AniDB Definition:Anime: Difference between revisions

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These are basically guidelines to follow. There are certain shows that some people are certain are anime, yet others are equally certain that they are not anime. This is meant to help determine what is considered an anime for AniDB. Questionable shows should be discussed in the [http://www.anidb.net/forum/viewforum.php?f=3 DB Change Requests] forum and the mods or exp will decide if it is appropriate to have in the database.
This page is meant to help define what is considered an "anime" in the context of AniDB. Our definition is just as arbitrary as anyone else's, and has evolved over time.  Questionable shows may, and should, be discussed in the {{ForumLink|21|Change Requests forum}}.  Final decision will fall on the mods to decide if it is appropriate to have in the database.


==Definition==
==Definition==
===What does "anime" mean in Japan?===
===What does "anime" mean in Japan?===
"Anime" in Japan technically means any animated film, regardless of origin. Also, "manga" is any printed comic.
"Anime" in Japan technically means any animated film, regardless of origin. Also, "manga" is any printed comic. However, this definition is too broad.  This would mean anything that is animated (Bugs Bunny, Mickey Mouse, ...) would be considered anime.
 
====Why not use this definition?====
This is too broad, this would mean anything that is animated (Bugs Bunny, Micky Mouse, ...) would be considered anime.


===What does the rest of the world think?===
===What does the rest of the world think?===
Line 14: Line 11:


====Why not use this definition?====
====Why not use this definition?====
What does "from Japan" really mean? What if a show is produced by a Japanese company and was released in Japan, but was drawn in India because of cheap labor, is it an anime? What about that animated commercial for a bar of soap, is that anime? Also, many people consider many shows from China and Korea to also be anime because their style is similar to other anime.
What does "from Japan" really mean? What if a show is produced by a Japanese company and was released in Japan, but was drawn in India because of cheap labour, is it an anime? What about that animated commercial for a bar of soap, is that anime? Also, many people consider many shows from China and Korea to also be anime because their style is similar to other anime.


===What about using the styles to define an anime?===
===What about using the styles to define an anime?===
Anime styles are frequently distinctive and fairly easy to recognize. The stereotype is of characters with huge hair and large eyes. Although this is true of many animes (to varying degrees), there are also many animes that do not fit this description. Also not everything with big eyes is necessarily an anime either.
Anime styles are frequently distinctive and fairly easy to recognize. The stereotype is of characters with huge hair and large eyes. Although this is true of many anime (to varying degrees), there are also many anime that do not fit this description. Also not everything with big eyes is necessarily an anime either.


===So what IS an anime?===
===So what IS an anime?===
<font color=blue><b>An anime is an animated, professionally produced, feature film created by a Japanese company for the Japanese market.</b></font>
To meet the AniDB definition of "anime" it must be:
 
:* An anime needs to be '''animated'''. Live action, or something with just a few animated scenes is not an anime.
:* An anime has to be '''professionally produced'''. This means that fan made shows are not considered anime.
:* It has to '''have a plot'''. For instance an animated soap commercial is not an anime.
:* The anime needs to be '''created primarily for the Japanese, Chinese, or Korean ("East-Asian") market'''. For instance, Disney may collaborate with a Japanese company on the making of a film for the United States, but it is not an anime even though a Japanese company is involved.
 
===Isn't that arbitrary and exclusive of good Western animation?===
Yes it is.  Thanks for asking.  But we just don't consider it "anime."  We suggest entering it into [http://www.bcdb.com/ The Big Cartoon Database].


====What does this mean?====
These rules can be changed if the AniDB mods feel it is appropriate for AniDB. At this time however, we feel these rules are the closest to meeting the spirit of what we want to catalog.
:* First of all, an anime needs to be <b>animated</b>. Live action, or something with just a few animated scenes is not an anime.
:* An anime has to be <b>professionally produced</b>. This means that fan made shows are not considered anime.
:* It has to be a <b>feature film</b>, that means it has to have a plot. For instance an animated soap commercial is not an anime.
:* The anime needs to be <b>created by a Japanese company</b>. The company can collaborate with other companies out of the country, but it has to have some involvement with a Japanese company.
:* The anime needs to be <b>created for the Japanese market</b>. For instance, Disney may collaborate with a Japanese company on the making of a film for the United States, but it is not an anime even though a Japanese company is involved.
:* The AniDB mods and ultimately [[user:Exp|Exp]] have the final say in what is appropriate for AniDB.


