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Anime Pop Culture

Lataiva Balmer

Bloomfield College

WRT 109-E1 (Writing Synthesis and Research)

Dr.Rouse

October 10, 2022

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Kemery, E (17 May, 2021). The rise of Anime during Quarantine. The Outlook

Newspaper.

A lot of people say anime, animated shows, and movies from Japan are weird. Yet

when you can see the quality of animation from this industry and you can see the community

that has come from it. Usually there is gatekeeping, so why has anime become so popular?

Quarantine is the answer. During Quarantine, many people found themselves browsing anime

shows, particularly in dubbed. Dubbed is a version where the animation show has english

voices besides the original japanese actors. Watching this version of Anime put many

newcomers at ease, hence the rise in Anime. That could be a reason to why Anime has

become a popular genre, however, Anime has always been dubbed and subbed before

quarantine. I honestly believe Anime has become a popular scene due to boredom within that

time frame.

Kishikawa, M (05 April, 2022). Why is Anime so popular after years of being ignored?

CBR.com

Before there were any streaming services, audiences had to rely on DVDs in order to

watch Anime. Eventually time passed, with the younger generation, Anime has gained popularity

due to streaming services. Now it is easier for a newcomer to catch up on an Anime Series

because these streaming services have episodes from the very beginning of the show. Yes, it is

true that becoming an Anime fan in this era is quite easier. We have plenty of streaming services

that allow us to catch up on a show in less than a month. Movies no longer are produced through

DVDs and we can actually find them in the theaters and on these streaming services. The manga

has always been accessible which is why watching Anime has increased in popularity.
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Moulton, A(29 October, 2020). America’s nuanced and evolving relationship with Anime.

State Press.

Japan has had a tradition of animated cartoon art for nearly as long as the United States

have. When America first encountered Japanese anime, most didn’t identify the cartoons as

distinctly Japanese.Anime and manga certainly exploded in global popularity in the 90s, but with

the idea that the art was considered base and shallow and meant only for children. Outside the

fandom, many Americans viewed adult fans of anime as odd and eccentric.Within the fandom,

this only encouraged American fans of anime to form a unique identity. Within the relationship

between Americans and Japanese regarding Anime, I believe Americans tend to overreact to

sexualized cartoons because they typically assume they are exclusively aimed at children.

Forming an identity of “Otaku” someone enamored with anime and manga.

Thorton, D. (22 April, 2021).During the coronavirus pandemic, popularity of Anime

increases. Northwestern News.

Thorton interviews multiple anime fans to understand their infatuation with the genre.

Anime has become the most watched genre during quarantine. While everyone was tied to their

homes, streaming shows, especially anime shows had become insanely popular due to it being

wildly diverse, exaggerating the possibilities of the logical world with its creative artwork and

unique characters and also amazing plots. Anime’s popularity continues to increase with the

mainstreaming network “Crunchyroll”. It releases new content every week, keeping the audience

of various anime shows on their feet. This article was written to evaluate the popularity of anime

in the United States and how over a short period of time, it has become one of the most popular

scenes in Entertainment.

Salemme, E. ( 29 October, 2019). The Rising Popularity of Anime. Sand Box News.
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Erika Salemme, a reporter at Sand Box News, reports the upcoming popularity dealing

with Anime. As fans notice that their favorite Celebrities enjoy watching Anime, the community

is gaining new watchers. Salemme believes that the reason behind this increased popularity is

because Anime has become an escape for the majority of its fans, providing comfort with its

unrealistic fantastical world. Anime is a genre for older teens and adults, making the genre

aesthetically pleasing. While I agree with Salemme, I believe that anime has become popular

because of the persuasion of Celebrities and social media. Usually, many people despise the

animations and oppose the language. Now, they are contributing to the scene because it’s easier

to join the masses.

Sun, J (19 April, 2021). Anime might not be cool, but it’s getting popular. North by

Northwestern.

Anime is a style of Japanese animation usually derived from manga, or Japanese graphic

novels. It’s aimed at both child and adult audiences.The defining characteristics of anime are the

Japanese culture and 2D art and animation style. Such as big eyes, exaggerated voices and insane

animations. Anime has become more accessible in the United States since Netflix, a big

streaming service, has picked up some shows. Although Netflix isn't able to cover the entire

genre of Anime, streaming services like Cruchyroll and Funimation have picked up the slack.

These streaming services have seen an increase over the last four years.They invested significant

resources into bringing anime culture to an international stage by streaming currently-airing

shows and selling official merchandise and DVDs. This article was intended to inform people on

the increase of the medium in Anime. It is not against my knowledge that Anime has gotten a bit

popular due to the accessible and cheap streaming services offered in the United States. I am

thankful that we have such services to connect us to the things we enjoy.

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The Influence of Anime in Pop Culture. That Baka Blog (11 August, 2016)

https://thatbakablog.wordpress.com/2015/04/23/the-influence-of-anime-in-pop-culture/

Anime has become an important part of Western cinema and pop culture. Some directors

choose to indirectly and directly credit a certain anime as a source of inspiration. Hollywood

begins to incorporate aesthetics of anime into its film, particularly in its storytelling and the CGI.

Anime has persuaded cinema that animation wasn't for children, but an alternative film medium

in which to tell mature and compelling stories to an adult audience. Being a fan of anime and

love to watch movies, I will agree with this perspective on how anime influenced pop culture.

With the genre being wildly diverse and its animation being extremely unrealistic, it contributes

to cinema to attract and keep the attention of audiences. Anime not only stands on its own in its

category but also keeps American movies alive.