{"id":35807,"date":"2023-08-15T16:37:32","date_gmt":"2023-08-15T14:37:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1873494"},"modified":"2023-08-15T18:55:18","modified_gmt":"2023-08-15T16:55:18","slug":"is-pokemon-an-anime-or-a-cartoon","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/is-pokemon-an-anime-or-a-cartoon\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Pok\u00e9mon an anime or a cartoon?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Let\u2019s settle this once and for all. <\/p>

By Sabastian Astley\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 15 August 2023 at 14:37 PM<\/p>

\n\n

Pok\u00e9mon is one of the most well-known \u2013 if not the<\/em> most well-known \u2013 animated TV shows in the world. <\/span><\/p>\n

It all began with Pok\u00e9mon Red and Green in 1996, with the Game Boy games proving unexpected monster hits, leading to an animation series beginning just one year later, in 1997.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Since then, whatever you can think of, there\u2019s a Pok\u00e9mon version of it \u2013 playing cards, movies, TV shows, clothes, slippers, plushies, conventions, food, amusement parks! <\/span><\/p>\n

It is one of the highest-grossing media franchises, and one of the best-selling video game franchises, of all time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

No one\u2019s denying the worldwide popularity of the monster-catching mega-hit, but there is one debate that still rages on even today: is Pok\u00e9mon an anime or a cartoon?<\/span><\/p>\n

Read on as we give the final verdict and settle once and for all if Pok\u00e9mon is an anime or a cartoon.<\/span><\/p>\n

Is Pok\u00e9mon a cartoon or anime?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

To answer this question, we could look at the definition of what a cartoon actually <\/span>is<\/span><\/i>: \u201cA film using animation techniques to photograph a sequence of drawings rather than real people or objects.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

So, if we were to use that specific definition and apply it to Pok\u00e9mon, you would definitely say that Pok\u00e9mon is an anime. <\/span><\/p>\n

However, you could also say that every anime is also a cartoon by that measure \u2013 which, while it wouldn\u2019t necessarily be wrong, many anime fans would disagree with.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is the plot of Pok\u00e9mon?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Meowth,<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Meowth, the iconic cat Pok\u00e9mon, wraps up Pikachu.<\/span><\/figcaption> The Pok\u00e9mon Company<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Beginning on 1st April 1997, Pok\u00e9mon follows the ever-expansive journey of Ash Ketchum, of Pallet Town, who sets out on a quest to become the greatest Pok\u00e9mon trainer of all time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Along the way, he recruits friends Misty and Brock, who accompany him throughout the series, often helping Ash in battle against foes like the treacherous Team Rocket, led by Jessie and James, as well as Meowth \u2013 the only Pok\u00e9mon who can speak English, for some reason.<\/span><\/p>\n

People often mention One Piece<\/a> as having a Herculean length to it, but even that huge anime has nothing on Pok\u00e9mon \u2013 with over <\/span>1,251 episodes <\/b>to date, it is one of the longest-running animations of all time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why do people think Pok\u00e9mon isn\u2019t an anime?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Although \u2018cartoon\u2019 could be seen as an accurate general definition of Pok\u00e9mon, there\u2019s a production-based and cultural specificity to the idea of \u2018anime\u2019 that sets it apart from being typically lumped in with all cartoons.<\/span><\/p>\n

Anime is merely a shortened form of \u2018animation\u2019, but it tends to indicate a few things: it\u2019s usually something that has originated from Japan, or is influenced by Japan, marked by key stylistic differences to western animation, and is often produced in Japanese first before being dubbed in English after some time. <\/span><\/p>\n

However, it\u2019s worth noting that even in Japan, the word \u2018anime\u2019 is often used to refer to western cartoons as well \u2013 Cartoon Network Japan sometimes refers to the US shows broadcast there as \u2018overseas anime\u2019.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>