[edelweiss]

So I guess you have never heard of the Simpsons, or Futurama? Or how adults all over the world watch them? I'm pretty sure I've seen Simpsons merchandise in every major European city I've been to...

There is nothing inherently "for children" about animation as a medium for storytelling it's just been primarily used that way in many parts of the world. Japan has a lot of anime that is geared towards children but they use it as a story telling medium for all ages - just like live-action features. Many adults in Japan will be interested in a specific title if it's part of a general genre that interests them (mystery, adventure, romance, comedy, horror) but they do not consider themselves "anime fans", they are very selective about what they will watch. Or they just love the the funny popular shows that everyone else watches like Crayon Shin-chan, much like people loving the Simpsons.

Some stories are popular enough that they get not only a animated series but also a live action series or movies like Death Note, Honey and Clover, Nana, Great Teacher Onizuka and Gokusen.[