Current Events > PBS NewsHour: What's behind the growing mainstream popularity of manga and anime

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHpiIAJiExo

Japanese animation and comic books have exploded in popularity in the United States over the last few years. From floats in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to a win at this year's Oscars, the genre has seen an increasing amount of visibility in American culture. Ali Rogin reports.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/2/239fd19c.jpg

I feel like the popularitys shrinking nowadays, lol

When Imperial Japan thought of taking over the World, don't think any of them would have imagine it was going to be with throwing balls at little animals to capture them, or loli cat girls.

I just read through 1.5 volumes of Vagabond and picked up the first two volumes of Vinland Saga.

IDK why but I'm in the mood for anime dammit

Is it because of the waifus?

Boomers are concerned

Most anime fans were fat and ugly. Thats why it was weird for the longest time, lets just admit it. Now more and more mainstream people are liking it so a lot of people are better looking who like it, so its cool now.

The answer is simply there is a lot of it and a lot of it is good.
As soon as I finish one anime there is a new one to watch.

Boomer PBS being bemused and baffled by something that has been happening for like 30 years.

Sheiky-Baby posted...

When Imperial Japan thought of taking over the World, don't think any of them would have imagine it was going to be with throwing balls at little animals to capture them, or loli cat girls.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/7/7/AANKsdAADRo1.jpg

I know a boomer black man that loves dragon ball super. Thought it was odd at first.

Was kinda weird in the prison how most of the "nerds" where lumped together in one dorm. They watched anime read Mangas and American comic books played table top rpgs.

They even somehow got a drawing behind the glass of the bulletin board of a fusion of vegeta and the Hulk. Think they called hulgeta

PBS is really slow, huh? We're at least 15-20 years into anime being mainstream...

I'd wager it's escapism. Most of the people I hear and talk about anime with keep bringing up how awesome it'd either be to live in Japan or whatever world the anime depicts.

DarkFists posted...

PBS is really slow, huh? We're at least 15-20 years into anime being mainstream...

I wouldn't consider anime mainstream15 years ago. It was close, but not quite there.

That said, this report seems to like it was modeled after the "What is this crazy new phenomenon" reports of the 90s.

I think a lot of it can be credited to the rise of the internet and streaming services. When you don't have to catch an episode at a specific time and day each week, and when you don't have to worry about being dropped into the middle of a story arc that you have no context for, it's a lot easier to get into. Anime has never been easier to watch for Western fans.

Generational work done by Toonami and Saturday more cartoons, sprout more youth. It took 20 years, but we're here now. I'd also point out, that JP started dubbing more shows and translating more mangas, which opened the flood gates. Previously, you had to just watch whatever you could find, whether that was good or not.

RchHomieQuanChi posted...

I think a lot of it can be credited to the rise of the internet and streaming services..... Anime has never been easier to watch for Western fans.

Agreed. I literally watched as anime gain more public awareness; it coincided with the upgrades to internet and it's access.

I feel like this should be more about K-Pop exploding into popularity rather then anime given you k ow the decades of exposure to anime.

SirRobX posted...

I feel like the popularitys shrinking nowadays, lol

Yeah, when the normies start to take notice, that is usually a sign the bubble is about to burst.

mustachedmystic posted...

Yeah, when the normies start to take notice, that is usually a sign the bubble is about to burst.

Like video games?

SirRobX posted...

I feel like the popularitys shrinking nowadays, lol

What's your point of reference? I can see maybe 3 years ago, during covid years being its peak years. Otherwise it's definitely been bigger since any year before then lol