Why is anime such a huge deal in Western Society

Why is anime such a huge deal in Western Society

Photo: Gracia Dharma via Unsplash

It seems to be a cultural phenomenon that has taken effect over the last twenty years, but anime and manga are now firmly entrenched within western society. With so many different aspects to it, fans tend to gravitate towards it as they get older and can understand the storylines better.

They connect on a personal level

Unlike in Western cartoons, anime is more likely to tell a full story within an arc as opposed to having had the same stories told each week. The content of the shows also tends to be more mature, appealing to older audiences as they address topics like war, murder and even highlight serious emotional and psychological issues such as depression and isolation. This brings more of a real-world feel to the anime, which can help bring in far more viewers. Sometimes it is the depth of characters that can hook in viewers as the human aspect makes it easier to connect with the characters you are watching. Part of this adds to the global appeal as many of the characters and themes can be translated across so many other languages.

It’s part of a growing trend

The audiences for these anime seem to be growing with a perceived 33 percent increase in the US for the first quarter of 2021, showing that more people were turning to it, maybe to cope with lockdowns or even as people tried to experience different cultures. Much of it comes down to what people were searching for online as they looked for something new to watch and might have had enough of western cartoons. This is part of a growing trend in the west as people try to get their fix, increasing Spanish streams at 21 percent.

Anime is just part of normal life

There seems to be a particular love of gambling in many anime, and you go to certain parts of Japan; you might even see casinos adorned with anime characters. In Japan, they transcend the small screen and get used in advertising for cars and even various types of casinos, both land-based and online. Although it doesn’t have the same type of advertising, jackpotcitycasino.com Ireland still embraces the pastime’s popularity with an abundance of games that can attract the interested player.

The global attraction of cosplay

The western love for anime can be seen more clearly when you look into the world of cosplay. With so many conventions dotted across the countries, people get extra creative trying to recreate their favorite characters. It doesn’t come cheap either, with most cosplayers said to spend somewhere between $100 to $200 at a time on their costumes. That is a low-end figure as sometimes people can spend up to $1000 just on one costume. This alone shows how much of a cult following some anime and their characters have when people are willing to spend a full month’s wages on emulating those characters. It might seem excessive, but that is the level that people go to pursue their passion. If anything, it shows just why anime is a global phenomenon.

Published on 24 November 2021
Last update : 24 November 2021

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