From its stunning visuals to its captivating stories, anime has captured the hearts of millions of people around the world. Everyone has seen at least one anime in their lifetime. If you haven’t, then believe me, you have missed a lot in your life.
But Don’t worry in this article, we will dive deep into the world of Japanese animation and understand the meaning, history, and cultural significance of anime. So, that you can understand What is anime and why you should consider watching it.
The Definition Of Anime
Anime is basically the short word for “animation” in Japanese. All the animation, including television shows, movies, and OVAs (original video animations), that originated in Japan is known as “anime.”
Anime is renowned for it’s unique style, which emphasizes exaggerated features and emotive expression, intricate landscape, and fast-paced action sequences.
The History Of Anime
The history of anime goes way back to 19th century. The japan’s first full-length animated film “Momotaro’s Devine Sea Warriors” was released in 1917. With time, anime became more elaborate and sophisticated in terms of storytelling and animation as well.
The popularity of anime outside of japan started in the 1960’s and anime became a global phenomenon. Today anime has become one of the most popular forms of entertainment, with millions of fans around the world.
Types Of Anime Series
From romance, comedy to action packed adventure, anime comes in a wide range of varieties. There is an anime for every type of person. Some of the most popular anime types or genres include:
- Shonen
- Shoujo
- Seinen
- Josei
- Ecchi
- Harem
- Isekai
- Mecha
- Slice of life
- Kodomomuke
- Iyashikei
Explaining all Anime Genre can be tricky and time consuming so we will explain them in later articles. For now just know that these are some of the most known types or Genre of anime.
Why Anime Got So Popular?
Anime has became so popular that it is impossible to hide from it. Millions of fans around the world goes crazy when their favorite show or movie get released. So, Why is this anime craze so popular?
The Popularity of anime can be attributed to a variety of factors, including Its unique storytelling, its wide range of genres, its memorable characters and worlds.
Additionally, anime’s stunning visuals and attention to detail have also contributed significantly to its popularity.
Anime has grown even more during pandemic. While sitting at home, people were looking for another form of entertainment and found anime. Thus, we can say that anime’s popularity was greatly influenced by the pandemic
Popularity Of Anime In USA
Anime is one of the biggest source of entertainment in USA. It is estimated that 72 percent of people in US watch anime on a regular basis. That is, more Americans watch anime shows than in Japan. But Japan has higher percentage of people watching anime.
With the release of anime films like “Akira” and “Ghost In The Shell” anime popularity in the United States started to grow in the early 1990s. After that, people in the US kept getting influenced by anime.
The most well known and popular Anime Shows in USA are Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, One Piece, Pokemon, Demon Slayer, Attack On Titan, Sailor Moon, Jujutsu Kaisen and My hero academia.
Do Adults Watch Anime?
Yes, Adults do watch anime. Many people who don’t know what is anime, believed that anime was only for children and teenagers. But now anime has gained a huge following among adults as well.
There are many anime shows that are not made for kids. Their main target audience are Adults because these anime series explore complex themes, feature mature storylines, and adult content.
There are even some genre like Ecchi and harem that are completely focused for adults.
In recent years the Popularity of anime has grown significantly among the adults. Series like Attack On Titan, Fullmetal Alchemist, Death Note and movies like Your name and Spirited Away have gained a large following among adults.
Adults now openly acknowledge that they watch anime because of how popular it has become among them. In addition to normal people, several celebrities who loves anime and have openly expressed their passion for it in the public.
Impact Of Anime On Society
Anime has a huge impact on society. Here are few ways anime has influenced society.
Creative Inspiration
Many writers, filmmakers, and artists have been influenced by anime to produce their own original works of art without any restrictions. Because of anime, storytelling has undergone a significant transformation. Many films, video games, and comic books have drawn influence from anime.
Global Popularity
Anime has become a global phenomenon. Millions of fans around the world are craving for more entertainment, and to fulfill the demand, anime studios are producing more and more anime. This has resulted in the creation of new job opportunities and the growth of the anime industry.
Cultural Understanding
The majority of anime is set in Japan and depicts their culture, customs, and way of life. This made it possible for a foreign audience to understand more about Japanese culture and bypass cultural boundaries.
Educational Value
Many anime shows that belong to science fiction and historical genres, have educated many viewers about the past, present, and future. As a result, individuals find learning more fun.
Social Awareness
Many real-world issues including gender equality, mental health, racism, slavery, poverty, and environmentalism, have also been addressed in anime. There are many anime series that have raised awareness about these issues, and influenced people to create a better world.
Ultimately, through influencing art, culture, entertainment, and education, anime has a very good influence on society.
Why You Should Watch Anime?
There are several reason why you should watch anime, Some of them being:-
Diverse Storytelling
Anime has a wide range of genres and storytelling. From action packed shonen anime series to heart warming slice of life, You are sure to find something of your taste. The unique animation and storytelling will definitely take you on an amazing journey.
Cultural Exchange
All the anime are heavily influenced by Japan. By watching anime you can learn more about their culture and people and you may learn some Japanese on the way.
Entertainment Value
Anime can be a wonderful form of entertainment that can improve your mental health by lowering stress and depression.
Escapism
There are times when you want to escape reality and go to a dream world, and anime can be the gateway for that. With so many genres, anime can let you transport yourself to another realm and experience life in another fantasy world.
Community
Anime has one of the best communities. People will warmly welcome you to the community if you are new to anime. It is a great way to interact with other people. There are several anime forums, conventions, and groups that you can be a part of.
So, there are plenty of real reasons to start watching anime now. If you haven’t started yet then what are you waiting for, Hurry up because you are missing a lot in your life.
Where To Watch Anime?
There are several platforms where you can officially watch anime. Some of the most popular options are:-
- Crunchyroll (reccomended)
- Funimation
- Netflix
- Hulu
- Amazon Prime Video
There are also some free sites where you can watch anime, but watching anime on free sites can be illegal, and the quality of the shows is also poor. It is recommended to watch anime officially from the above mentioned sources.
Downside Of Anime
Although there are many great aspects of anime, there are also some potential downside of anime:-
- Stereotyping:- Some anime can reinforce negative stereotypes about certain groups, or people of a particular race or ethnicity. It’s crucial to be aware of these issues.
- Over-sexualization:- Some anime can be overly sexualized, with characters wearing revealing clothes or engaging in sexual activities. Some viewers might find this unpleasant. Shows from the Ecchi and Harem genres, in particular, contain a lot of nudity.
- Addiction:- As with any type of entertainment, it possible to become addicted to anime and spend most of your time watching it. This addiction to anime can negatively impact you relationships and life as a whole.
- Violence:- Certain anime can be quite violent, including gore and blood. It might not be appropriate for all viewers especially kids and teenager as it can have a negative effect on their behavior.
- Cultural Differences:- Most of the anime are highly influenced by Japanese culture, and all people may not understand or accept some elements of the culture. So, it is important to go into anime with an open mind and appreciate their culture.
Anime industry is unexpectedly huge then you think. In 2022 anime industry was valued at $28.61 billion and is expected to grow at a compounded rate of 9.8% per year from 2023 to 2030.
The first official featured length anime was created in 1917, titled “Momotaro’s Devine Sea Warriors”.
Conclusion
In conclusion anime is a great form of entertainment that has captured the heart of millions of people around the world. It is simple to understand what is anime and why it is still so popular due to its distinctive aesthetic, rich cultural relevance, and historical background.
With its distinct storytelling approach, diverse variety of genres, and breathtaking graphics, anime will undoubtedly become more and more popular in the years to come.
