The Growth of Anime in Western Culture
Animation in America for most its lifespan has been associated with Saturday cartoons and television for kids. When people want to watch a serious story, they turn to the silver screen. However, that stigma has been changing over the last few years as older audiences have either expanded their tastes or grown up with anime as a part of their childhood. A recent study found that 42% of Gen Z watches anime weekly, followed by 25% of Millennials, and those numbers are trending upwards. Anime has even trickled its way across industries – remember when the LA Chargers made an anime-inspired schedule release video?
Stephanie Stine, co-director of Kung-Fu Panda 4, had this to say about the rise of animation in the West:
“I freaking love it!! Especially since so many audiences these days have grown up on more mature stories everywhere. I think in most bookstores for example, the manga/anime section takes up a majority of the floor space.”
However, there’s still apprehension from executives surrounding this new trend that don’t quite understand the appeal of anime:
“But here's the catch: a lot of people in charge of the finances of making a movie think that audiences don't like these kinds of stories, I'm not sure why. Every time I've talked to an executive, they've told me that yes they totally see the influence and impact anime has had on the world. But no we will not do that. It's the highest of miracles to me that Spider-Verse was made in America.”
Despite the current lack of understanding by older executives for anime’s popularity, the future remains bright for the genre. As the current generation ages and passes anime onto their own children, we will see the stigma fade away over the years. Initiatives from streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ to produce original content will continue as they cater to the interests of fans.
If you’re curious about giving anime a try, but don’t know where to start, here are some recommendations to get you started:
For more examples of anime making its way into western culture, check out the videos below: