Key Takeaways
- Anime is now a strong soft power asset for Japan, with 44% of Gen Z watching popular anime in the US.
- The anime industry has doubled in size since 2012, fueled by overseas markets and streaming services.
- Streaming services like Netflix have played a key role in boosting anime viewership, as the industry continues to grow.
As someone who grew up watching Naruto on the sly, hidden behind closed doors and under the guise of “watching cartoons”, I can attest to the transformative power of anime. It was a subculture that defined my youth, a secret world where heroes battled for justice and friendship was the ultimate goal. But now, looking back, I realize that those hours spent immersed in the vibrant worlds of anime were not just a phase or a passing fad.
Anime’s popularity has never been greater, expanding rapidly not just in the U.S., but globally. You can find many top-rated anime series on streaming platforms like Netflix and Crunchyroll. Japan now leverages anime as one of its key cultural influences, and this surge in interest also benefits other Japanese media, such as unique video games, which might soon see a broader global audience too.
This phenomenon often triggers intergenerational disputes since old-school anime enthusiasts developed their interest in an era when their pastime was generally perceived as unusual or bizarre. In this context, anime was primarily associated with children’s entertainment, so if you continued enjoying it beyond your childhood years, you were often labeled as the “quirky friend with unique interests.
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Moving forward, it’s clear that anime has entered a fresh era in the United States. As per Dentsu producer Eimi Shimizu, findings from a 2022 survey revealed an intriguing fact: a staggering 44% of Gen Z respondents (aged 18-24) admitted to watching popular anime. Remarkably, their preference for anime surpassed the enthusiasm for major American sports such as football.
It turns out that those two interests intersect: you can enjoy both the NFL and “Jujutsu Kaisen”. Many popular figures today, such as Meghan Thee Stallion and Michael B. Jordan, are even discussing anime. This seems to be the perspective of Generation Z, not just in the U.S., but in numerous countries worldwide, based on Shimizu’s findings.
A Growing Market for International Fans
The Anime Industry Doubled Its Size in a decade
In the year 2022, the anime market experienced a remarkable doubling in size compared to its state in 2012. A significant factor contributing to this expansion was the international market, which has now grown to be on par with the domestic Japanese market. The surge in popularity of streaming platforms, such as Crunchyroll and others that specialize in anime content, played a crucial role in driving this growth.
Services offering a wider range of anime content, similar to Netflix, played a significant role. They offered people an opportunity to explore anime as many series were already accessible. With the COVID-19 pandemic keeping people indoors, this exposure led to increased anime viewership. To give you an idea, in the 2014 Fall Anime Season, approximately 55 shows aired in Japan, a substantial number. However, during the 2024 Fall Season, around 80 anime are now being broadcasted, demonstrating a significant growth over the past decade. Streaming platforms have been instrumental in understanding anime’s growth over the last ten years.
Looking at the Future
The anime industry has grown significantly, offering seasonal shows across numerous genres – ranging from slice-of-life in schools to futuristic dystopias – each with their own captivating narratives. This growth also aligns well with the demand for constant new content by streaming platforms, making it inevitable that the boom of streaming services has contributed to the increase in anime and Korean dramas as well.
It’s quite likely that anime has firmly established itself as a permanent fixture (despite some animators like Yoshiyuki Tomino may hold differing views), having become an indispensable aspect of Japan’s global identity. Its impact is expected to continue growing, permeating content across the globe extensively, even reaching as far as the Vatican cannot hinder it.
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2024-11-16 20:54