Anime is getting more popular with every month

[Excessum]

Originally Posted by www.otakutimes.com

Anime accounts for 26% of searches on Wikipedia

A testament to the popularity of anime outside of Japan, market research group Compete, Inc have released details on their blog which suggest that 26% of all searches on Wikipedia during the month of April were anime related!

Oh man... otaku is not a alternative culture anymore... it's becoming a part of the "popular" culture... the question is, is it a good or bad thing?

[MMM]

It has to be a good thing. The more fans there are... the more titles that will be released... the fewer series that will be stopped midway... the higher quality of releases... the prices might even go down.

It's easy to want it to be "our little secret" but if we really love an anime, don't we want everyone to see it?

[Acidreptile]

I guess it's good,but usually when something becomes mainstream,it also becomes artificial,at least that's the case with music.Let's hope the same don't happen to anime.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by Acidreptile

I guess it's good,but usually when something becomes mainstream,it also becomes artificial,at least that's the case with music.Let's hope the same don't happen to anime.

I totally agree. There are certainly negatives to it, too. However, like music, anime is a media of its own, not just a genre. Just as I don't like all music, or even very much music, I really like the music I do. Anime is the same way. The more we have to choose from, the better chance we'll have in finding stuff we really like.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by YaksokuDa

I think it's great.
But I wouldn't like it if everyone liked anime, I like Anime, not many people I know do, that's part of the charm I think.

That's a very interesting and honest take in the situation, and I think a lot of people are in the same boat.

For example, fans of punk music love punk music, and think it's the best, but at the same time don't want their favorite punk bands played on Top 40 radio and selling out auditoriums. They still may feel that music is the best, but they don't want EVERYONE to think that music is the best because then they lose that ability to define that passion as a part of their unique personality. Totally and completely fair.

Though as anime does spread through Western society, we see its popularity spread, but also sub-cultures emerge. To me saying "I am an anime fan" is almost like saying "I am a TV fan" (not quite, but getting there). Horror, comedy, shoujo, space opera... we are getting more and more titles now that can be classified and sub-classified so that you can get genre fans. I am an "anime fan" but I am certainly not a fan of most of the anime out there, just as I am a "music fan" but the majority of music out there doesn't appeal to me (as it is with most people, I am sure).

[kireikoori]

Back when I first started watching anime, it was wayyyy underground here.
Since then it's everywhere.

I'm not as into anime as I used to be but I think it's a good thing.
If anything will help other Japanese media become popular worldwide it'll be anime.

More anime fans me more people with a positive view of Japan. Which is always a good thing.
I've never really wanted any of the underground things I like to have stayed underground. I've always been saddened that most of the stuff I like isn't mainstream.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by kireikoori

\
More anime fans me more people with a positive view of Japan. Which is always a good thing.

Oh, totally! I am amazed at how much Japanese culture and traditions are now common knowledge in the West, when a decade or two ago it was a complete mystery.

A couple years ago a teenaged acquaintance of mine asked about the lunch scene in "The Breakfast Club" (which was new when I was in high school...umm...in 1986). In the scene Judd Nelson makes fun of a Molly Ringwald for bringing sushi for lunch. "Raw fish? You're really going to eat that?"

The teenager I knew was confused by that scene because at the time (mid 2000s) all his friends went to eat sushi regularly, and had never heard of someone making fun of someone who ate sushi. Of course, this is on the West Coast, so it may be more normal here than other places, but I think the point still stands.

[ILOVEJAPAN]

Anime is becoming more and more main streem all the time. But lets not forget its been main streem in japan for years. Anime is made in Japan so the creators only consider the Japanese audience. It becoming mainstream in america wont affect it in Japan, so we dont need to worry about anything changing.

Although maybe somthings happening in Japan too. Latley I have noticed anime becoming more focused on the animation, and less on the plot. Im not sure whats happening.

Somthing else from Japan that I think is really entering main streem in america, is Japanese movies. The popularity of J-horror is really getting big. Like Ring, Ju-On, and anything from Takashi Miike, (like audition, or ichi the killer) I think the new popularity of Japanese films over seas is affecting the Japanese film industry alot. Is it just me, or are Japanese films getting higher budgets then ever before? I ecessialy noticed in 2005 and 2006, some really high budget films from Japan.

[Away]

Originally Posted by MMM

It has to be a good thing. The more fans there are... the more titles that will be released... the fewer series that will be stopped midway... the higher quality of releases... the prices might even go down.

It's easy to want it to be "our little secret" but if we really love an anime, don't we want everyone to see it?

Thats a good point, that the more that people like manga, the more releases there might be. I guess that there will be much more variety to choose from, and anime artists, will compete harder to get on top of the competion for the manga art.

[Haggis]

Anime is made in Japan so the creators only consider the Japanese audience. It becoming mainstream in america wont affect it in Japan, so we dont need to worry about anything changing.

I think there is a worry that asian movies, games and anime will be heavily influenced by the west.

For example:
The anime style of Final Fantasy VII shifted to a more western style in VIII

The great Fudoh war was only directed by Takashi Miike as they thought it would help it sell abroad.

I also believe that Western companies heavily financed films like Ghost in the Shell, which runs the risk that they will try to appeal to western audiences.

Also I feel it's a shame many asian directors have tried to make it big in the west, Stephen Chow, John Woo etc as their work has suffered. It's not too bad yet as it's still at the early stages but it's a worrying trend.