Anime is many things to many people. One of the most successful cultural and commercial exports from Japan, anime is an art form in itself, a deep and engaging medium of entertainment, a generator of incredible wealth from licensing and merchandising, or even an illustration of the extreme nature of Japanese society.

Yet what really defines anime? It is relatively easy to tell anime apart from western animation, but difficult to put one's finger on why. A survey from its origins to the present day will highlight the salient characteristics of Japanese anime and what makes it so different from western animation.