by Alex Himebaugh

Anime, a Japanese style of animation, is exploding in global popularity. Between 2013 and 2016, the industry grew 172% overseas. A lot of this growth comes from America, particularly from teenagers. So what’s causing this?

Increased Accessibility

Services like Crunchyroll, Funimation, Netflix, and Hulu offer Americans easy access to English versions of anime. Fans are able to explore the entire anime genre, rather than being to the limited choices on TV programs or bootleg DVDs. The younger generation, which is more familiar with the internet, is most able to take advantage of these expanding options. For the same reason, other alternative forms of entertainment, such as K-pop, are also attracting American teens.

But accessibility isn’t the whole story behind anime’s exploding popularity. In our individualist culture, people long for a characteristic, hobby, or interest that will differentiate them from other people. While this tendency isn’t new, it is becoming more and more prevalent. So many people have turned to anime as a way to set themselves apart.

Nerd Culture

Nerd culture has been romanticized in recent years. Rather than hiding them, people now brag about their obscure interests, such as Dungeons and Dragons, various fandoms, and of course anime. Media has adapted to these shifts in culture, no longer telling stories about “cool” people but “quirky,” social outcasts. 

Recently, some people have caught on to these trends and have started making fun of them. For example, girls who insist that they are “not like other girls” are now mocked. These girls draw attention to their differences, such as not wearing make-up or disliking parties, so as not to blend in with the rest of the female population. They do this because standing out has become the new way to fit in. 

Diversity

This drive toward individualism is causing a lot of insecurity, especially when it comes to race. Our culture’s push for diversity leaves white people feeling like they have nothing to offer. And being a person of color isn’t always enough. “Oreo” (black on the outside, white on the inside) and similar stereotypes make people of color feel unqualified to be part of their race. And mixed people may feel like the non-white part of them is more valuable than the rest.

To gain supposed value, people create or strengthen ties to non-white races or cultures. For example, the singer Arianna Grande excessively tans to appear less white. Oli London, a white social media influencer who claims to be “trans-racial,” received plastic surgery to appear Korean. Although far less extreme, some people watch anime to appear in touch with a foreign culture.

Quality Storytelling

But the main reason people are attracted to anime is because American TV simply does not offer the same quality in storytelling. American TV producers seem more concerned with making money, causing them to drag out shows for as long as possible. This strategy often works for episodic shows. Sitcoms, for example, can last for seasons without much drop in quality. But serialized shows, following an overarching plot, require a different structure. 

When the length of the show is undetermined, the writers are unable to plan out a structured story with a distinct beginning, middle, and end. Instead, they stretch out the middle until it fizzles out. The ABC/Disney show Once Upon a Time, for example, suffered from a lack of structure after its first two seasons. The show, about fairytale characters trapped in the real world, gained rapid popularity for its creativity and bold plot twists. However, as the story was extended, the plot twists became more and more ridiculous. Even when shows like this start out good, the lack of structure causes later failures to ruin previous successes. 

Anime, by contrast, is much more consistent in creating quality stories. Rather than creating a story from scratch and seeing how long it lasts, anime usually draws from existing stories. These stories most often come from manga, Japanese comic books. Manga authors have publicity and respect, giving them more control over the story than American TV writers. Because the author has more power, the story itself is prioritized. These authors are able to tell structured stories, containing traditional elements like foreshadowing and gradual development. When the ending finally comes, it is satisfying. By giving writers more independence and space for creativity, anime tells better stories. 

So why are books adapted into TV shows and movies in America usually disappointing instead of successful? Because they usually don’t follow the original storyline. Americans have learned to expect this and therefore tolerate it. Anime, on the other hand, has created expectations in fans that their shows will be very similar to the manga they are adapted from. When the anime fails to meet these expectations, they are punished. For example, in 2003 the manga, Fullmetal Alchemist, was developed into an anime which did not remain faithful to the original story. This left many fans disappointed, so much so that in 2009, a second version of the anime was made (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood). Because this version followed the manga faithfully, it gained rapid popularity, and some even consider it a masterpiece. 

Accessibility, an excess of individualism, and bad storytelling have led Americans to anime. Although the last two are problems, they have at least one good outcome—American exposure to a great form of media. Anime tells great stories, and now more and more Americans appreciate it. Hopefully the American TV industry will take note of anime’s success and start telling better stories as well.