I suppose I've always seen American cartoons as right side up and Japanese cartoons as upside down. The only Japanese cartoons I had access to as a youth were the dirty ones.

My wholesome childhood included the Disney afternoon, and Saturday morning was full of animated ducks and rabbits, looney toons. Of course they were some of the most violent shows ever created. Tom and Jerry were downright brutal. But it was still kids geared.

The first Japanese cartoon I ever saw was Ghost in the shell. The movie opens on a smokin' hot naked cartoon body. My parents had no clue. A week later, my dad rented me Akira. He'd never seen it, only heard about it, and it was a cartoon, so what's the harm to a six year old kid.

This is Akira, which includes rape, murder, genocide, and hundreds of exploding body parts. Who can forget the classic scene when Yuko is trapped in the fleshy, sludgy folds of her boyfriends skin, now that he has turned into a blob-monster the size of a city block. A single tear drops from Yuko's face as her skin cage tightens and her body bursts into a bloody mess. Perfect for a six year old.

Anyway, weather my love for the original American shows, or my fear of the racy Japanese material, today I love cartoons more than ever, whichever side of the Pacific they were inked.

Finally, if you're thinking of going on a paleo diet, I suggest reading this health blog first. It's got some great advice for primal newcomers.