==Exceptions==
==Exceptions==
Yes, every rule has exceptions. There are a lot of borderline cases, but these cases should be discussed before adding them to the database. If there is something in the database or you think should be added to the database that does not match the definition above it needs to be discussed in the [http://www.anidb.net/forum/index.php Forum]. First, you should [http://www.anidb.net/forum/search.php Search] to see if there has already been a discussion about the anime in question. If you cannot find one, then you need to make a post in the [http://www.anidb.net/forum/viewforum.php?f=3 DB Change Requests] forum, put [ADD][ANIME] or [DEL][ANIME] in the subject of your topic.
Yes, every rule has exceptions. There are a lot of borderline cases, but these cases should be discussed before adding them to the database. If there is something in the database or you think should be added to the database that does not match the definition above it needs to be discussed in the {{AniDBLink|forum}}. First, you should search to see if there has already been a discussion about the anime in question. If you cannot find one, then you need to make a post in the {{ForumLink|21|Change Requests forum}}, put [ADD][ANIME] or [DEL][ANIME] in the subject of your topic.


===In General===
===In General===
----
----
====Chinese/Korean productions?====
====Chinese/Korean productions?====
Are animated, professionally produced, feature films created by a Korean/Chinese company for the Korean/Chinese market allowed?
Are animated, professionally produced, TV shows, feature films, and OVAs/OADs created by a Korean/Chinese company for the Korean/Chinese market allowed?<br>
Generally, yes, check the forum before adding them though.
Generally, yes most East-Asian productions for a Chinese or Korean audience are accepted; East-Asian includes Japan, China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and North Korea. Check the forum before adding them though. This definition has been discussed [https://anidb.net/post450996 here].
 
====Music videos?====
Fanmade AMVs are not allowed if they are montages of scenes from anime with a song playing on the background, for original animation created by fans, see "Fan-Made Shows" section. If they are professionally produced mainly by a Japanese company or individuals, then yes. Even if the song the music video is for is not by a Japanese artist/band, it is still acceptable if the previous rules apply, since the video will be marketed globally on the internet. Partially animated music video can be acceptable as well (Passion from the examples), but it depends on the amount and length. In some cases an official AMV related to a series should be added as a special episode, in other cases it's a separate project from the source material and should have its own entry.
 
:''Examples: {{a|2324|Macross: Flashback 2012}}, {{a|6082|Gurren Lagann Parallel Works}}, {{a|10881|It Girl}}, {{a|8437|Passion}}''
 
====Game CGs/promos?====
Cutscenes in games are part of the game and shouldn't be considered as stand-alone anime, therefore they are not accepted. Animated promotional videos for games are generally accepted granted they are long enough and have a narrative other than simply showing scenes from the game itself. In some occasions, a game can be released bundled with a bonus animated video, which can be added as an anime entry.


====AMVs?====
:''Examples: {{a|11025|Mugen Senshi Valis}}, {{a|10758|Mugen Kouro}}'', {{a|10741|Kyokugen Dasshutsu ADV: Zennin Shibou Death}}''
The keys here are, are they professionally produced and do they have a story line? If so, then yes. Note, in some cases an official AMV related to a series can be added as a special, but VERY rarely will an AMV have its own anime record, check the forum before adding something like this. An example is [http://anidb.info/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=2324 Macross: Flashback 2012].


====Game CGs?====
====Fan-Made Shows/Amateur productions (doujin anime)?====
Most are fan-made, so they are not professionally produced so they would not be considered anime. Animated ads for a game, although professionally produced probably do not have enough of a story line to be considered an anime.
Doujin anime are not professionally produced, so generally they are not allowed. However some of them can be of very high quality and even have professional voice actors, in which case we have accepted them.


