons are different, the concepts that they symbolize are different, the method of depiction is different, and most importantly, they are made from a different group of audience.
Part 1 What is the Difference Between Cartoons and Anime?
At first glance, cartoons and anime might appear to be just the same. But, as you dive deeper, you'll realize several characteristics that make them different from one another.
1. What is an Animation?
Classic animations, which have become synonymous with Japanese animated productions, originated in the late 20th century. Popularly abbreviated as anime, it was introduced in multiple formats, including animated short films, full-length feature films, and television series. So, is anime a cartoon? Not really. One can easily distinguish an anime by observing the characters with long hair, elongated limbs, and big eyes.
2. What is a Cartoon?
The cartoon refers to 2D (two-dimensional) visual art whose origin dates back to 1499. Back then, cartoons were used as a medium of study for a model or painting. The word cartoon is derived from "Karton," which translates to heavy or strong paper. Unlike anime, cartoons are mostly formed by imaginary characters that are far from reality.
3. What is the Difference Between Animation and Cartoon?
KEY CHARACTERISTICS |
ANIME |
CARTOONS |
| DEFINITION | A Japanese style of motion picture can be defined as anime. | An illustrated visual two-dimensional art is defined as cartoons. |
| ORIGIN | The origin of anime is associated with Japan. | The first-ever cartoon came into existence in the US. |
| TOPICS | Animations often cover important topics and come in a variety of genres, including a slice of life, horror, mecha, adventure, romance, and more. | Cartoons are more inclined towards comedy and are committed to ensuring people have a hearty laugh. |
| TECHNIQUES | The practices used for creating animation are similar to the techniques designed for making movies. | Cartoons are created using simple techniques. |
| FORMATION | The formation visuals of an anime are created even before the voice-over is included. | In cartoons, the voice acting is done before creating formation visuals. |
| FACIAL EXPRESSION | The facial expressions and physical features of anime are often exaggerated. | The facial expressions and physical features of cartoons are normal and share their resemblance with real life. |
| MADE FOR | Anime shows are entertaining for both adults and young kids alike. | Cartoons are primarily made for children and young audiences. |
Part 2 Which Is More Popular Anime or Cartoon?
When it comes to popularity, both anime and cartoons give tough competition to one another. However, expanded licensing to various OTT platforms has bought anime to different parts of the world, making anime bigger than ever before.
Though they can think of as animated cartoons, yet all of this came with the mind-boggling storyline, surreal music, and expressions that even movies would fail to offer.
1. Storyline
The one thing that connects with every anime lover is the storyline- it's simply magical. It makes you laugh, cry, might frustrate your senses, and still be a soothing memory that you want to cherish.
2. Forms of Expression
Facial expressions are the key to a good anime; that burst of anger or a frown of embarrassment, every form of expression might be exaggerated, but still, it managed to grab the attention of the audience in no time.
3. Evolution
Animations and cartoons have evolved beautifully. From paper cutouts to computer-aided imagery, both have come a long way. Today, illustrators make use of modern techniques for creating enchanting animations that would linger in the mind of the viewers for years to come.
Part 3 Bringing 2D Art to Life with AI Animation
While anime and cartoons traditionally rely on hand-drawn frame-by-frame animation, emerging AI tools like Wondershare Virbo's Talking Photo feature are revolutionizing how 2D art can be animated.
This AI-powered software can take static character illustrations or promotional artwork from anime and Western cartoons, detect the faces, and automatically animate them with lip movements and facial expressions. You can add voice-overs in various languages to make the 2D characters appear to be speaking.
Such AI animation capabilities could potentially be leveraged by anime and cartoon studios to quickly prototype character animations, create supplementary animated content like promotional videos or recaps, or even produce light animation tests from existing 2D artwork during pre-production.
While the traditional hand-drawn animation process remains integral to anime and cartoon production, AI tools offer new creative possibilities to bring 2D art to life through advanced technologies like voice synthesis, lip-syncing, and motion capture.
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● Bring static images to life by animating them with lip movements, facial expressions, and voice-overs.
● Detect faces in uploaded photos and automatically animate them to appear as if they are speaking.
● Talking Photos can be exported as videos, making them ideal for creating engaging content like product demos, educational videos, social media posts, and more.
● The AI animation capabilities allow repurposing existing 2D artwork, illustrations, or character designs into dynamic talking videos.
With Wondershare Virbo, you can explore the world of animation, whether you prefer the nuanced, emotionally driven style of anime or the vibrant, often humorous style of cartoons.
Part 4 Tips That Show Anybody How to Make Custom Anime – Guaranteed
What might come as a surprise for many is that you can create your custom anime right now! Well, keen on knowing how? Here are all the tips that you need to succeed:
1. Theme of Anime
Consider the theme of the anime. You can try any genre of your choice or something related to a story you are planning to depict. For example, if you have a humorous anime script, then comedy would be an appropriate theme to choose. Later on, you can experiment with sub-genres as well.
2. Characters of Anime
After the theme, focus on the characters of the anime. While creating custom anime, it's important to be aware of the number of characters that you are planning to use and how you want the protagonist to be.
3. Create Custom Anime Using Specialized App
You need a smart tool to breathe life into your anime script and characters. But, making an anime using traditional methods can be a complex process. This is where the lifesaving tools of Wondershare Anireel make their way. Known for simplifying the animation process, Anireel is a dedicated platform that provides a wide range of custom anime creation tools, pre-designed storyboard templates, a large stock of illustrations, audio tracks, and more under one roof.
Key Takeaways from This Episode
● Animations are a type of visual art that is different from cartoons
● Most of the anime is geared up for a mature audience.
● You can create your custom anime, too, using the best features of Anireel.