movies/tv Why is anime so popular?

[Flutterdork 4]

Anime covers a much more wider variety of genres compared to American animation, which is almost strictly comedy. A lot of it is more story-heavy and character-driven than the cartoons we usually get.

 

 

That said, anime as a whole just isn't really my thing. I never really liked the typical anime art style, and a lot of it is just too bizarre for me. The only anime I love is the Dragon Ball franchise, which is ironically shunned by most hardcore anime fans. That might be why I feel somewhat ashamed of liking the series, but meh.

[Akemi Homura 7,682]

 

 

That said, anime as a whole just isn't really my thing. I never really liked the typical anime art style, and a lot of it is just too bizarre for me. The only anime I love is the Dragon Ball franchise, which is ironically shunned by most hardcore anime fans. That might be why I feel somewhat ashamed of liking the series, but meh.

 

Most shounen anime are shunned because of generic, typical plots and appealing visuals sort of like the average American action movie. Over time, it gets muddled and overused and the appeal is quickly lost.

 

It's a bit too much to over-think things, though. I for one tend to enjoy shounens most of the time because they act as they are instead of trying to be like Neon Genesis Evangelion with the creepy, mind-fuckery, and deep psychological analysis factor all the time and instead try tell a supposedly recycled, yet positive story with relatively positive emotions.

 

However, ramping every cliche shounene trope to eleven yields... surprisingly inspirational results that can literally encompass the entire landscape of the demographic itself. This is why Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is so critically acclaimed. Like the Dragonball franchise, it's all about feeling despite it having a fantastic story.

[DerpLeOtakuz 43]

Anime in general is awesome, if you ignore the yaoi, yuri, ecchi, and hentai, which are... Inappropriate.

 

I really like the style, especially them eyes.

The only thing is, there is a considerable amount of "plot", but overall, I think that the reason I love anime is because... It's so different from reality, and things are just spectacular. I especially love when I finish an anime and imagine myself as one of the characters.

[Scootalove 10,689]

I think it's because the style of anime is different when you compare the American style of cartoons to the Japanese style of anime. Anime allows you to have characters that you can relate to but in a different way than cartoons, and it gives you a different perspective away from reality to another form of imagination.

[Fluttershyfan94 5,746]

I used to wonder the same thing, then I started watching anime. The reason is simple, many animes have good storylines, good animation, good visuals, good voices all of those things you love about cartoons but I also feel like action scenes in anime are some of the best if not the best. I just really love everything about anime and the creativity just seems endless. To those who have not watched anime, ask for recommendations try an episode or two I'm sure you'll love it. If you like cartoons then you'll most likely like anime as well, there are just so many varieties there is something for everyone.

Edited December 26, 2013 by Fluttershyfan94

[Scarlet Letter 138]

THE PLOTS! ALL OF THE WONDERFUL PLOTS. and just because.

[TheInsaneShane 359]