====Fan-Made Shows/Parodies?====
:''Examples: {{a|8664|Touhou PVD}}, {{a|8624|Gensou Mangekyou: The Memories of Phantasm}}, {{a|2983|Ame to Shoujo to Watashi no Tegami: Short Short Story}}'', {{a|7190|Fumiko no Kokuhaku}}''
No, they are not professionally produced.


====Parody Subs/Dubs?====
====Commercials/Promotional videos?====
Not as anime entries. These are sometimes allowed as specials to an existing anime.<br>
Animated standard TV commercials are not allowed. Short promotional videos, that generally are not shown during commercial breaks on TV, but rather are created for events, web, or special segments of a TV program, are accepted. These shorts need to have a narrative, can contain the product or company the anime is promoting, and are generally 5+ minutes in length, sometimes a bit shorter.
Might get disallowed: [http://www.anidb.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3574 To allow or no allow parody files]
 
:''Examples: {{a|5057|Superflat Monogram}}, {{a|9504|Next A-Class}}, {{a|10907|Fastening Days}}'', {{a|9029|Haru wa Kuru}}''


====Live Action?====
====Live Action?====
Fan-Made live action is not professionally produced and is not allowed in AniDB. If there are some live action scenes that are incorporated into an anime that otherwise meets the requirements and when looked at as a whole they can still be considered animated, they may be anime. Check the forum before adding anything like this. Examples are [http://anidb.info/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=837 D.C.~Da Capo~] and [http://anidb.info/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=54 Hanaukyo Maids].
Where is the key requirement, "animation", hiding in this phrase? Are you mad? If there are some live action scenes that are incorporated into an anime that otherwise meets the requirements and when looked at as a whole they can still be considered animated, they may be anime (although this may be extremely unwise, common sense not ruling around here, as it's the first step on the sort of slippery slope we're already experiencing in country of origin), and certain official "live action" extras such as interviews are permitted. For stop motion animation, see the next paragraph.
 
====Stop motion animation (clay/puppet-mation)====
Generally we accept clay-mation and puppet animation, although technically live action, they do require character and background designs and creation. Stop motion with humans and regular objects lacks these two things and therefore we don't allow such works.
 
:''Examples: {{a|1613|Doggy Poo}}, {{a|7020|Renzoku Ningyou Katsugeki: Shin Sanjuushi}}


====Omake?====
====DVD/BD specials (omake)?====
Not as anime entries. Official omakes are allowed as specials to an existing anime.
Not as separate anime entries. Disk-only specials should be added as special episodes to an existing anime.
 
====Parody Subs/Dubs?====
Not as anime entries. These are sometimes allowed as "Parody" episodes (P eps) to an existing anime.


===Specific Cases===
===Specific Cases===
----
----
For an ongoing list of items that have been requested for deletion, or have been deleted, see [http://www.anidb.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3639 List of duplicate and "not anime" entries in AniDB]
For an ongoing list of items that have been requested for deletion, or have been deleted, see [http://forum.anidb.net/viewtopic.php?t=3639 List of duplicate and "not anime" entries in AniDB]
 
{{eyecatch|Note:|some links in this guide are pointing to Internal Docs section and are not available to everyone.<br>Those are meant to be references for people who work on AniDB documentation.}}


{{eyecatch|Note|Some links in this guide are pointing to Internal Docs section and are not available to everyone.<br>Those are meant to be references for people who work on AniDB documentation.}}


{{h4|The Animatrix}}
{{h4|The Animatrix}}
----
----
'''{{a|517|Yes}}'''
'''{{a|517|Yes}}'''
{{Quote|Ultima|The Animatrix should be allowed because it was animated by many well known Japanese artists.|3=[http://www.anidb.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=11570#11570 link]}}
{{Quote|Ultima|The Animatrix should be allowed because it was animated by many well known Japanese artists.|3=[http://forum.anidb.net/viewtopic.php?p=11570#p11570 link]}}
 


{{h4|Anime Fiction}}
{{h4|Anime Fiction}}
----
----
'''No'''
'''No'''
{{Quote|Der Idiot|english company producing for the english market|3=[http://www.anidb.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3639 link]}}
{{Quote|Der Idiot|English company producing for the English market.|3=[http://forum.anidb.net/viewtopic.php?t=3639 link]}}
 


