When you think of Japan, what do you imagine? Sporty cars, raw fish and rice for dinner, or geisha-inspired fashion? Many people would instantly think of Japan's distinct cartoons: anime.

While you can find animation and cartoons from cultures around the world, the abbreviation "anime" is only used in reference to Japan's distinctive cartoon art.

You may be interested in the history of anime. Traditional Japanese art included visions of floating worlds made from woodblock art. North American animation started influencing Japanese artists after World War II, and soon the mixture of both of these influences resulted in Manga. Manga evolved into anime, and you can still see many of its strongest features in today's versions, including giant robots and the complex and mature storylines.

Despite the usual connotation of cartoons being for children, many storylines in manga are complex. Even if you read only a few manga comic books, you'll find a variety of love triangles, humor, and social commentary. There's also a wild combination of violence, superheroes and sex scenes. With all of the different elements, the characters vary a lot, so most people are able to find one or two favorites for their own tastes.

There is a variety of style but all use some styles that are fundamental in almost all Anime works. The most peculiar is the over-exaggerated eyes of Anime characters; the eyes portray the characters\' emotions distinctively. Aside from the large eyes, characters also have a large head, with loss of proportion to a small body. Another style is emotions expressed by exaggerated physical reactions. Artists depict a "faulty face" (bleeding nose and watery eyes) of the characters during times of anger, stress, humiliation, love.

Anime is not only celebrated in TV and prints but also in fashion and the Web. Popular characters can also be found on clothing and other items such as notebooks and jewelry.