The word anime (believe it or not, it's pronounced "ah-knee-may") originates from Japan which, in Japan, refers to all animation while in other places, it refers to animation in Japan. A man by the name of Osamu Tezuka was the one who began the anime tradition by creating Tetsuwan Atom or Astro Boy.
"Tetsuwan Atom"
For many years, anime was made by and for Japan - a local product, with a specific look and feel for not just the artwork but for the storylines, themes, and concepts. More than forty years now, anime is found world-wide, translated into many different languages.
Since all things anime clump together, its real tempting to find anime as a genre. It isn't, at no more than animation itself is a genre, but gives a description on how it was made. Anime falls into many existing genres: such as sci-fi, romance, action, adventure, comedy, drama, horror, and so on.
What's So Special About Anime?
Majority of anime fans sum it all up into two words: "It's different". Like how different American comics is from the comics in the newspaper. The differences mostly show because of the artwork storytelling.
Anime art styles include shonen anime (Naruto, One Piece, Dragon Ball, Attack On Titan), seinen (One Punch Man, Tokyo Ghoul, Berserk), kodomomuke (Pokemon, Youkai Watch), and more! That said, even shows that may seem basic can be a real hit. Anime has a way of making everything look fresh and new.
It sure enough doesn't shy away for epic storyliners which often can lead to hundreds of episodes. The best anime though, no matter what their length is, requires emotional involvement from viewers.
Overall, no matter what kind of genre you're into, anime can just about guarantee you that there is anime out there that you will absolutely love.