{{h4|Apprentice}}
{{h4|Apprentice}}
----
----
'''No'''
'''No'''
{{Quote|Der Idiot|Amateur english company producing for the english market: [http://www.drowtales.com/~whiteradish/ about us]|3=[http://www.anidb.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3639 link]}}
{{Quote|Der Idiot|Amateur English company producing for the English market.|3=[http://www.drowtales.com/~whiteradish/ about us]|3=[http://forum.anidb.net/viewtopic.php?t=3639 link]}}


{{h4|Daicon Opening Animations}}
{{h4|Daicon Opening Animations}}
----
----
'''{{a|2780|Yes}}'''
'''{{a|2780|Yes}}'''
{{Quote|Rar|Given the long and active tradition of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doujinshi 同人誌], declaring everything not made by the copyright holders might become overly restrictive. However, due to the time and expense it takes to produce animation compared to literature, I suspect a simple 'no doujinshi' rule will probably do for a good few years yet.  Unless of course, someone who's seen the work in question wants to contradict me and say it is worth keeping.|3=[http://www.anidb.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=14492#14492 link]}}
{{Quote|Rar|Given the long and active tradition of [[Wikipedia:Doujinshi|同人誌]], declaring everything not made by the copyright holders might become overly restrictive. However, due to the time and expense it takes to produce animation compared to literature, I suspect a simple 'no doujinshi' rule will probably do for a good few years yet.  Unless of course, someone who's seen the work in question wants to contradict me and say it is worth keeping.|3=[http://forum.anidb.net/viewtopic.php?p=14492#p14492 link]}}
 
{{Quote|Rar|2=I completely revoke my comments about doujinshi in animation having added [http://anidb.ath.cx/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=2780 this] a while ago... fan made, in the 80s, and great.|3=[http://www.anidb.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=15171#15171 link]}}


{{Quote|Rar|2=I completely revoke my comments about doujinshi in animation having added {{a|2780|this}} a while ago... fan made, in the 80s, and great.|3=[http://forum.anidb.net/viewtopic.php?p=15171#p15171 link]}}


{{h4|Evangelion X}}
{{h4|Evangelion X}}
----
----
'''No'''
'''No'''
{{Quote|Der Idiot|japanese fanproduction|3=[http://www.anidb.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3639 link]}}
{{Quote|Der Idiot|Japanese fanproduction|3=[http://forum.anidb.net/viewtopic.php?t=3639 link]}}
 


{{h4|The Item}}
{{h4|The Item}}
----
----
'''No'''
'''No'''
{{Quote|Der Idiot|Amateur english company producing for the english market: [http://www.drowtales.com/~whiteradish/ about us]|3=[http://www.anidb.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3639 link]}}
{{Quote|Der Idiot|Amateur English company producing for the English market.|3=[http://www.drowtales.com/~whiteradish/ about us]|3=[http://forum.anidb.net/viewtopic.php?t=3639 link]}}
 


{{h4|The Last Unicorn}}
{{h4|The Last Unicorn}}
----
----
'''No'''
'''No'''
{{Quote|rar|Ran across this, and as far as a bit of googling tells me, this is a US animation only, not even a coproduction like some are (The Mysterious Cities of Gold for instance).|3=[http://www.anidb.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2134 link]}}
{{Quote|rar|Ran across this, and as far as a bit of googling tells me, this is a US animation only, not even a co-production like some are (The Mysterious Cities of Gold for instance).|3=[http://forum.anidb.net/viewtopic.php?t=2134 thread deleted]}}


{{Quote|nwa|I was renaming the "The" titles and stumbled upon this.. according to IMDB this isn't really an anime at all...|3=[http://www.anidb.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2551 link]}}
{{Quote|nwa|I was renaming the "The" titles and stumbled upon this... according to IMDB this isn't really an anime at all...|3=[http://forum.anidb.net/viewtopic.php?t=2551 thread deleted]}}
 
{{Quote|Der Idiot|english company producing for the english market|3=[http://www.anidb.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3639 link]}}


{{Quote|Der Idiot|English company producing for the English market.|3=[http://forum.anidb.net/viewtopic.php?t=3639 link]}}


