Social media recently erupted following an episode of the 22nd season of Pokemon, in which Ash finally became the Pokemon League Champion after 2 decades of struggle. Fans are going nuts, even labeling this fictional character as a “role model of diligence and integrity” — but should you care? Maybe.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past decade, you’d probably have seen some Japanese animated shows and heard some Korean pop songs here and there, either voluntarily or involuntarily. The fact is, compared to before, there is now a much higher chance of regular exposure to foreign media, especially those within the entertainment industry.
The growth of these non-traditional forms of entertainment is attributed to the rise of global subcultures, and thus we really are living in a period of “industrial revolution.” This revolution is an integral part of Stan World: the next-gen social media built for fandoms. There are countless fandoms at this point, so we’ll look at a specific sub-genre of these global subcultures: Japanese Anime. While it’s no secret that the Anime industry is a multi-billion dollar market, what about the actual content? What’s the appeal? And why is Stan World making the right move by incorporating a relatively lesser-known market audience?
These are some of the major aspects of Anime that contribute to its immense popularity today:
1. Variety
Anime is big, and for good reason — the first Japanese animation film was released in 1916 or 1917, so the whole industry has now been in development for over a century. And throughout the years, Anime companies experimented with different styles and themes — from Studio Ghibli (Totoro, Spirited Away, etc) to Sunrise (Gundam), each Anime has its own unique set of art, story, and characters. The target audience of shows are extremely varied as well — unlike outside of Japan, where animations are generally regarded as “kid-and-family-friendly,” many works delve into truly deep and/or dark themes that are definitely not suitable for children (i.e. Neon Genesis Evangelion), while others such as Pokemon and Doraemon are very light-hearted. The amount of imagination put into these cartoons, plus the amount of genre variety, help Anime to offer something for everyone.
2. Accessibility
The recent explosion of streaming services has also helped Anime become ubiquitous. In particular, in the US, Anime streaming networks were traditionally limited to “Anime only” services such as Funimation and Crunchyroll, but now — major streaming services like Netflix and Hulu bring Anime to Western audiences, some with even exclusive deals for popular shows. Today, Anime is truly accessible — you can binge watch any show on any device.
Exports to these services (i.e. Netflix, Amazon, Chinese streamers) also gave a major boost in revenue: the industry reached a record $19.1 billion in revenue in 2017, so future outlooks are pretty great.
3. Crossovers
This is a fairly new aspect, especially since the growth in popularity of Anime over the world. Anime is all about the imagination, so crossovers among different shows are regular occurrences — not to mention the amount of fan fiction that’s all over the internet. Anime is full of homages and Easter eggs from other shows, and external characters often make guest appearances in special collaboration issues or events. Crossovers are not limited to Anime characters either. Ever heard of Marvel?
It’s surprising that such a niche market is now an undeniable force in media, but in truth it’s really not out of the blue. Its variety and accessibility, combined with constant crossovers with other IP’s, helped establish Anime as a world leader in digital entertainment. And it is only natural for Stan World, the social VR media platform, to include Anime as one of its main contents of focus: think of the possibilities. Users can watch shows in virtual reality with friends, and creators and consumers can create content such as fan fiction and live inside virtual creations of animated universes. The next big thing is coming.
Stan World is a social VR platform where you can go nuts with loads of content from your favorite Anime. For more information, visit: https://www.stan.world/