Oh, this is my kind of thread!!!! I personally love anime; I can't get enough of it. Everytime I finish one, I just feel like starting new one already. There's just somthing...addicting about it. You could say it is like MLP. I was curious in MLP, and the second I started it I was addicted. I couldn't get enough. One of the main reasons is the art style. It is just so amazing how the Japanese illustrate these shows, and put so much work into them, that they can make a drawing of a one on one sword fight, look immensely intense. Sure, sometimes they'll use 3D CGI, but it's only used for moments containing something on a massive scale. And they always look great!!! So, yes, animation is definitely one of the best things about anime, but that alone would not give it the popularity it has earned today. Now, the Japanese way of storytelling and the American way of storytelling are quite different to say the least. American storytelling generally uses the four-act structure. At 1: The characters and main protagonist's goals are firmly established. Act 2:shows the characters(s) find a small obstacle in reaching the goal it is an easy conflict though. Act 3:the protagonist makes a mistake and lets the antagonist win a victory. All hope is lost. In Act 4 the protagonist makes a comeback, and defeats the villain and they return to their normal lives. Japanese storytelling, however generally follows a five act structure. Act 1: The protagonist lives his/her everyday life, everything is normal and things couldn't be better(or worse, depending on the character) Act 2: introduces conflict and dilemma Act 3 is the climax. Act 3:the drama of the story is greatly intensified and tries to appeal emotionally to the viewer. Act 4: eases down the drama from previous act. Act 5: Winds back down and everything goes back to normal. Protagonist goes back to her/his daily life. There are many differences between the storytelling of each culture, maybe some people just like the Japanese way better. I for one love it. I just love the fakeness of how it starts, to the way it drastically changes course almost suddenly. Other than that though, thy are pretty similar. In both ways the character is introduced with conflict, the conflict deals with drama, emotion, the character(s) defeat the conflict, and everything goes back to normal. It's just the way that these situations are presented to us...that intrigues us. Now, I'm pretty sure I know the main reason some people hate on anime the way they do. Porn. Yeah, pornography...hentai. In Japanese, hentai is the word meaning pervert. And, obviously the industry has a lot of it. There are many different types of anime, hentai is a VERY small portion of it, but it's very much still there. But, think about it, all they do, we do with most of our entertainment anyways... *cough *cough cloppers. Far too friendly fan art. All they are doing is trying to appeal to the demographic of people who want something dirty. (Admit it, that's all of us. XD) I won't delve any more into the subject, I just thought it had to be talked about. Now, let's talk the types of anime. One of the best things about anime is the fact that the Japanese see anime(Japanese for any type of animation) Japanese see anime as an art form. Americans mostly...just mostly see it as a form of entertainment for children. Anime is used for children, for teenagers, adults, all demographics. They can be comedies, they can be romantic comedies, they can be dramas, they can be all out action animes, some can have a mix of all genres. Also they are vary varied and different with every anime they make, whether it's the setting, time period, etc... These are the reasons I watch anime and love it!!!! I hope I shed some light on why anime is so damn popular, and hope more people will get into it! If you read through all this, I appreciate it, and I hope I answered your question!!!!

 

Here's my favorite character from one of my favorite animes ever, Fate/Zero...

 

And this is my favorite character from another favorite. Puella Magi Madoka Magica...

Edited December 28, 2013 by TheInsaneShane

[SomariFeyWright 776]

People can argue otherwise, but let's face it: In general, anime and western animation are handled very differently.

 

Western animation is mostly centered around slapstick and comedy; at least the things still running. Now, I'm not saying this is necessarily a bad thing; shows like Billy and Mandy and, to a lesser extent, Gravity Falls, are among some of my most-watched programs at all. But, of course, though it is based solely on opinion, an often-agreed-upon idea is that the quality of western animation is dropping, putting more focus into slapstick and "humor" over legitimately well thought-out situations and likeable characters, and excluding certain gems like MLP and Gravity Falls, and it's actually true.

 

Japan, meanwhile, has deeply rooted fandom culture. Unlike Western animation, Japanese animation goes all over the place; slapstick is there, but so too is psychological/visual horror, suspense, romance, slice-of-life, smiley-face-shows, and things like that. Outside of Japanese animation, for the most part, those genres are limited mainly to live-action productions. Sad, but true.

 

In my case, I'd like to add the whole concept of "moe". Okay, this is going to sound rather narrow-minded given my prior points, but when I watch anime, the artstyle and the personality of the characters is a heavy deciding factor in whether or not I'll go on through it. A "cute" artstyle (i.e. sparkling eyes, soft colors, etc.) is something I absolutely love. But I can't stand a show if it's characters are too two-dimensional. Meaning no school bullies or Mary Sues. I have a general appreciation for characters who act gentle and kind... At least kind. Or at LEAST have a soft side to them. As western animation focuses mostly on slapstick and comedic suffering, anime really IS the best place for me to find that.

 

... But of course, that's just me.