{{h4|Mania - Secret of Green Tentacle}}
{{h4|Mania - Secret of Green Tentacle}}
----
----
'''No'''
'''No'''
{{Quote|Der Idiot|english company producing for the english market|3=[http://www.anidb.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3639 link]}}
{{Quote|Der Idiot|English company producing for the English market.|3=[http://forum.anidb.net/viewtopic.php?t=3639 link]}}
 


{{h4|Oman}}
{{h4|Oman}}
----
----
'''No'''
'''No'''
{{Quote|Der Idiot|japanese fanproduction|3=[http://www.anidb.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3639 link]}}
{{Quote|Der Idiot|Japanese fanproduction|3=[http://forum.anidb.net/viewtopic.php?t=3639 link]}}
 


{{h4|Ranomonto}}
{{h4|Ranomonto}}
----
----
'''No'''
'''No'''
{{Quote|Der Idiot|japanese fanproduction|3=[http://www.anidb.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3639 link]}}
{{Quote|Der Idiot|Japanese fanproduction|3=[http://forum.anidb.net/viewtopic.php?t=3639 link]}}
 


{{h4|Robotech}}
{{h4|Robotech}}
----
----
'''{{a|57|Yes}}'''
'''{{a|77|Yes/No}}'''
{{Quote|Ultima|Robotech for example has Japanese origins because they were licensed from Tatsunoko Studios for international distribution by Harmony Gold USA.|3=[http://www.anidb.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=11570#11570 link]}}
{{Quote|Ultima|Robotech for example has Japanese origins because they were licensed from Tatsunoko Studios for international distribution by Harmony Gold USA.|3=[http://forum.anidb.net/viewtopic.php?p=11570#p11570 link]}}
 
{{Quote|nwa|Robotech was neither dubbed nor creatd by the Japanese.. there wasn't even any Japanese studios involved with it? in that case... it's not anime and should be deleted :P|3=[http://www.anidb.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=11757#11757 link]}}


{{Quote|nwa|I wouldn't allow Transformers US Movie or the US Robotech.. aah.. whatever.. they might as well be there..|3=[http://www.anidb.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=14350#14350 link]}}
{{Quote|nwa|Robotech was neither dubbed nor created by the Japanese.. there wasn't even any Japanese studios involved with it? in that case... it's not anime and should be deleted :P|3=[http://forum.anidb.net/viewtopic.php?p=11757#p11757 link]}}


{{Quote|nwa|I wouldn't allow Transformers US Movie or the US Robotech... aah... whatever... they might as well be there...|3=[http://forum.anidb.net/viewtopic.php?p=14350#p14350 link]}}


{{h4|Sailor Moon and the 7 Ballz}}
{{h4|Sailor Moon and the 7 Ballz}}
----
----
'''No'''
'''No'''
{{Quote|PetriW|I don't see why it wouldn't.|3=[http://www.anidb.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=9572#9572 link]}}
{{Quote|PetriW|I don't see why it wouldn't.|3=[http://forum.anidb.net/viewtopic.php?p=9572#p9572 thread deleted]}}
 
{{Quote|nwa|they are crappy, but still hentai I guess|3=[http://www.anidb.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=9588#9588 link]}}


{{Quote|Ultima|Well, personally, removing Sailor Moon and the 7 Ballz wouldn't be a "huge" loss. I guess we should just allow official hentai productions into AniDB. We do the same for official anime music videos released on anime DVDs. I think we should do the same for hentai.|3=[http://www.anidb.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=14494#14494 link]}}
{{Quote|nwa|they are crappy, but still hentai I guess|3=[http://forum.anidb.net/viewtopic.php?p=9588#p9588 thread deleted]}}


{{Quote|Wahaha|With a runtime of ~50 minutes, ~70 people who have the files in their lists and ~40 votes, this entry should be kept IMO.|3=[http://www.anidb.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=14521#14521 link]}}
{{Quote|Ultima|Well, personally, removing Sailor Moon and the 7 Ballz wouldn't be a "huge" loss. I guess we should just allow official hentai productions into AniDB. We do the same for official anime music videos released on anime DVDs. I think we should do the same for hentai.|3=[http://forum.anidb.net/viewtopic.php?p=14494#p14494 thread deleted]}}


