Is Invincible an anime?

With Invincible Season 2 airing its finale, some fans may be wondering: is it considered an anime?

When Invincible’s first episode premiered in 2021, its closing scene was a mainstream watershed moment for Western animation; more specifically, Omni-Man’s visceral, shocking slaughter of the Guardians of the Globe, earning its 18+ rating in gruesome style.

Macabre visuals and adult themes aren’t new in animation; Watership Down still traumatizes kids, Studio Ghibli’s movies are often overwhelmingly emotional, and as well as DC and Mortal Kombat’s animated features, there’s acclaimed outliers like Waltz with Bashir and A Scanner Darkly.

Invincible is a little different though, given its TV format and visual palette evoking other anime shows — so, is it an anime?

Is Invincible an anime?

While Invincible is animated, it is not an anime. Anime refers to animated projects originating from Japan, and Invincible is an American series.

It’s a bit like champagne and prosecco: they’re both sparkling wines, but the former gets its name from its place of origin in France. Invincible’s art style and graphic content may be influenced by anime, but that doesn’t make it an anime.

It’s a debate that’s reared its head before, particularly around Avatar: The Last Airbender, but it really is as simple as that: anime comes from Japan, so unless it’s been produced by a Japanese studio, it doesn’t qualify.

As one Redditor explained: “Anime is just a simplification of the word anime. The answer is both yes and no. It would be in the same class as anime but was made in the West so it’s an animation. But they are the same thing, literally the only difference is the country it was made in.”

That’s not to say you can’t compare the genres and highlight similarities. An earlier Reddit thread discussed how Invincible is “as close to a Shonen anime” as we’ll get in Western pop culture, given its adherence to the source material and bold violence.

“This show is actually the first American animated show I know of that actually just straight up adapts the already great source material it’s based on and doesn’t do any weird liberties with it just like mangas,” one user wrote, while another replied: “Invincible is more superhero anime than superhero animes.”

Invincible Seasons 1-2 are streaming now. You can also find out more about everything else we know about Invincible Season 3, the show’s soundtrack, and its cast, and see what other TV shows you should be streaming in April.

Episode 1 recap | Episode 2 recap | Episode 3 recap | Episode 4 recap | Episode 5 recap | Episode 6 recap | Episode 7 recap | Episode 8 recap