[SilverStarApple 850]

What makes anime so great?

 

Storytelling, fight scenes, deep characters, backstories, fanservice, and overarching themes.

[Not_active 732]

I don't like anime at all, the characters seem to typically be the overly-badass cliché, and I really can't stand the animation. The framerate is so choppy I could have a seizure.

[Flytee 237]

Anime is popular for loads of different reasons, and each one applies to a different section of fans.

 

One reason would be because fans find certain anime characters attractive, from girls who are cute and "moe" to ladies with water melon sized breasts...because of this attraction fan-service packed shows like K-ON, kissxsis, Strike Witches, high school of the dead and many more become really popular.

 

While other types of anime are popular because they tackles some really compelling subjects in a mature and gripping way. They're literally popular for the same reasons shows like Breaking bad and Game of thrones are! They just contain excellent story telling. (FMA Brother hood, cowboy bepop, perfect blue, tokyo ghoul, spice and wolf, madoka magica, the list goes on)

 

Another reason is anime is popular is it often goes a step further then any other medium with its action, gore, romance, comedy, everything is just bigger and more out there for the vast majority of shows.

 

The final reason and probably most obvious reason is it has mass appeal- there is an anime for every gender and age, every lifestyle, every interest. You can find a show that will be to your tastes.

Edited August 25, 2014 by Flytee

[Steel Accord 6,660]

What makes western cartoons so popular?

 

Anime is an entire meta-genre. Just as much as there are American or Canadian cartoons to satisfy every need, be it comedy, action, horror or what have you, anime is varied.

 

Both can be about young children exploring strange worlds:

 

 

 

Both can be about horror:

 

 

 

(Stop right there, because you will NOT convince me Ren and Stimpy was not horror!)

 

Both can balance comedy and drama.

 

 

 

Both can explore the juxtaposition of mundane life dilemmas leading to fantastical circumstance.

 

(It's actually kind of hard to find a straight cover of this show that doesn't have Haruhi and/or Mikuru in compromising clothes or positions.  )

 

 

 

 

I think the reason most brony fan art has some anime influence is for the same reason Avatar has some. People are influenced by the art they are exposed to and like.

 

Japanese animation actually began with it's primary influence being old Disney Mickey Mouse and crew cartoons, so American artists being influenced in turn by Japanese artists makes this both natural and cyclical.

 

If you are addressing the specific cult following it attracts . . . well, what doesn't? You go to bronycon or comicon or any video game convention and you're going to find mostly the same things. Cosplayers, merch booths, charity auctions, and lines for celebrity guests way too long to be worth it.

Edited August 25, 2014 by Steel Accord

[Khaoios 1,970]

I've gotta say, I love Anime, b/c of the art and storylines (excluding the ones which are very slow stories like Naruto, which I gave up on), but they have pretty interesting stories compared to western cartoons, which are goofy in a way. 

[sharon hankinson 0]

I don't know but I would like to know why so many people like anime

Spoiler

 

 

[Zyrael 1,473]

I wonder if people in the east ask, "why are american movies so popular"?

 

The japanese can tell a damn good story. If a show has quality content, characters, and good writing, it will develop a following. It just so happens that most of Japan's cultural exports are animated and they do it well, so we respond to it. 

This is common sense, believe it or not. But I often see how people in the west react with shock and negativity toward it, because it's foreign to them.

 

 

[K.Rool Addict 719]

Anime is popular because it scratched an itch for many people who liked traditional western animation, but were not satisfied with the low-consequence narratives of such. Anime could take cartoons in a more serious direction with larger focus on mature thematic elements as opposed to simple comedy.

Lately, anime has really been going down the drain, with lackluster by-the-numbers narratives, subpar animation (as the result of animation studios working their animators like sweat shop workers), and overabundance of shallow fanservicey elements. If anime continues this downward trend, I can only assume the industry will eventually implode; as I believe even the die-hard fans will catch that the overall quality is not what it used to be.