{{Quote|Der Idiot|english company producing for the english market|3=[http://www.anidb.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3639 link]}}
{{Quote|Wahaha|With a runtime of ~50 minutes, ~70 people who have the files in their lists and ~40 votes, this entry should be kept IMO.|3=[http://forum.anidb.net/viewtopic.php?p=14521#p14521 link]}}


{{Quote|Der Idiot|English company producing for the English market.|3=[http://forum.anidb.net/viewtopic.php?t=3639 link]}}


{{h4|Shadowskin}}
{{h4|Shadowskin}}
----
----
'''No'''
'''No'''
{{Quote|Der Idiot|Amateur english company producing for the english market: [http://www.studioartfx.com/about.html about us]|3=[http://www.anidb.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3639 link]}}
{{Quote|Der Idiot|Amateur English company producing for the English market.|3=[http://www.studioartfx.com/about.html about us]|3=[http://forum.anidb.net/viewtopic.php?t=3639 link]}}
 


{{h4|Star Ballz}}
{{h4|Star Ballz}}
----
----
'''No'''
'''No'''
{{Quote|Der Idiot|english company producing for the english market|3=[http://www.anidb.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3639 link]}}
{{Quote|Der Idiot|English company producing for the English market.|3=[http://forum.anidb.net/viewtopic.php?t=3639 link]}}
 


{{h4|Understanding Chaos}}
{{h4|Understanding Chaos}}
----
----
'''No'''
'''No'''
{{Quote|Der Idiot|Amateur english company producing for the english market: [http://www.studioartfx.com/about.html about us]|3=[http://www.anidb.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3639 link]}}
{{Quote|Der Idiot|Amateur English company producing for the English market.|3=[http://www.studioartfx.com/about.html about us]|3=[http://forum.anidb.net/viewtopic.php?t=3639 link]}}


{{h4|Avatar - The Last Airbender}}
----
'''No'''
{{Quote|Der Idiot|American production for the American market.|3=[http://forum.anidb.net/viewtopic.php?t=3639 link]}}


==Anime <x> is (not) listed as anime on page <y>==
==Anime <x> is (not) listed as anime on anime site <y>!==
Although that would be part of an argument for or against listing it as an anime, that does not mean that it will be automatically added or removed from AniDB. Every site has a different user base and administrators with their own opinions, you will find that no two sites have the exact same list of anime.
Although that would be part of an argument for or against listing it as an anime, that does not mean that it will be automatically added or removed from AniDB. Every site has a different user base and administrators with their own opinions, you will find that no two sites have the exact same list of anime.


Line 178: Line 182:
Every anime related website has different ideas about what is an anime, you can try one of those sites. Also, you can try [http://www.bcdb.com/ The Big Cartoon Database].
Every anime related website has different ideas about what is an anime, you can try one of those sites. Also, you can try [http://www.bcdb.com/ The Big Cartoon Database].


[[Category:Definitions]][[Category:Guidelines]]
[[Category:Definitions]]
[[Category:Guidelines]]

Revision as of 19:41, 7 July 2019

This page is meant to help define what is considered an "anime" in the context of AniDB. Our definition is just as arbitrary as anyone else's, and has evolved over time. Questionable shows may, and should, be discussed in the Change Requests forum. Final decision will fall on the mods to decide if it is appropriate to have in the database.

Definition

What does "anime" mean in Japan?

"Anime" in Japan technically means any animated film, regardless of origin. Also, "manga" is any printed comic. However, this definition is too broad. This would mean anything that is animated (Bugs Bunny, Mickey Mouse, ...) would be considered anime.

What does the rest of the world think?

People in the rest of the world take "anime" to mean animated films from Japan.

Why not use this definition?

What does "from Japan" really mean? What if a show is produced by a Japanese company and was released in Japan, but was drawn in India because of cheap labour, is it an anime? What about that animated commercial for a bar of soap, is that anime? Also, many people consider many shows from China and Korea to also be anime because their style is similar to other anime.

What about using the styles to define an anime?

