Is anime still cool?
| As 2014 draws nearer to its end, it seems to me as if this question is on many a tongue. What is anime and where is anime going? Certainly, the anime scene of 2014 is not the same as 2010, and nor is it the anime of 2006. Times moves ever onwards, but what sense does it make and what does it mean for us? Let us think on what it was that drew you to anime. I think it was the novelty. The brilliance of it; its alien entity. That bright and unique portrayal that screamed "watch me!" That's what did it. The interesting stories, the peculiar artstyle, the familiar childhood cartoons; all of it comes to play in that strange appeal that is anime. Anime was cool. But has anime lost its flair? Are we currently in an age of pandering, unoriginality, recycled ideas; has the medium stagnated? This is a common complaint, but I think that these points are closely linked, or rather, they are often linked together. But is the industry truly incestuous and infiltrated by these so-called 'otaku'; these persons too far removed from reality and immersed in 2D convention? Over the years we have often heard the comments about moe, harems, and the lack of adventure in new productions, yet on the other-hand there has been a stabilisation of so-called moe anime in the past decade, and there seems no sign that it will change. Have we perhaps reached the golden age of moe anime? There is also the issue of adaptations. The volume of TV anime in the 2000s is incomparable to previous eras, and while it seemed for a moment that the anime boom was bust and in real danger, there has been a clear return to normalcy as we now have a hearty feast of new shows to choose from each season. So the question becomes: is anime still fresh? After all this time, is there still a magic appeal to anime? Is anime unique? In the 90s the western audience was shocked, enthralled, and seduced by the novelty of Japanese animation. In the years since then the advent of the internet and the period of high-localisation has raised awareness of anime to greater heights. And yet! And yet there are those who decry the change from the violent, sexy, and grittier anime of the 90s. There are those who decry the rise of "moe". And one has to ask: is anime still the medium that so many fell head-over-heels in love with? Where is the DBZ of now? Naruto? But even Naruto draws to its end! Has the peak of anime gone unnoticed? Is anime now in a moment of decay that awaits renewal by some genius creator? These are the questions we must think of as anime moves forward into the half-decade. Can this pace of growth be maintained? For starters, is the industry growing? Is this merely a temporary fad of interest that will disappear as teens become adults and adults become busy? And most importantly: does contemporary anime still make you love? Does your heart beat in a flutter? Because that's what matters, isn't it? If you like what you see - that's all that matters. Anime is but entertainment and we need not look further than the one question: Is anime still cool? If anime is still cool then there is nothing to do but rejoice in the wonderment of the sacred medium. The opposite is too horrific to contemplate. What made anime cool for you? And is anime still cool? |
| I only consider pre 2006/7 anime cool. But as years progress, I'm not sure. (your vote). |
KladOct 25, 2014 8:38 AM
| anime is cool it saved my life |
| Anime only ever has been cool for elementary school students and nerds like us. |
| Signature removed. Please follow the signature rules, as defined in the Site & Forum Guidelines. |
| Anime has never been better. |
 |
| What are you talking about op? Most people see anime as disgusting. |
 |
| i vote for anime.. |
 |
| anime has been around since before most of us were even born, and new ones are constantly being created. in other words anime will not die!!! it will be cool forever! |
 |
elementkg said: anime has been around since before most of us were even born, and new ones are constantly being created. in other words anime will not die!!! it will be cool forever! According to my absolute accurate calculations, Anime will die in 23 march of 2024 |
| most animu aren't cool. the medium as a whole? no lol the most selling title is little girls dancing and singing. |
 |
pokeguy123 said: -Klad- said: According to my absolute accurate calculations, Anime will die in 23 march of 2024 Why? It´s the choice of Steins Gate! |
| Signature removed. Please follow the signature rules, as defined in the Site & Forum Guidelines. |
| Not sure I'd call anime "cool" necessarily but I think that too many people have nostalgia glasses for older anime. People think that there is so much pandering, generic, recycled crap compared to then because of two reasons, the first is exposure. People only remember the good titles pre-2000 and ignore the dozens and dozens of bad titles because the bad titles are forgettable. I think the same thing will happen to post 2000 anime that is also forgettable. The other issue is that the industry is creating far more anime now, the rise of the computer and other digital technologies makes production less expensive thus more can be produced. I don't even think that its the case that anime is getting "bad" all of the sudden, there are plenty of worthwhile titles that have come out this year alone not to mention in this decade so far. And 2013 was the most profitable year for anime ever, likely due to the explosion of SnK which has almost become semi-mainstream in the West and has brought in a new generation of anime fans. So no, Anime is just as good as its ever been and Moe isn't killing anime. The only real problem with the anime industry right now IMO is the abundance of horrible LN adaptations, we need more and better writing talent to keep things fresh moving forward and its entirely possible that there will be a bubble pop due to over abundance of LN adaptations. |
| Still cool. Ckan pls, what is this thread. |
 |
Mycelis_Tsukiyo said: pokeguy123 said: Why? It´s the choice of Steins Gate! What should I do if they seriously stop airing?  |
|
Hapiz said: Mycelis_Tsukiyo said: It´s the choice of Steins Gate! What should I do if they seriously stop airing? Watch all the anime that aired already but you haven´t seen yet, play all the VNs that are out, read all the manga existing and then kill yourself once you´re done. |