I'm hoping for an anime renaissance, similar to what happened in 2010 for western animation. Shows like Steven Universe, Adventure Time, and MLP:FiM can compete with the Samurai Jack's, Animaniac's, and PowerPuff Girls' of yesteryear; maybe soon we will get some heavy hitters that can compete with the likes of Death Note, Elfen Lied, Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni, Haruhi Suzumiya no Yuutsu, Tengen Toppa Guren Lagaan, and FLCL to name a few.... Last anime I watched that I was pleasantly surprised by was Anohana (and even that isn't quite on par with those aforementioned classics :O)

[Denim&Venöm 20,359]

Anime isn't confined to the western stereotype 'cartoons are for kids.' Cause most anime is not for kids. Western cartoons tend to either be geared towards a very young demographic with either action (Comic book shows), fantasy (MLP, Adventure time), sci-fi(Transformers, Star Wars)  SOL (Littlest Pet Shop, Hey Arnold) or educational settings (Dora, Callou) or they are geared towards adults with heavy emphasis on comedy (Simpsons, Family Guy). 

With anime, the appeal and the genres are more broad, appealing to kids and adults as well as the teenage demographic. It's not just limited to the aforementioned, but also includes romance, drama, horror, history and others that the west wouldn't bother with. The themes are also more mature, most anime focusing on teens and young adults on average, but even the stuff included in those would never make FCC standards. Anime is typically rather liberal with depictions of adult and sexual situations. Not out right porn in most cases, but stuff that wouldn't make day time television, with skimpy outfits, innuendos and compromising situations shown.

The action is also ramped up,with fight choreography that puts western action cartoons to shame. Blood, weapons and even death are far more common. To see how much things differ, you just have to look at the amount of censorship 4Kids media applied to shows like Yu-Gi-Oh, Sonic X, Pokemon and One Piece, taking shows aimed at teens, and making them overtly kid friendly. 

You also have to understand that animation is far, far more respected as a medium in Japan than it is in the west, so it will get much more attention to details, like better animation, deeper characters, as well as more complex and original stories. 

 

In short, don't look at anime as a sub-genre or even a genre, but a different philosophy towards animation. Cause asking soemone what is anime in Japan, is like asking anyone else 'what is a cartoon?'

[cmarston1 5,962]

As a whole Anime is much more renowned for having in depth story lines and being much more serialized than most western cartoons have been.

That along with being able to tell more teen and adult oriented subject matters, are what I think make it as appealing as it has become to others.

[TBD 17,271]

I guess you could say maybe because how the voice acting put so much emotions into their characters. making it more like a "drama" show.  I don't think its the plot or the art since you would have the  US animation  done the same in some shows like DC or marvel ones for example. I only find it appealing because I like shows (anime or not) that is entergic and have a good story to it.

Although I will say this, credited for the US animation since they don't "glorified" their character much as the anime ones. (which gets pretty boring)

 

[Retro*Derpy 3,325]

I like it for a lot of personal, relatable characters/stories.

Plus the action genre has some pretty rad fights that I enjoy watching. One punch man ~

 

[Guest]

It's art style is really nice. Other than that, same reasons why cartoons, movies or any other shows are popular.

[Tao 8,845]

I think it comes to the depth of story and also the style that sadly western cartoons tend to lack most of the time (minus a few).   Also anime

has something for everyone from high end fantasy/slice of life/gore and blood/mech/ and just to point out a few.   Than throw in movies like Spirited Away,  and Howl's Moving Castle that can even put Disney to shame in the story telling and style.

[GiFTGewEhrSCHutzen-4 8,833]

Guess the reason why anime is so popular, even right now, is because of the way they're drawn, the design of their outfits, the storyline, and many, many more. That's what I think to why anime is still around to this day.

[碇 シンジン 27,439]

Art style cultural refreshment and unusual stories / new ideas that arent commonly explored thtough animated media