Erin wrote:ok so like what are the shows/channels and times of da shows that you guyses are watching??
Anime is originally aired in Japan. Most anime is only available through videos in the United States, although more and more anime is becoming available on US TV, too.
Here's a little run down that I hope helps:
In Japan:
Anime is simply the Japanese word for animation or cartoon. It comes in three forms:
1) TV shows - anime aired on TV.
2) OVA or OAV - You'll see this term a lot and both "OVA" and "OAV" is correct and mean the same thing. (O = Original; V = Video; A = Animation). OAV's are anime shows released directly to video instead of being aired on TV first.
3) Movies - movies are usually played in theaters just like in America. However, just like in America, movies can also be made for TV or direct video release.
Think of anime as you think of any American TV show or movie. Cartoons in the US are generally made for children, but that is not the case in Japan. Cartoons are made for all ages there.
In America:
Anime is specifically used for cartoons made in Japan for Japanese audiences that have since been imported to the US in one or more of the following ways:
1) Fansubs - Anime imported from Japan by fans of anime (like us!) who translate the anime, add subtitles, and distribute the anime to other fans. Although this is technically against copyright laws, fansubs have been tolerated by Japanese companies because they were instrumental in making anime popular in the US.
2) DVD/Video - Most anime is officially (legally) released directly to video in the US regardless of how it was made for the Japanese audience. US companies obtain the right to distribute the anime from the Japanese rights holders and translate, dub and/or sub the anime, and then sell it to us.
3) TV - anime is showing up more often on US TV these days instead of going directly to video. Recent examples include One Piece, Dragonball Z, Sailor Moon, Pokemon, and many others.
4) Movies - a few anime movies have actually made it to American theaters, although most only have a very limited release. The only large scale release that comes to mind is Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke.