isn't SVG the format that adobe was trying to champion as a flash alternative with their program LiveMotion? I'm not really sure about the xml implemenation of SVG, bu ti find it already pretty easy to draw anime style in the flash app (but i do draw and i use a pen tablet). let me know how it goes...

lightwave 3d was created by an anime fan who couldn't draw but could code ;)

SVG is an interesting format, but a little late. Had it come around many years ago, it might have had a chance, but today it is really just seen as a standards based Flash knockoff, being backed by Adobe. There is nothing wrong with the format, but it is limited in support, and there are not many tools that use or create it, when compared with the SWF format.

All of that said, a format isn't really going to effect the art all that much. Now days most drawing tools are vector based (with a raster rendering layer for effects), and will handle scalable shapes about equally. About all a format will effect is the look of the final output. Vector formats are good for main character animation using a cel look, because those lend themselves to the flat color and simple gradients of vector output, but backgrounds usually are going to end up being raster, to get that more "painterly" look.