Is Pokémon an anime or a cartoon?

Since then, whatever you can think of, there’s a Pokémon version of it - playing cards, movies, TV shows, clothes, slippers, plushies, conventions, food, amusement parks!

It is one of the highest-grossing media franchises, and one of the best-selling video game franchises, of all time.

No one’s denying the worldwide popularity of the monster-catching mega-hit, but there is one debate that still rages on even today: is Pokémon an anime or a cartoon?

Read on as we give the final verdict and settle once and for all if Pokémon is an anime or a cartoon.

Is Pokémon a cartoon or anime?

To answer this question, we could look at the definition of what a cartoon actually is: "A film using animation techniques to photograph a sequence of drawings rather than real people or objects."

So, if we were to use that specific definition and apply it to Pokémon, you would definitely say that Pokémon is an anime.

However, you could also say that every anime is also a cartoon by that measure - which, while it wouldn’t necessarily be wrong, many anime fans would disagree with.

What is the plot of Pokémon?

Beginning on 1st April 1997, Pokémon follows the ever-expansive journey of Ash Ketchum, of Pallet Town, who sets out on a quest to become the greatest Pokémon trainer of all time.

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 - the only Pokémon who can speak English, for some reason.

People often mention One Piece as having a Herculean length to it, but even that huge anime has nothing on Pokémon - with over 1,251 episodes to date, it is one of the longest-running animations of all time.

Why do people think Pokémon isn’t an anime?

Although 'cartoon' could be seen as an accurate general definition of Pokémon, there’s a production-based and cultural specificity to the idea of 'anime' that sets it apart from being typically lumped in with all cartoons.

Anime is merely a shortened form of 'animation', but it tends to indicate a few things: it’s 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.

However, it’s worth noting that even in Japan, the word 'anime' is often used to refer to western cartoons as well - Cartoon Network Japan sometimes refers to the US shows broadcast there as 'overseas anime'.

Is Pokémon an anime?

On a number of levels, then, Pokémon is an anime.

It originated and is produced in Japan, using a specific Japanese style of animation. Likewise, there’s a broad appeal to the show that captivates a wide age range of audiences, from children to adults, unlike cartoons - which are often made primarily for kids.

However, the pacing and storytelling of Pokémon does fall more in line with western cartoons - anime often has long-sprawling plots that occur over a season, whereas Pokémon is mostly about Ash’s ultimate goal to become the greatest Pokémon trainer of all time, and stuff just sort of happens around that.

Ultimately, it does seem like Pokémon is more of an anime than a cartoon at a fundamental level, but it’s really up to the average cartoon and anime fan to decide how they feel...

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