Why is Anime so Enduringly Popular Around the World? Posted Mar 26, 2019
Anime is a pop culture phenomenon all around the world. No matter where you go – from its native Japan through to Europe and America – it has legions of adoring fans who ardently support every new TV show, game, manga, or movie that comes out.
In relative terms, this popularity is a rather recent thing, but anime has actually existed since around 1910. Exploding onto the international scene in the 80s and 90s, it has a number of cult franchises to thank for its success, such as Pokémon, Dragon Ball, and Yu-Gi-Oh, but that doesn’t explain how it’s managed to stay in this top spot for so long.
The answer is not a simple one, covering a multifaceted array of reasons. Let’s take a look at a few of them.
It pays attention to its fans and what they want
There are lots of critics who look down on fan service, but any pop culture trend has to retain its appeal if it doesn’t want to fade into the background. This is something that the creators of anime most definitely recognize, and they tend to do a very good job of it.
The main criticism of fan service is that it tends to substitute the commitment to quality storytelling with a plot that’s driven by the desire to please viewers, but the two need not always be mutually exclusive, and there is plenty of anime content that proves this. Gurren Lagann, Naruto, and One Piece are all perfect cases in point, showing the rest of the world exactly how fan service should be done.
It features high-quality storytelling
Strong storytelling should lie at the heart of every popular comic book franchise, TV show, or movie, but the reality is that it’s not always there. In anime, this is very rarely a problem. Most of the content that’s out there is incredibly story-oriented, with shows like Kino’s Journey acting as ideal examples. The format utilized by this show is one that ensures every episode is not only refreshing, but interesting and engaging for the viewer. Each person that the central character meets act as a life lesson in themselves – one that the audience can take away, digest, and mull over. And Kino’s Journey is most certainly not an exception to the rule.
It incorporates beautiful art and animations
Anime is characterized by the artistic style at its centre, so it’s no surprise that its animations are one of its particular strengths. Indeed, they’re so strong that they’ve inspired the creation of many other types of content too, from collectibles through to slot games. You only need to see the offerings at directory sites like CasinoGames.ca to have this proven, with numerous providers offering anime-themed content such as Sakura Fortune (which is available to play at LeoVegas) and Asian Beauty (from JackpotCity Casino). It’s unique, it’s striking, and it instantly identifies the content as anime.
Anime is an art form and creative medium unlike any other, and it has a unique magic that has helped contribute to its worldwide appeal. Whatever the exact scientific formula behind its popularity, we’re just glad that we get to enjoy it.
