Anime Fever Continues in the United Kingdom but Will it Last? Posted Sep 9, 2021
Anime remains one of the most well liked and favoured Japanese exports since sushi, the rice cooker and emoticons! The popularity of anime in the UK continues to rise, but will it ever reach the same levels of France or the USA? Some say yes, others say no, the team here at Absolute Anime are undecided. Let’s look at the opinions on Anime in the UK.
Anime in the UK? The Opinion of Reddit
According to one reddit conversation and in particular a Reddit user named Benjymous, “The British aren’t as used to watching subtitled or dubbed TV in comparison to other English-speaking countries.” If this is true, and it seems to be, then it is certainly understandable why UK anime is struggling to peak. As a UK writer myself, I struggle to think of even one tv show aired in the UK which requires subtitles. Foreign films are not popular and never have been and foreign dramas are rarely aired on TV if they are not in the English language.
In addition, another user may have hit the nail on the head when it comes to the general perception of anime in the UK, DruminOmlette states, “The majority of animated shows in the UK are watched by children, that’s just the way it is.”
In the UK, it remains the opinion of both the older and younger generation of people (especially the older) that animated shows are deigned for children, and that it is rather immature or even uncouth to watch and enjoy such shows when a child is not present. Although there have been certain animated shows targeted at adults which have been successful in the UK (The Simpsons and Family Guy) as well as Disney films, these still have one major thing in common – none of them require subtitles.
2000s Anime
Although the original Pokémon anime as well as several others were extremely successful in the early 2000s, there was a reason why UK broadcasters were quicker to pick them up for UK audiences. The anime’s which have been successful in the UK, have usually been picked up by American broadcasters first and then reanimated by them. In the UK, these shows were picked up by Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network, two children’s television channels.
There has only ever been one anime dedicated channel that I can think of, it was called Anime Central on Sky and lasted less than one year. Although BBC Three and ITV 2 are somewhat known for airing adult themed anime series later in the evening, these will almost always be in English and never subtitled. Yu-Gi-oh achieved a fair amount of fame in the UK, but again, there were no subtitles, English speaking (American) actors were used to voice the characters.
Is it fair to say that if there are subtitles, UK audiences, just aren’t interested? Perhaps.
Online Streaming
Of course, in recent years, UK audiences have no longer had to rely on television broadcasters deciding what they can and should watch. Online streaming has meant that anyone can watch anything with ease. There are now thousands of websites dedicated to anime, many of which allow internet users to stream anime anytime for free. Online streaming has meant a huge and rapid increase in popularity of anime in the country. In addition, online streaming services such as Netflix has also contributed to the popularity increase.
Most anime users in the UK fall into the demographic of people who have 24/7 access to the internet and know how to safely stream using the internet, given this fact, it makes sense that anime will witness a slow and steady increase in popularity over time, as a greater number of children in the UK grow up with direct access to the internet.
Online Casinos Picking Up Anime Themes
Online slot game development companies are creating anime themed slots which are picking up a following too. UK customers can play at trustworthy UK slot sites at FreebieSlots where they can play slots which are based on anime tv shows. Some of these slots include the likes of Thai Flower and Koi Princess, both of which are inspired by anime. NetEnt is probably the most well-known developer creating anime-based slot games.
Like anime tv shows, UK casino sites are most frequently accessed by a younger audience between the ages of 18 and 30. Don’t forget, gambling is often a theme seen in various anime series, so its no surprise to see online gambling companies returning the favour.
Has Anime in the UK Reached its Peak?
To say that anime doesn’t have a large following in the UK is wrong, but in comparison with France and the USA, you can understand why some people would see it this way. However, globalisation, the mixture of cultures and an ever-increasing access and reliance on the internet means that it looks certain that anime fever in the UK will continue for the foreseeable future.