One can always argue about things, but we think that anime is one of the most successful Japanese exports of all time. What’s so special about it, you ask? Well, it is not just some kiddie cartoon, as anime series often don a dark visual style, presenting the viewers with inappropriate amounts of gore (always depicted in the most visually pleasing way, of course). Besides that, even if the tone of a particular anime is light, the visuals significantly differ from the Western aesthetics - these animations are full of visual clues, and almost everything bears a meaning. And what about the topics? Well, if Western animations are more likely to touch the topics of friendship and love, the issues in anime span from romance to thriller. And that indicates that anime series aren’t really meant for kids. In fact, you should take them and view them as your regular TV series, just animated and not live-action.