variety of storylines and overall artwork i would say japanese, but i kinda hate the whole "which is better" argument. i try and accept each for their own merrits, and to be honest i regluarly watch just as many american animated shows/films (and have most fo my life) that i do anime shows. probably the biggest difference is that anime is like the hbo or showtime of animation. this is gonna sound lame, but like that old hbo line, "its not tv, its hbo", i think "its not cartoons, its anime" would work just as well