The Rising Popularity of Anime
Watching TV throughout the Noughties I was constantly reminded by American pop culture that the things I enjoy most were definitely not that cool. There are whole TV shows such as those like the Big Bang Theory, whose entire joke sets centre on the shaming of characters who enjoy fantasy-based films, shows and literature. In particular, ‘anime’ as a genre has typically maintained a ‘bad rep’ due its main consumer demographic often being depicted as sweaty sex starved men living in their mothers’ basements.
Thankfully I didn’t go to school in an American rom-com and having spent significant parts of my childhood between Italy and Brazil, anime was and remains to be, a very popular day time TV genre across international audiences and my favourite thing to watch for a lazy day at Nonna’s (Grandma’s). Whilst Britain’s Children’s TV landscape had some absolute gold dust back in the day, it really didn’t come close to the other worldliness of anime and all its fantastic creatures and characters. In my small years, there was nothing more I wanted in life that an actual real-life Bulbasaur and I was an obsessive collector of small plastic Hamtaro figurines from the gumball machines dotted around Italian supermarkets and arcades. My memories of being a starry-eyed child spending time with my colourful and creative friends from the likes of Doraemon, Astro Boy, Pokemon, Lupin the Third, Detective Conan, Holly e Benji (in Italian) and perhaps more recognisably, Naruto, feels like a stark contrast to the otherwise hyper sexualised and gratuitous violence anime is often related to. However, that’s not to say there isn’t plenty of that too.
Anime as a genre has enjoyed an increase in popularity over the last decade, with a constantly diversifying audience demographic. Its popularity has especially picked up traction in the latter half of the decade, as establish streaming sites such as Netflix and Crunchyroll continue to host and even produce original anime’s for global audiences.
Watching the Ghibli movies for the first time felt like a graduation from the day time TV heroes I had been accustomed to viewing. The Ghibli franchise is now a well-loved and universally revered collection of cinematic experiences that many will have heard and approve of. If the main attraction to anime has to do with the feeling of escapism, then watching films such as Spirited Away or Ponyo felt like being taken on holiday – to another universe. The Ghibli collection has enjoyed global and ageless success, with Spirited Away being the first anime film ever to have won an Oscar in 2003 for Best Animated Feature.
Despite this, Miyazaki (the most public face of the Ghibli franchise) has publicly rebuked ‘anime’ and does not want Ghibli’s work to be associated to the genre. He believes that the anime industry is guilty of overproducing meaningless art, created with the mere intent to bank on franchising and toys, not the story. More than that, the companies behind anime production have steamrolled what he deems as pervasive and extreme cultures and personality types, such as ‘Otakus’ which he believes corrupts the art behind anime. Anime shows and their characters are commercially created, oversimplified, and exaggerated, and never truly capture the full breadth of human emotions, including those even of emptiness or mundanity which humans experience in their day to day.
Certainly the importance of even the quieter moments in the Ghibli movies do not go undervalued to audiences. Makoto Shinkai’s ‘Weathering with You’ has enjoyed similar praise for its ultra-HD art quality and overwhelming attention to detail, leading to almost synaesthetic experiences for viewers, when watching the movie and others like it. Somehow, the depiction of food or even water, in these films somehow doesn’t seem as special as their real-life counterparts in movies.
I can certainly empathise with Miyazaki’s concerns about anime production. Whilst I may not have had the vocabulary for it in my pre-teen years and certainly as I’ve gotten older, I have found it at times hard to enjoy, as I was repeatedly uncomfortable and tired of portrayals of female characters as not existing beyond the male gaze. Retrospectively, however this makes sense, as I was mainly consuming what was mostly shown to me on TV, which was ‘Shounen’ anime, which are specifically created for boys anywhere between seven and eighteen.
Whilst even Miyazaki himself has also not completely escaped criticisms about the 'male gaze', Ghibli’s movies are often seen as feminist masterpieces, as most plots are driven by female protagonists and antagonists that exist beyond the female norm in anime, as in, women with problematically childlike appearances and gravity defying breasts. The women in these films are varied in character and find strength in their compassion as much as in their physical or intellectual abilities. Growing up, they have served as a corner stone for inspiration for myself and many women across the world. Ghibli’s characters were created with intention and do not always fall so clearly between the categories of ‘good’ and ‘bad’. Whilst the characters exist within universes unlike ours, their challenges (from the struggle between traditional and modern lifestyles to consumerism, global warming, deforestation, and pollution) are ones we can identify with and navigate within our own societies. Issues that Western or at least British day time TV never truly covered with the same accessible depth or imagination.
