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First, the storylines. Not all anime has the "futuristic doom" plotlines, as Ferreyboy put it. Anime runs the gambit from sci-fi, to romantic comedy, to martial arts action, to drama, to fantasy. All genres are represented. Anime is made for all ages, from young children to mature adults, from teenagers to senior citizens. The scripts are written intelligently, as opposed to the half-hour commercials that most American animation is. Things like character development, something virtually nonexistant in American animated series, is commonplace in anime.
Second, the quality of the animation. If you look at the average animated TV series in Japan, you'll see almost Disney theatrical release quality animation. In American animation, you can count the frames! Plus, the use of dramatic camera angles, lighting, and other such cinematic devices set anime apart from the majority of the crap on OUR TV. The style used in anime (which is not any more "bug eyed" than the Looney Toons' eyes are) is yet another thing that makes anime great. The dramatic way the characters are illustrated, the way each animation frame has as much detail as a full illustration by the best American comic book artists, the fact that the female characters HAVE breasts (in American animation, all the characters look like asexual neuters, as if trying to convince kids that there isn't a difference between men and women), all these add up to form the visual impact most anime has.
Third, the attention to detail. The work put into making things as seemingly trivial as the walkman a character is listening to is staggering.
Basically, it all comes down to anime being a genuine art form, while the vast majority of American animation being 30 minute advertisements for toys (not that there aren't toys of anime characters, but the toy companies don't run the shows most of the time).
And just think, I've barely scratched the surface of what anime is all about.
Vegeta
PS: I love Chuck Jones, too. Generally, I like animation more than live action, as it seems to be more imaginative.
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