Anime styles are frequently distinctive and fairly easy to recognize. The stereotype is of characters with huge hair and large eyes. Although this is true of many anime (to varying degrees), there are also many anime that do not fit this description. Also not everything with big eyes is necessarily an anime either.

So what IS an anime?

To meet the AniDB definition of "anime" it must be:

  • An anime needs to be animated. Live action, or something with just a few animated scenes is not an anime.
  • An anime has to be professionally produced. This means that fan made shows are not considered anime.
  • It has to have a plot. For instance an animated soap commercial is not an anime.
  • The anime needs to be created primarily for the Japanese, Chinese, or Korean ("East-Asian") market. For instance, Disney may collaborate with a Japanese company on the making of a film for the United States, but it is not an anime even though a Japanese company is involved.

Isn't that arbitrary and exclusive of good Western animation?

Yes it is. Thanks for asking. But we just don't consider it "anime." We suggest entering it into The Big Cartoon Database.

These rules can be changed if the AniDB mods feel it is appropriate for AniDB. At this time however, we feel these rules are the closest to meeting the spirit of what we want to catalog.

Exceptions

Yes, every rule has exceptions. There are a lot of borderline cases, but these cases should be discussed before adding them to the database. If there is something in the database or you think should be added to the database that does not match the definition above it needs to be discussed in the forum. First, you should search to see if there has already been a discussion about the anime in question. If you cannot find one, then you need to make a post in the Change Requests forum, put [ADD][ANIME] or [DEL][ANIME] in the subject of your topic.

In General

Chinese/Korean productions?

Are animated, professionally produced, TV shows, feature films, and OVAs/OADs created by a Korean/Chinese company for the Korean/Chinese market allowed?
Generally, yes most East-Asian productions for a Chinese or Korean audience are accepted; East-Asian includes Japan, China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and North Korea. Check the forum before adding them though. This definition has been discussed here.

Music videos?

Fanmade AMVs are not allowed if they are montages of scenes from anime with a song playing on the background, for original animation created by fans, see "Fan-Made Shows" section. If they are professionally produced mainly by a Japanese company or individuals, then yes. Even if the song the music video is for is not by a Japanese artist/band, it is still acceptable if the previous rules apply, since the video will be marketed globally on the internet. Partially animated music video can be acceptable as well (Passion from the examples), but it depends on the amount and length. In some cases an official AMV related to a series should be added as a special episode, in other cases it's a separate project from the source material and should have its own entry.

Examples: Macross: Flashback 2012, Gurren Lagann Parallel Works, It Girl, Passion

Game CGs/promos?

Cutscenes in games are part of the game and shouldn't be considered as stand-alone anime, therefore they are not accepted. Animated promotional videos for games are generally accepted granted they are long enough and have a narrative other than simply showing scenes from the game itself. In some occasions, a game can be released bundled with a bonus animated video, which can be added as an anime entry.

Examples: Mugen Senshi Valis, Mugen Kouro, Kyokugen Dasshutsu ADV: Zennin Shibou Death

Fan-Made Shows/Amateur productions (doujin anime)?

Doujin anime are not professionally produced, so generally they are not allowed. However some of them can be of very high quality and even have professional voice actors, in which case we have accepted them.

Examples: Touhou PVD, Gensou Mangekyou: The Memories of Phantasm, Ame to Shoujo to Watashi no Tegami: Short Short Story, Fumiko no Kokuhaku

Commercials/Promotional videos?

Animated standard TV commercials are not allowed. Short promotional videos, that generally are not shown during commercial breaks on TV, but rather are created for events, web, or special segments of a TV program, are accepted. These shorts need to have a narrative, can contain the product or company the anime is promoting, and are generally 5+ minutes in length, sometimes a bit shorter.

Examples: Superflat Monogram, Next A-Class, Fastening Days, Haru wa Kuru

Live Action?

Where is the key requirement, "animation", hiding in this phrase? Are you mad? If there are some live action scenes that are incorporated into an anime that otherwise meets the requirements and when looked at as a whole they can still be considered animated, they may be anime (although this may be extremely unwise, common sense not ruling around here, as it's the first step on the sort of slippery slope we're already experiencing in country of origin), and certain official "live action" extras such as interviews are permitted. For stop motion animation, see the next paragraph.