Despite Miyazaki’s irreconcilable relationship with ‘anime’ as he understands it, Ghibli no doubt had a huge part to play in the genre’s boost. More to that, whilst he may berate anime shows as being devoid of meaning and uber-simplistic, it is often this simplicity in characters (as either good or bad), that many have noted as the reason why they fell in love with anime shows in the first place.
Characters often personify a variety of ideologies (be it political, ethical, philosophical), to push forward the protagonists journey, especially in Shounen anime’s. For many young people this may be their first experience learning about what those ideologies mean, which can stimulate a lot of intellectual thought. Protagonists also tend to embody and promote ‘good’ morals, such as integrity and perseverance, which is intended to strike a chord for young boys, although as a young girl I also consumed a lot of these messages too. Anime isn’t just made for younger audiences but from a young age these mature themes are apparent in many shows and as we grow older, we can find content which explores a variety of mature themes and ethical debates that mainstream TV shows do not provide, at least not with the same style of flexible and unique storytelling which anime innately does.
Following this, for me and I’m sure many others, anime films and shows provide a limited but appreciated window of opportunity to learn more about the mythology, culture and folklore which are the inspiration behind many shows and are distinctly different to the stories we may have grown up with. We can’t and shouldn’t rely on these limited or perhaps even warped accounts of Japanese culture and this is often a cause for concern regarding stereotyping Japanese culture or even appropriating it. However, within reason and depending on what you’re watching, anime undoubtedly piques the interest of many who to want to learn more about the inspiration behind the story or indeed to learn more about Japan as a country itself, from its cuisine to its history.
The community that has exists behind well-loved anime shows and films is undeniable and ever growing. Their most physical manifestations being comic-cons, an opportunity for people to meet voice actors, bands, buy art and merchandise and lastly, cosplay. Whilst stereotypically enjoying anime may have been viewed as an exclusionary or ‘nerdy’ hobby, social media such as Instagram, Tik Tok and Youtube have also been useful platforms to inspire and entertain people who may not have had any knowledge of anime beyond its negative associations.
Celebrities have also professed their adoration for anime and are sharing their love with their respective audiences, although apparently not everyone is happy about that. On this, did anyone notice Arabella (Michaela Cole) from ‘I May Destroy You’ rep a Naruto Shippuden t-shirt? As an anime cornerstone, Naruto now has multiple fashion collaborations and that you can now buy from mainstream outlets such as ASOS, Nike, Bershka, Adidas, Coach and I am sure many more. Some other star studded fans include the likes of Tennis Pro Naomi Osaka, Michael B. Jordan (pronunciation withstanding), and (personal favourite of mine) British based R&B singer Miraa May, who often uses Naruto and anime designs in her album covers. Expanding beyond Naruto, there is a long tradition of well-loved Hip Hop, Rap, Rock and Pop artists referencing favourite anime shows of in their music, including the likes of Kanye West, Britney Spears, Linkin Park and Billie Eilish. Where anime had up until recently been reserved for online viewing through pirated websites, more and more, its influence begins to leak beyond even our visual entertainment and into more mainstream pop culture.
Streaming giants Netflix and Crunchyroll, have invested in this boom, with Netflix having already released 5 original shows and are due to host and create more. One consequence of this is that what many may consider to be traditional anime (i.e. animation drawn and based in Japan) has begun to expand beyond these original styles, especially as anime shows are based off of stories and writers that aren’t based in Japan gain in popularity. Fierce debates may break out over this from die-hard fans, but Netflix’s and Crunchyroll’s adoption of animated style storytelling is an opportunity for producers to continue to adopt and push for more creative and unique ways of storytelling that aren’t limited by finances or even physics and with that more diverse viewers.
Written by Clara Martinelli
Hi, I’m Clara. I’m an International Relations and Politics graduate currently doing volunteer work in London and looking to make my corner of the world a better place one step at a time. When I’m taking a break from being existential you can find me on the sofa watching police dramas and eating stupid amounts of pasta.