The word "anime" is an abbreviated pronunciation in Japanese of "animation."
Fred Patten of "Animation Magazine" states that the earliest Japanese animators were inspired by the styles of American and European artists. By the 1930s the genre had adopted a Western-style in its approach with more fast-paced action and humor.
The first American-style studio, Toei Animation Co., held closely to the classic Disney cartoon model with its features. The first hit was "Alakazam the Great," which capitalized on the popularity of the comic book medium. Anime's origins reveal it to be a very eclectic art form.
The Japan Zone website agrees declares broad anime to be a mix of various extreme sub-genres such as science fiction, melodrama, history, pornography and children's entertainment.
Fred Patten speculates that much of anime's perceived popularity is because of anime's mainstream western acceptance. He adds that in Japan the genre is in the "creative doldrums" and has been recycling very old story lines with newer art like western society tends to do with big budget remakes. To American viewers, however, even old anime is something refreshing and new.