“Author” is puzzled by a Japanese graduate student at an American university who lets his children watch American cartoons, but not anime. I don’t think that’s very surprising.

Assuming that the kids are under 10, then the vast majority of the anime available here is not appropriate for them. Unlike the American cartoons, they are just not intended for that age group.

Japan actually makes a lot of kodomo anime which is aimed at young children, but it is rarely licensed in America, mainly because it is of no better quality than the stuff you see on Saturday mornings on American TV. It does tend to have a distinctly Japanese flavor though.

Example: Zenryoku Usagi (The “Give it All You’ve Got” Rabbits.) The rabbits are construction workers. They have great company spirit. They work very hard. They should have the rest of the country paved over in a matter of months.