| Signature removed. Please follow the signature rules, as defined in the Site & Forum Guidelines. |
| Definitely stagnated. The only things I look forward to are sequels. |
| "Let Justice Be Done!" My Theme Fight again, fight again for justice! |
| It's salty like the dead sea. Which, due to it's salt content, has a lower melting point than pure water. Make of that what you will. |
| Anime has been quite shit lately. I remember when I used to marathon anime like no tomorrow, but now I always watch a episode here and there. I hope 2015 doesn't disappoint.... All I wait for is Bahamut: Genesis these days. |
"Hi!" |
M3k4toku said: I'm sorry to hear that, but you forgot to say how cool it it is.Anime has been quite shit lately. I remember when I used to marathon anime like no tomorrow, but now I always watch a episode here and there. I hope 2015 doesn't disappoint.... All I wait for is Bahamut: Genesis these days. JumpinJackSplash said: I need more explanation here.Anime was never cool in the first place. |
| No, it became more of a chore. You just want to know what will happen and find every flaw possible to satifiy your inner elitist, you don't actually get the excitement you used to when watching anime. |
| Back when I really became an avid anime fan in the early 2000's, it was like telling the world you're a donkey ass sucking faggot and have no intentions on ever getting laid or succeeding in life. Even being a fan of shows like Cowboy Bebop or movies like Ghost in the shell & akira wasn't okay, you still carried the stigma of watching cartoons past the age of 9. I don't about ii being "cool" per se, but it sure is a lot more mainstream today than when I was a fan. The irony is that the shows were better back then. Today I see a lot of teenagers and young adults openly wearing pokemon shirts, backpacks covered in anime buttons, playing yugioh, etc. That shit wouldn't fly when I was a kid. |
Ockap1812Oct 26, 2014 10:34 PM
| TL;DR on the OP. JumpinJackSplash said: ^ response to topic.Anime was never cool in the first place. |
 |
| "Cool" is subjective. It all comes down to tastes and opinion. For example, sports may appear cooler than anime, but in reality cool doesn't exist. Cool is an illusion you could say. |
 |
| Anime is the same. There was plenty of shitty anime in the 2000s and 90s as well. Nothing has really change, except better animation and art style. So yes, anime is still "cool" |
| Now that adult video stores are closing and hentai is not getting licensed and physically sold in the west so much maybe adults will think anime is not per...o wait, there is fan service and bouncy boobs in every other anime title. |
| Only hipsters, wizards and drunk people watch anime. |
| I wanted to vote for "Cooler than cool, ice cold" but it's not an option profound sadness |
  |
| Cool as ice ice baby. |
| Anime is perfection, one cannot even begin to comprehend how "cool" anime is. It's like seeing Mexicans jumping the fence only to be instakilled by bald eagles. |
| I feel like not much has changed but production values. You have a sea of mediocre titles and a couple gems every year. |
kingcity20 said: Oh for the love of -_- nvm gotta love MAL |
| Ckan, I hope you came prepared for the circle jerk. Voted "still cool". Less inspirational, but still cool. There was a topic around here about what people would like to see more in anime, and if someone cares in Japan, could take this to heart. It's not like more variety will replace what we currently have and it's not my job to think about the future of anime. If good stuff appears and if I am around, I'd mark it. If not, I'll mark it as well, lel. |
Ockap1812 said: Back when I really became an avid anime fan in the early 2000's, it was like telling the world you're a donkey ass sucking faggot and have no intentions on ever getting laid or succeeding in life. Even being a fan of shows like Cowboy Bebop or movies like Ghost in the shell & akira wasn't okay, you still carried the stigma of watching cartoons past the age of 9. I don't about ii being "cool" per se, but it sure is a lot more mainstream today than when I was a fan. The irony is that the shows were better back then. Today I see a lot of teenagers and young adults openly wearing pokemon shirts, backpacks covered in anime buttons, playing yugioh, etc. That shit wouldn't fly when I was a kid. How old are you man? |
|
| For a filthy casual like me, it is and will probably always be cool for me. There are like thousands of anime out there waiting to be discovered. Old or new anime don't matter, I keep finding the good ones. Don't lose your hope. |
| 'Implying anime was ever cool ' lol |
FragOutFire said: Why am I a Berserk fan? All I ever experience is pain. We are in the eclipse and Miura has sacrificed us |
PriestSlayer said: 'Implying anime was ever cool ' lol Pokemon and Yugioh were big, maybe as big as spongebob when I was a kid. All kids watched cartoons. |
| Wow, quite many said it was never cool... Very funny.. |
 |
| Well my fav animes are from 2008-2011 so i guess that a few years back were the prime of anime although anime seems to become even more popular these last few years |
| . |
| Yes, it still cool. Not all titles, but a few yes. |
| Still cool though could be better. |
  |
| It's fine. |
 |
| It's cool for us FTFY OP Try showing a pic of your waifu in public and you'll be labeled borderline mentally retarded. |
| It was never cool. A few anime shows got cool for a time, but that's about it. |
| Depend on the era you started watching Anime, you can decide yourself. |
More topics from this board
» Is there an anime character who looks like you in real life?Alpha_1_Zero - 7 minutes ago |
0 |
by Alpha_1_Zero
»»
7 minutes ago |
|
» Who are your enemies in the anime industry/fanbase?Catalano - Yesterday |
46 |
by CaptLolicon
»»
8 minutes ago |
|
» What is your opinion on anime becoming mainstream? ( 1 2 )BroDa2545 - Apr 16 |
52 |
by NoelleIsSleepy
»»
11 minutes ago |
|
» Is anime just more honest about it's intent than western media?Spunkert - 43 minutes ago |
1 |
by Zarutaku
»»
13 minutes ago |
|
» Things you are jealous of in animeIpreferEcchi - Apr 20 |
49 |
by Zimmu
»»
24 minutes ago |