Jeremy 'Loki' Blackman wrote:

"Art style"?  The two minutes of Gatchaman I watched wasn't drawn
particularly like Ranma or Gall Force.  In fact it seemed rather
similar to an animated american comic book, as long you didn't pay
attention to the story. Of course the narrative had some rather
distinctively non-American elements, such as a sexually ambiguous
villain, people dying in combat, heros falling in love with people from
the villainous side, and heros and villains committing suicide.
Busy two minutes, wasn't it?

Art does not mean drawing.  Acting is an art form.  Music is an art form.
Writing is an art form.

And yes, it was a busy two minutes, apparently. :)

THAT is a much better classification of what defines anime (complex
characters, etc) than 'if its made in Japan'.  However, I can still find
those elements in various American things if I try... so are those
elements sufficient to define anime?  :)

I think we need to move past the boundaries of nationality because those
can get extremely confusing anyway

Maybe it's time to end this thread. :/  I think we've effectively
established that no one can come up with a definition of -what- 'anime' is
that everyone will agree with. ;)

I think that the original work that Robert Morrison recently posted counts
as 'anime' flavored, even though it didn't come from Japan and wasn't
written by a Japanese author - but it fails under Phil Master's definition
of anime/manga.

<shrug>

Bravo, I think that's all that really needs to be said.  I'm sorry for
the huge posting I made last night on the subject, but I thought that
the subject needed to be explored from all angles.

I still have one question though... 
Since many people seem to agree that it's impossible for anime
"flavored" original works to be produced (even though I think Robert
Morrison has proven otherwise) I suppose everyone is assuming that a
non-Western writer could not do works with a "Western" Flavor and just
substitute Japanese names in them?
Let me explain, I think Record of Lodoss War and Windaria, for example,
are pretty damn western flavored, but we consider them anime.  
Now, do they capture the Western flavor of Lord of the RIngs or Dungeons
and Dragons.
Now try to imagine them as just fanfics written, without ever having
seen the animations.  Are they still "anime flavored" or Western
flavored.
-- 
Chris DiNote, aka Dino
SMD Publications Inc.,
....and from the introduction to The Grace of Great Things:   
     "Creativity is dangerous.  We cannot open ourselves to 
      new insight without endangering the security of our 
      prior assumptions.  We cannot propose new ideas without 
      risking disapproval and rejection.  Creative 
      achievement is the boldest initiative of mind, an 
      adventure that takes its hero simultaneously to the rim 
      of knowledge and the limits of propriety.  Its pleasure 
      is not the comfort of the safe harbor, but the thrill 
      of the reaching sail."

"All other writers be sure to be taking lessons...
Start talkin' trash and I come with my Smith and Wesson" 
(by "Sublime";  sorta)