Stop motion animation (clay/puppet-mation)

Generally we accept clay-mation and puppet animation, although technically live action, they do require character and background designs and creation. Stop motion with humans and regular objects lacks these two things and therefore we don't allow such works.

Examples: Doggy Poo, Renzoku Ningyou Katsugeki: Shin Sanjuushi

DVD/BD specials (omake)?

Not as separate anime entries. Disk-only specials should be added as special episodes to an existing anime.

Parody Subs/Dubs?

Not as anime entries. These are sometimes allowed as "Parody" episodes (P eps) to an existing anime.

Specific Cases

For an ongoing list of items that have been requested for deletion, or have been deleted, see List of duplicate and "not anime" entries in AniDB

Note Some links in this guide are pointing to Internal Docs section and are not available to everyone.
Those are meant to be references for people who work on AniDB documentation.

The Animatrix

Yes

Ultima The Animatrix should be allowed because it was animated by many well known Japanese artists. link

Anime Fiction

No

Der Idiot English company producing for the English market. link

Apprentice

No

Der Idiot Amateur English company producing for the English market. link

Daicon Opening Animations

Yes

Rar Given the long and active tradition of 同人誌, declaring everything not made by the copyright holders might become overly restrictive. However, due to the time and expense it takes to produce animation compared to literature, I suspect a simple 'no doujinshi' rule will probably do for a good few years yet. Unless of course, someone who's seen the work in question wants to contradict me and say it is worth keeping. link
Rar I completely revoke my comments about doujinshi in animation having added this a while ago... fan made, in the 80s, and great. link

Evangelion X

No

Der Idiot Japanese fanproduction link

The Item

No

Der Idiot Amateur English company producing for the English market. link

The Last Unicorn

No

rar Ran across this, and as far as a bit of googling tells me, this is a US animation only, not even a co-production like some are (The Mysterious Cities of Gold for instance). thread deleted
nwa I was renaming the "The" titles and stumbled upon this... according to IMDB this isn't really an anime at all... thread deleted
Der Idiot English company producing for the English market. link

Mania - Secret of Green Tentacle

No

Der Idiot English company producing for the English market. link

Oman

No

Der Idiot Japanese fanproduction link

Ranomonto

No

Der Idiot Japanese fanproduction link

Robotech

Yes/No

Ultima Robotech for example has Japanese origins because they were licensed from Tatsunoko Studios for international distribution by Harmony Gold USA. link
nwa Robotech was neither dubbed nor created by the Japanese.. there wasn't even any Japanese studios involved with it? in that case... it's not anime and should be deleted :P link
nwa I wouldn't allow Transformers US Movie or the US Robotech... aah... whatever... they might as well be there... link

Sailor Moon and the 7 Ballz

No

PetriW I don't see why it wouldn't. thread deleted
nwa they are crappy, but still hentai I guess thread deleted
Ultima Well, personally, removing Sailor Moon and the 7 Ballz wouldn't be a "huge" loss. I guess we should just allow official hentai productions into AniDB. We do the same for official anime music videos released on anime DVDs. I think we should do the same for hentai. thread deleted
Wahaha With a runtime of ~50 minutes, ~70 people who have the files in their lists and ~40 votes, this entry should be kept IMO. link
Der Idiot English company producing for the English market. link

Shadowskin

No

Der Idiot Amateur English company producing for the English market. link

Star Ballz

No

Der Idiot English company producing for the English market. link

Understanding Chaos

No

Der Idiot Amateur English company producing for the English market. link

Avatar - The Last Airbender

No

Der Idiot American production for the American market. link

Anime <x> is (not) listed as anime on anime site <y>!

Although that would be part of an argument for or against listing it as an anime, that does not mean that it will be automatically added or removed from AniDB. Every site has a different user base and administrators with their own opinions, you will find that no two sites have the exact same list of anime.

If it is not an anime, where can I find more information?

Every anime related website has different ideas about what is an anime, you can try one of those sites. Also, you can try The Big Cartoon Database.

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