First and foremost, animes are not cartoons. I repeat, they are not cartoons. Yes they are animated (i.e. the reason they are called animes) but they are done with a completely different form of art and have more of a human quality to them. Anime plot lines run along a stream of human life and/or imagination that cartoons simply can't capture. While cartoons can teach life lessons as well, they lack the connections, the humanity that animes seem to capture effortlessly. There's also the glaring fact that anime plot lines extend beyond one or two episodes. They are, in essence (the best comparison I can come up with), animated live action TV. It's like watching "Once Upon a Time" or "Grimm" or "Supernatural", only animated and with voice actors. Anime is not a cartoon, and it is most definitely not just for kids. That does not mean to say that anime isn't for children- in fact, anime can actually teach many life lessons that children can learn early on, and that can be reiterated to adults without the tiring drone of a mothers "I told you so!", such as:
1. You are never too old to cry.
2. Success = Failure + Never giving up.
3. Pain is universal and unifying.
4. Love transcends death.
5. Death is a part of life. You just have to keep living it otherwise you fail those who have moved on.
6. Friendship and family = power.
7. Live for your goals and passions.
8. Dreams can come true.
9. Life has no limits, even in death.
10. Be careful what you wish for.
11. Cherish those around you; your love could save them when they need it most.
12. Enemies can be anyone; true friends are far more rare.
13. Every one has a story. Even your teacher.
14. Kindness is a language not spoken, but shown.
15. Forgiveness is everything.
16. Actions have consequences, no matter the intention.
17. You can live beyond expectation, even your own.
In my 15 years of watching anime, I have watched more than I can list. Every single anime has taught me at least one of the aforementioned life lessons that have helped me live a life with few regrets, a general acceptance of it all, a drive to move forward and a passion for life. Through anime I was able to view the world in new eyes. I was able to find something to appreciate in everything around me. My humanity grew and my love for the people in my life only grew. There have been times in my life where I couldn't tell up from down and manic from true contentment. As odd as it may seem, I was able to form connections, especially emotional connections, that I simply couldn't achieve with other real humans. Much like fictional book characters, they captured my heart and created a resonance within me that somehow made learning from them much easier. Maybe because they weren't real and could be reimagined much easier than actual humans. For whatever reason, anime taught me how to be better, how to accept my faults and gave me the will to change them, to face my fears and push forward. Anime to me is like a favorite boy band, the plot is my lyrics, the characters, my melody, the end is my harmony until it becomes a hauntingly lovely sound that echos around in my heart. Anime is not just for kids, it's for everyone.
