What Is Chota Bheem: Anime or Cartoon ?

We’ve all been there, scrolling through Netflix and seeing the iconic image of a small, laddoo-loving boy from Dholakpur. Chota Bheem is a cultural phenomenon, a staple of Indian childhoods for over a decade. But as the wave of Japanese anime like Jujutsu Kaisen and Demon Slayer crashes over India, a curious question arises: Is Chota Bheem actually an anime?

It’s a simple question with a surprisingly complex answer that tells us everything about the past, present, and explosive future of animation in India. And it’s a question worth asking, especially when it has significant financial implications. 

The Indian anime market alone is projected to reach an estimated value of $2.93 billion (approximately ₹24,400 crore) by 2033, making the distinction between local cartoons and potential 'Indian anime' a high-stakes question. 

Before we can judge Chota Bheem, we need to define our terms. The word “anime” itself is a bit of a moving target. 

In Japan, “anime” is simply the shortened word for “animation.” To a Japanese person, any animated show, whether it’s Naruto, Tom and Jerry, or even Chota Bheem, falls under the umbrella of anime. It’s a medium, not a style.

However, for the rest of the world, the word has taken on a much more specific meaning. Globally, "anime" refers to animation created in Japan. It’s also associated with a distinct visual language, an art style with large, expressive eyes, dynamic camera angles, fantastical hair, and most importantly, a philosophy that animation is a sophisticated medium for all ages, not just children. 

Late anime director Satoshi Kon, in interviews collected in the book Satoshi Kon's: The Illusionist, expressed, "Animation is a tool to depict the world we see, the world we want to see, and the world that might exist. It’s not just for children; it’s a way of expressing thoughts and emotions that live-action cannot."

Japanese anime has specific genres for every age group: Shonen for young boys, Shojo for young girls, Seinen for adult men, and Josei for adult women.

So, for our debate, we’ll use the global definition: a show made in Japan with a certain recognizable aesthetic.

This is where we need to draw a clear line. Globally, the terms "cartoon" and "anime" have come to represent different styles and philosophies of animation.

The most crucial difference lies in their approach to storytelling and audience. Western-style "cartoons," for the most part, are built for a younger audience. Think of shows with self-contained, episodic adventures where everything resets by the next episode. The lessons are clear, the tone is often lighthearted, and the characters rarely undergo permanent change. 

Anime, however, often embraces long-form, serialized storytelling. Characters grow, face consequences, and evolve over arcs that can span hundreds of episodes. The themes can be deeply complex, exploring moral ambiguity, philosophy, and mature subject matter intended for a wide demographic, from children to adults.

This ambition to cater to a wider audience is a key differentiator. Sharad Devarajan, a creator of The Legend of Hanuman, highlighted this exact shift in his interview with The Hindu, stating, "For decades, animation in India has been seen as a medium for kids. With The Legend of Hanuman, we wanted to create an epic animated event for all ages..."

Origin: Right off the bat, it fails the country-of-origin test. It is proudly a product of India, created by Hyderabad-based Green Gold Animations.

Audience and Story: The show is fairly aimed at young children. Its stories are simple, episodic adventures that always end with a clear moral. This is the classic cartoon format.

Animation Style: Chota Bheem’s simple, colorful 2D style, often made with Flash software, is designed for its target audience. It prioritizes clear, rounded character designs over the detailed art and cinematic flair typically found in anime.

The Verdict: Based on its origin, style, themes, and target audience, Chota Bheem is a classic Indian cartoon. And that's not a criticism. It’s a foundational show that has done more for homegrown animation than almost any other show in its audience age group. 

Comparing it to anime is like comparing a Bollywood masala film to a Korean thriller; both are pillars of their respective industries, but they play by different rules.

For years, fans looked up to international releases, whether anime or other animations. But what if an Indian show looks and feels like an anime?

This is where the clear distinction begins to dissolve. We’ve seen globally successful shows like Avatar: The Last Airbender, an American production that adopted anime’s visual style and long-form storytelling, create a new category of "anime-influenced animation."

India is now stepping into that very arena. Netflix’s upcoming epic, Kurukshetra, is expected to bring that change to the Indian animation industry. Based on the Mahabharata, this series is being explicitly marketed by the streaming giant as a "mythological anime." This is a major game-changer, as it’s the first time a major global platform has branded a mainstream Indian production with the "anime" label. 

This move by Netflix signals a shift where "anime" is becoming less about where a show is made and more about a certain art style, ambition, and quality of animation. This directly answers the question: yes, an Indian-originated show can be considered anime based on its animation and if its creators and distributors brand it as such.

This follows the success of series like The Legend of Hanuman on Disney+ Hotstar. While its creators did not name it an anime, its stunning visuals and complex narrative have already proven that Indian animation can compete on a global stage, moving far beyond the simplistic style of children's cartoons.

This is the most exciting question of all. While Japan has anime, South Korea, heavily influenced by its webtoon culture, has "aeni," and China is also dominating with its 3D-heavy, cultivation-themed "donghua." Each nation has developed an animation identity that is globally recognized yet uniquely its own.

India now stands at a potential inflection point. The ambition behind projects like Kurukshetra signals a desire to create a new wave of animation that combines the high-quality production values and narrative depth of anime while tapping into India’s unparalleled wealth of mythology and stories. It represents the first step toward a potential "India anime" identity.

So, no, Chota Bheem is not an anime. It's the foundation upon which something new is being built.

The term "anime" is evolving. What was once a simple label for "Japanese-made" is now becoming a global standard for a certain kind of ambitious, visually stunning animation. 

With a new generation of creators, groundbreaking projects like Kurukshetra, and government support for the AVGC industry, India is on the verge of creating its own new breed of animated media, and the world is waiting to see what we’ll call it.