4. Animation

Not that there haven't been some really quality cartoons - there have - but anime takes the idea of animation to a whole new level. You'll see brilliant landscapes, innovative structures and dark, foreboding alleys. Anime creators take their scenery seriously so expect an array of brilliant colors and an obsessive attention to detail.

5. Continuing Plot

Unlike American cartoons, the plot doesn't end with the episode in anime. When Mr. Slate became angry with Fred, you knew the Flintstones would be back to normal in 30 minutes or less. Scooby Doo? Our beloved dog and his pals had the mystery solved before the credits began to run. Anime however, is treated more like a feature movie broken down into numerous chapters. When Sakura lost the Clow Cards, it took her more than one episode to find them. In Dragonball Z, Goku and gang met up with more than one villian to be sure, but the action was drawn out through several episodes and then sub-categorized into sagas.

6. Intense Action

If the anime you're watching is an action series, hold onto your hats cause its gonna' get rough. Remember I said anime creators take their stories seriously? Well, so do their viewers and that demographic isn't limited just to kids. People of all ages watch anime religiously so an action series created for teens 16 and up has the potential to have some pretty brutal scenes. You might see blood and you'll most certainly see some incredible fighting abilities and "how-did-they-do-that" moves.

7. Liberal Content

In addition to the escalated action, anime reflects the cultural differences between America and Japan. The Japanese are more accepting of sexual references for example, so some of the more mature rated series could contain some nudity and sexual references. That doesn't mean that all anime will have this of course - there's plenty out there rated for even the really young kids. But you'd be wise to read the ratings before you turn on the DVD - that way, you know exactly what to expect.

8. Strange Supporting Cast

Many animes incorporate unusual animals (some talking, some not) and semi-deformed characters in their supporting cast. Now, by deformed, I'm not referring to physical disabilities. Rather, the character might have an oversized head with a tiny body but in a cute way. Its not meant to suggest that the character suffers from any genetic mix-up; quite the contrary, the appearance isn't referenced at all.