The year is 2007, and you’re trying to find something to watch on TV. A loud cartoon with wide-eyed characters catches your attention when you switch between channels. Now, this is unlike anything you knew; it’s a whole new array of emotions.
The plot doesn’t match your usual taste; the violence is up a notch and there are some sexual elements, but this isn’t what makes you stay.
After 22 minutes, you find yourself pulled in by the world-building, the sentiments explored, and it’s all too much for you. Some tears roll off your cheek. You realize your future, your inescapable doom of turning into a weeb. Okay, that’s a bit much, but you get the gist.
ANIME TO THE WORLD
Anime started hitting global charts in the early 2000s and has since amassed a massive following.
What made anime so appealing to folks was its binge-worthy nature. The exquisite art forms that the west couldn’t keep up with, tastefully done cliffhangers, and the fact that it could both be enjoyed by children and adults also played huge roles.
There’s always something new and breathtaking in the anime industry.
Still from chainsaw man. A good example of the liberties anime companies have.
Anime is a kind of freedom that people were not used to in animations; stories that are boldly told and drawn where the only limit was the budget.
Ultimately, one would argue that anime was a huge success over the years because it was distinct from reality and other forms of entertainment. It became the perfect vessel for those who needed some escapism.
Nowadays, that theme is explored by other shows and genres like telenovelas and drama. Still, the most recent one that’s been building its momentum like a wave that’ll turn into a tsunami is the K-Drama/K-Pop industry. That’s a talk for another day, though.
The idea of over-the-top emotions, perverted scenes, and gore doesn’t tickle that many people’s fancies. The manner in which it is portrayed is the key to making it palatable which goes to show the level that manga story writers operate on. They have a tendency to leave a person troubled.
After watching a few episodes, the only thought that creeps upon your mind is to finish all 20 seasons to know what the initial D. means and why the heck only troublesome pirates have it. You crave more man.
WHERE THE DOUGH IS AT
Japan outdid themselves as anime presented them with opportunities that last lifetimes.
With fans and followers all over the globe, big corporations had to step in. They bought shares from the source, used the attention anime receives for marketing, and tried to tap all its potential.
Giants such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney Plus also wanted a piece of the pie. Their scramble opened up new possibilities for production companies whose demand as content creators is ever-increasing. The move by Sony to buy the gateway for anime to most parts of the world, Crunchyroll, further proves how much of a hotcake the anime industry is.
“Anime production companies in Japan generated a revenue of more than 76 billion Japanese yen via overseas sales in 2020.” – Statista Research Department
Out of all these income opportunities, merchandise is by far the most valuable business on the market. Anime streaming and live entertainment businesses follow it.
The domestic impact of anime doesn’t rely on streaming rights and Naruto noodles but tourism. The fans have provided Japan with a steady stream of tourists for years now. Anime incorporates Japanese culture and it is only reasonable for people to want to experience their favorite show’s scenery and food.
HUMAN PSYCHE
A guy named Albert Bandura, who has a theory on media influence, stated that it encouraged a change in the participants. This is a rundown of his points.
His theory focused on the idea that the media can ‘implant’ ideas into the mind of audiences. He also believed that audiences acquired attitudes, emotional responses, and new styles of conduct through modeling. His theory assumes that audience members will adopt behaviors regardless of what they think about the content they are consuming.
Another dude named Cohen provides extra information on the matter which could fill in the patches. He believed that for a show to change you, you should first identify with it. The process of identification needs the audience to feel the events and interpret them as if they were happening to them. This allows the formation of emotions, such as empathy, which might lead to the adoption of a particular character’s identity.
Their theories suggest that all types of media affect human life in ways that should not be taken lightly. For example, children and other impressionable people, such as teens, learn new behaviors, whether good or bad, from watching TV through various cognitive processes. Now, if a character on TV was being rewarded for aggressive behavior, this would get imprinted on them and would influence the way they treat other humans. Abide in ratings, kids.
SHUT-INS
It became evident that a certain type of personality became associated with being a diehard anime fan. The addictive nature of some shows that required a person to keep waiting for new releases paired with the excessive need to escape reality provided the perfect breeding ground for the modern-day hermit.
Hikikomori is a condition where a person rejects all social interactions by holing themselves up somewhere. They usually only have anime, games, and shows to occupy them.
This is a disorder in its category, as it has accompanying psychiatric symptoms. The considerations for the hikikomori condition should be that no better explanation by any other psychiatric disorder should fit the bill. (Social phobia, major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, or avoidant personality disorder)
Recently, the number of hermits has increased greatly in the east and the west. It’s not a stretch to say that it might happen in Africa and other places where people are still getting used to anime.
Estimations show that approximately 1% of Japanese youths suffer from an episode of hikikomori in their lifetimes. (From a journal of genetic psychology by Julie C. Bowker.)
I will not go into further details about this, as the circumstances that lead to the reclusion are often different. It would take more than an article to address this matter.
COMMUNITY
With the kind of influence anime has, it incited unprecedented new trends. New controversial concepts emerged: cosplays, spending whole salary checks on dolls and other anime-related merch, and learning Japanese to speak it broken like their favorite characters.
This started as a taint to people who enjoyed anime but has recently become an essential part of the community. It offered people new ways to bond and form new relationships on a much bigger scale than any other form of media could manage.
Anime cons, trivia nights, chat platforms, podcasts, live feeds, gaming tournaments, you name them. Fans are always looking for reasons to meet each other and share their passions. Such events are not limited by culture, religion, or even language. You have to show up to feel a sense of belonging.
If you’re ever in Kenya, Movie Jabber is the association behind such meetups and no, this isn’t an ad for them. I’m sharing out of the goodness of my heart, so here’s the link to their site.
MOVIE JABBER – Movies and Pop Culture
It would be nice to meet you at one of their events. ☺
cool highlight of one of their events Otamatsuri.
REFERENCES
Julie C. Bowker, Matthew H. Bowker, Jonathan B. Santo, Adesola Adebusola Ojo, Rebecca G. Etkin & Radhi Raja (2019) Severe Social Withdrawal: Cultural Variation in Past Hikikomori Experiences of University Students in Nigeria, Singapore, and the United States, The Journal of Genetic Psychology
Cohen, Jonathan. “Defining Identification: A Theoretical Look at the Identification of Audiences With Media Characters.” Mass Communication and Society 4 (2001): 245 – 264.
Are Hikikomori Just a Japanese Problem? | Alexander Krieg (iafor.org)