Wow, I didn't think I'd be posting here, but I am expressing some ANGST! with the people here saying how bad anime is.
DO THEY ACTUALLY EVEN WATCH IT? If they don't watch it, they really shouldn't give an opinion on it, or stereotype it.
Not ALL anime has robots or magic in it.
Good example: Detective Conan/Case Closed. It is a semi-serial series that has a high school student trapped in an elementary school student's body who solves crime mysteries because his legal guardian is too stupid to solve them himself.
Another good example: Cowboy Bebop. Another semi-serial series that contained 26 episodes. Yes, there was combat and stuff, but the only "robotic" things involved were space vessels.
Some stuff might be cheesy, yes, like during fights when characters just have to shout the names of their attacks, etc. It's only a small price to pay for something that can actually be entertaining to watch.
If you don't like anime that's fine but if you say "anime is horrible its just all magic and robots fighting and crap" try ACTUALLY WATCHING SOME ANIME THAT IS ACTUALLY GOOD before you can form an opinion on it.