It's been quite a while since I've been meaning to write an article about how the animated series (also known as "anime") in Japan have made their way to the west, gaining more and more followers every day. These shows are rapidly rising in popularity and my personal belief is that it won't be long until we see Hollywood make an approach towards that area (not that it hasn't already happened with "Dragonball: Evolution" and "The Last Airbender", but those attempts are better forgotten by everyone).
The base difference between these so-called anime and anything created in Hollywood (and as such, broadly advertised and shown worldwide) is that the characters in the anime are usually forced to overcome problems larger than themselves. They are ordinary people, that are suddenly placed in a situation that is beyond their comprehension and they're forced to deal with it. And, for some odd reason, it feels realistic.
This was a format originally used by popular manga (Japanese comic) Dragonball. A child goes on a journey and the enemies and problems he encounters on the way get stronger and more difficult, making him become stronger and wiser in the process. That particular format is used today by other manga such as Naruto, Bleach and Hunter X Hunter.
But there are other life lessons that manga and anime speak about, without actually shoving them down our throats. Some of those are how a parent should behave towards his child, friendship, self-sacrifice, hatred, loneliness and many more. And the way these sensitive matters are addressed is very subtle, without the audience even noticing it.
It is very obvious why the younger generation is taking a preference to manga and anime instead of Hollywood-created material. Hollywood has become stale, preachy and out of ideas. Meanwhile, manga and anime speak of real life problems that this generation can easily relate to. F.e. in the story of Naruto, the so-called protagonist spends most of his youth without his parents in a village full of people that hate him. He doesn't know why. He just has to put up with it.
Hollywood has run out of ideas. With sequel after sequel to Marvel heroes, Disney movies and ancient Greek legends, it just seems like we've seen it all before. It came as no surprise that one of the biggest hits in the box office last year was Pacific Rim, which was heavily based on Japanese manga Neon Genesis Evangelion. People crave something different. Something more realistic.
Naruto Shippuden, Bleach, Hunter x Hunter, Death Note, Code: Geass, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Guilty Crown, Dragonball Z, Yugioh, Fullmetal Alchemist, Sword Art Online, One Piece, Attack On Titan, are the most popular trends right now worldwide. The fact that the series are animated does not make them equal to "Spongebob", as some people might foolishly think. There are episodes that you just skip ahead because of all the brutality that's going on!
Akira Toriyama set a very high standard when he created the Dragonball series. Now a lot of people have followed in his footsteps and the Japanese entertainment industry is flourishing. Sure, maybe they don't have awesome CGI, incredible scenery or highly paid actors to hire, but they do know how to get their message across to the viewers. And that seems to be what the viewers want.
The base difference between these so-called anime and anything created in Hollywood (and as such, broadly advertised and shown worldwide) is that the characters in the anime are usually forced to overcome problems larger than themselves. They are ordinary people, that are suddenly placed in a situation that is beyond their comprehension and they're forced to deal with it. And, for some odd reason, it feels realistic.
This was a format originally used by popular manga (Japanese comic) Dragonball. A child goes on a journey and the enemies and problems he encounters on the way get stronger and more difficult, making him become stronger and wiser in the process. That particular format is used today by other manga such as Naruto, Bleach and Hunter X Hunter.
But there are other life lessons that manga and anime speak about, without actually shoving them down our throats. Some of those are how a parent should behave towards his child, friendship, self-sacrifice, hatred, loneliness and many more. And the way these sensitive matters are addressed is very subtle, without the audience even noticing it.
It is very obvious why the younger generation is taking a preference to manga and anime instead of Hollywood-created material. Hollywood has become stale, preachy and out of ideas. Meanwhile, manga and anime speak of real life problems that this generation can easily relate to. F.e. in the story of Naruto, the so-called protagonist spends most of his youth without his parents in a village full of people that hate him. He doesn't know why. He just has to put up with it.
Hollywood has run out of ideas. With sequel after sequel to Marvel heroes, Disney movies and ancient Greek legends, it just seems like we've seen it all before. It came as no surprise that one of the biggest hits in the box office last year was Pacific Rim, which was heavily based on Japanese manga Neon Genesis Evangelion. People crave something different. Something more realistic.
Naruto Shippuden, Bleach, Hunter x Hunter, Death Note, Code: Geass, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Guilty Crown, Dragonball Z, Yugioh, Fullmetal Alchemist, Sword Art Online, One Piece, Attack On Titan, are the most popular trends right now worldwide. The fact that the series are animated does not make them equal to "Spongebob", as some people might foolishly think. There are episodes that you just skip ahead because of all the brutality that's going on!
Akira Toriyama set a very high standard when he created the Dragonball series. Now a lot of people have followed in his footsteps and the Japanese entertainment industry is flourishing. Sure, maybe they don't have awesome CGI, incredible scenery or highly paid actors to hire, but they do know how to get their message across to the viewers. And that seems to be what the viewers want.
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