Why is Anime so Popular?

Why is Anime so Popular in Japan?

The analysis of Anime’s popularity within Japan almost seems to be a disingenuous question, when you consider that Japan itself is the country where the hand drawn and computer animated style originates. A style rich in often lucid escapism, breaking the boundaries of modern and conventional storytelling with fantastical and often philosophical elements, a better question addressed would be - what makes Anime so popular worldwide? The detailed, vivid drawings and cartoons have attracted a western audience for decades with the vibrant color palette, the rich storylines, and the humor and wit that so often accompanies animated features but in a more overarching way. This can be seen in the popular show Cowboy Bebop that aired in the late nineties, with the more somber hues of grays, blacks and blues being used as a backdrop to further accentuate other colors, such as reds and yellows, symbolizing joy or pain. Cowboy Bebop also appeals because of the exaggerated expressions of the characters in times where they find themselves hurt or, indeed, the punchline of some joke which paints the character’s face with the signature tracks of sweat or tears, enlarging their eyes and focus on the screen. The show is indicative of Anime’s wide-spread appeal not just because of its trademarks in the style, but also for its cult status and success, reaching western audiences when it was dubbed in English and given subtitles, like many of the great Studio Ghibli films. The sheer expanse of Anime’s reach throughout the world is surely proof of the passion and fervor that went into cultivating its origins in Japan, and why it is still so much enjoyed today.

Japan is a country that holds iconographic status, many of its cultural contributions now almost fetishised by western society. With its food, from Sushi to Tempura, its preppy pastel sense of revered fashion, and its art and animation industry, it seems that Japan as an entity, as a culture, is widely celebrated. The popularity of Anime from within the country surely stems from how far it has been able to reach the outside world, and build the country a platform on the global stage. Its success and often highly creative and innovative stories not only support the artists, designers and directors behind the scenes, but also has allowed the Japanese people to have pride in the individuality of the style, and to come from a place that has encouraged such flair and has enabled the culture to be further understood by outsiders with potentially warped perceptions.

Anime often divulges into more sensitive and serious issues, something often seen in the Studio Ghibli films, and this sensitivity not only endears the films further, but also perhaps aligns with some of the issues faced by Japan as a nation. In the film When Marnie was There, we see a friendship bloom between two girls out of a mutual need for one another, out of loneliness. The tale is poignant and moving, with a large lake often in the center of the frame throughout the film changing in color and texture to reflect the sky, and to mirror the girls who are faced at times with turmoil and turbulence, especially Anna, the main character, who questions her relationship with Marnie and its validity. The subtle psychoanalysis the film offers with its showcase of a tender friendship is relative compared to a Studio Ghibli classic, Grave of the Fireflies. The tale of two siblings fighting to live amidst the horror and devastation of World War Two Japan, the film focuses on dependency and fragility, as the older sibling, Seita, has to keep his sister safe, when she is partially naive of the danger and hopelessness of their situation. The vulnerability of these characters are proof that Anime is powerful, subversive, and when truly inspired, capable of defying its two dimensional boundaries to become more human, plausible. It offers no answers to the sometimes dire situations the characters find themselves in, but encourages them to explore and sometimes to fail, because that is reality, and that is human nature, however forlorn the outcome.

Japan has in the past been known for its consistently high suicide rate, especially in young people and men, and though this is declining, the country is still marred and affected by the mental health of its people. Anime is often an exercise in stimulation, in immersement, offering an escape, a world that is not artificial entirely but is bright and encouraging whilst building foundations for developing characters. It seems that the light it brings, the celebration of the human condition and the joy of the world and its boundless potential does everything so as to not to alienate or overwhelm the viewer, but to instead console and to captivate them, to open them up to philosophy and meditation on problems and issues that arise in everyday life. It is true that art often acclimatizes people into the idea that they can better understand their subconcious, whether that is practicing creativity or just appreciating the creativity of others. Some art is arguable and confusing, indirect and unintentional, but Anime is quite the opposite; it wishes to in some abstract sense address mentality and will, and to educate and inform, because even if many high fantasy Anime products are meant to make you laugh and cry, they are also meant to be in some way candid representations of identity and belonging. They break barriers to reach out to their audience and invoke discussion and wider thought, and perhaps in time, change. This intent cannot only account for the style’s wider popularity, but surely also the more intimate need nationally for mental health to be tackled and discussed, as well as to create something that is meant to be enjoyed and appreciated.

Anime is possibly also popularized in Japan due to its heavy use in exposure in advertising, though it is difficult to pinpoint which came first. By utilizing animated characters who otherwise appear in shows such as Attack On Titan, Or Sword Art Online, the marketing sector in Japan has enabled a significant increase in consumerism, especially of merchandise of these respective shows. The success has led to the Anime industry being regarded as almost a double edged sword; seeking creative enterprise and unique ideas that expand on philosophy and humanity whilst simultaneously encompassing comedic, romantic and dramatic tropes to suit all wide ranging audiences from mainstream to niche, as well as exploiting this success to enlarge profits at home and abroad by selling Anime products. In truth, the sale of such items in some way contributes to the release of further films and shows, but it can be argued that in some way this demeans the integrity of some of the more intense, tear-rendering masterpieces that make their way into American cinemas, or films screened in the UK. The intensity of the now franchised state of many Anime pieces has made the original art and meaning appear more superfluous and difficult to pinpoint when the ‘Product’ becomes the forefront to the public’s eyes and in some way seems almost toxic and dismissive of the original message. Regardless of the debatable ill intent of such schemes, it would seem that this also supports the popularity of Anime in its home country, especially when it is saturated in an almost instinctive need to ‘sell sell sell’ the story lines and ideas.

The style of animation and its aesthetic seems to have accumulated popularity within its country of origin through many means. Its prominence on a global scale in some sense has increased pride and appreciation of the conventions of the style and its evolvement from the early twentieth century through to now, and its use in encapsulating some of Japan’s own history, such as ‘The Wind Rises’ and ‘Grave of the Fireflies’. It is key in representing the culture to the outside world, with the prominence of the stories depending on a more illusionary setting or one that reflects a more mundane sense of life and understanding. Its often fluent transition from entertaining to somber and heartfelt not only ensures it appeals to a more massive and mainstream audience, but also connotes the more serious messages so often depicted in the style, touching on mental health and well being as well as the the brash physicality of more reckless characters and the brooding exterior of often leading ones often being revealed to be multifaceted in personality.

The popularity of the film/ TV genre has also had its benefits for the country, by being able to promote to its people national art and aesthetic as the forefront of modern visual constructions and designs. In more recent years, Anime films have even found themselves nominated in the Oscar category for best animated feature film, being recognized as more prominent and defining in the film industry as a whole, and this recognition only continues to grow stronger as the audience for Anime increases in size. Japan has created something to be proud of, something that now holds its own rich history with pioneers such as Hayao Miyazaki and Akira Ōkubo contributing to the formula of what makes Anime so subversive and aspiring. The future for the art looks promising and no doubt more Anime will continue to be produced, to ask questions of its audiences and to bring some joy and relief to those who need it. Though its popularization stemming from Japan has led to potential contributions to the style from westerners, this seems only a celebration of the form, and further encouragement to Anime’s now firm place within the fast-moving film industry and revolution of stylistic films and animated allegories in the past decades.Its popularity is obvious and immense, and it seems that with that question answered, the next would really be how long will this popularity continue before it subsides? Considering the first examples of Anime were seen in 1917 and are still being drawn and delivered to the world in brisk fashion today, I would estimate that it has a long life ahead before such popularity begins to expire and dissipate.