How are anime and manga different?
Two forms of art that originated in similar ways are anime and manga. They may have similar origins, but they are different. Anime refers to animation, but manga is art that is written on a page. Cartoons that we see on the TV are the best examples of anime art.
Manga may look like a comic book, but it is actually a graphic novel. In a way it can be considered a comic book, but it is not a short story. The comic books that come from Japan still go by the name of manga in the US. In fact in the US all comics are considered to be manga. In manga books the stories are full length novels. The characters are real and sometimes there are whole series of these graphic novels featuring the main character in a wide variety of situations.
One of the main ways in which anime and manga differ is that some graphic novels contain scenes of sex and nudity. It is completely different from reading such scenes in a regular novel because there are color pictures that contain the conversation so you don’t have to use your imagination. When these novels are sold in the US, though, they are cleaned up so that the pictures are not as graphic and the language is not as explicit. You do have to be careful when purchasing manga for children because of the possibility that it may contain taboo pictures and subject matter that may be beyond the child’s years.
Anime is actually a word that describes the art of animation in Japan. Pokemon is one the best known examples of this animation that has been shown on TV in North America. Another difference between the two is that you watch anime, but you read manga.