Anime is one of the words that everyone has heard once in their life through social media, friends and family but do people understand what it means? Anime (アニメ) is considered Japanese-originated hand-drawn and computer-generated animations. Particularly in Japan, Anime is a word used to describe all animated works of varied styles or origins. Anime is mostly an adapted version of the plot from Manga from the different Mangakas(Manga -Artists). Manga is Japanese-originated comics with different graphic styles made by Mangaka.

Anime Appeal and Culture

There are countless reasons one is engulfed and obsessed with anime. But to keep it short and to the point, the simple answer is the Artwork and plot of the Anime that makes it superior to generic animations and stories. The visual appeal of the Animations and the works of the Writers give it the top spot it deserves. Not to mention, taking up this challenging task and bringing the Visual Excellence to Animations by the Amazing efforts of the Animators are frequently undermined. The efforts of the Voice Actors is the one generally most appreciated as they directly connect with the audience and make the Characters look real.

Other than this, the major appeal is the characters have discernible personalities with their flaws and their feelings and motivations for their actions. Sure, they are fictional and well-written and the audiences can readily identify with them. Also, the Storyline could go up for decades, keeping one influenced by it almost all of their lifetime. It is genre specific to an individual’s liking and also provides a nostalgic feeling through the stories. It has been observed more than 70% of the youth in Japan watch anime,  and the same trend can be seen worldwide.

Another aspect is the general interest in Japan and Japanese Culture. The Rich culture of Japan attracts everyone and also serves as an influencing medium about various values. Anime has also encouraged youngsters to learn the Japanese language. Fan-Service is an aspect that is intentionally placed in the animes to attract the audiences towards it. Communities and fandoms significantly support the entire anime culture.

Fandoms: List of Popular Online Anime Communities

Several online communities are formed for Anime enthusiasts to serve as a medium through which people can connect. This results in the development of fan theories concerning numerous animes. Not only that, Discussion on anime, mangas and everything related can be done with ease. Also, it serves as a file-sharing medium for the latest episodes and chapters. Fandoms also created several platforms where people can post Cosplays and Fan Art of the Characters. It is the easiest way to connect with people and showcase your love.

• Reddit r/anime

Reddit is a platform for community buildings where people are free to post without any restrictions. The Anime community residing there currently has over 7.4M members, with rapid growth.

This community provides a platform for Sharing Images on anything, discussions, and Asking Questions and has several subreddit pages for specific animes.

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  Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll is one of the leading platforms for streaming anime which has been around for a long time. Recently, It became accessible from India. It streams many of the animes for free on its platform while some of the latest ones are on a paid basis. It has a community forum for discussion of the animes and also updates the user about the latest episodes and manga releases.

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  MyAnimelist

It is one of the best sites for listing generations of the animes you have watched and the mangas you have read. It has an extensive database which is followings the current trends. You may also rank the episodes, place them separately, and discuss them. It also provides a platform for anime ranking through the community.

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  Anilist

It is similar to the other platforms where you can create lists, check your progress and get updated with the latest animes. But, what makes it unique is the fact that this platform gives a feel of a social media website where you can interact, and make friends with other people of like minds.

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  Anime Planet

This platform serves as a site for streaming and serving the anime community with various parameters to rate the animes, characters and other related. It allows you to make a list of suggestions for the community in which you may construct a variety of genre lists and share them with the community.

These anime communities are the ones that create a strong backing of the large anime-watching audience. The efforts of the fans, who have created such a powerful group that pushes anime to the mainstream, are largely responsible for the success of it. When many individuals were engrossed in anime, these communities became the most active throughout the epidemic. These communities served as an impactful and supporting platform for these newcomers in the Anime World.

Animes as an Influencing Medium

Anime is much more than an entertainment medium, it has a great potential to influence people through the stories it tells, the characters it portrays, and the diverse worlds it represents. There is no roof to the extent of the imagination of the writers. It also acts as a bridge and introduction to various other cultures and traditions. It broadens the viewers’ understanding by giving a source for unthinkable things.

• Ghibli Studios

Hayao Miyazaki’s Ghibli Studios is one of the best producers in the Anime business. The movie “Spirited Away” was the first Japanese animated film to be nominated for Best Animated Feature in 2003, and also the only film that won in that category. Hayao Miyazaki’s most recent film, The Wind Rises, was nominated for Best Animated Feature in 2014 but unfortunately lost the award to Disney’s Frozen.

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  One Piece

One Piece is one of the greatest manga which is currently running since 1997. It currently holds Two Guinness world records titles “Most copies published for the same comic book series by a single author” and “Most copies published for the same manga series”.The current serialization of the manga is running since 1999.

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  Kyoto Animation

Kyoto Animation is best known in the industry for its Realistic animations. Their produced films though simple turn out to be the highest-grossing ones.” Suzume”,” Spirited Away”, and” Your Name” are the films produced by one of the most-grossing films in Japan.

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  Demon Slayer: Mugen Train

Demon Slayer: Mugen Train Movie, despite being released amid a pandemic in the year 2020, became Japan’s highest-grossing film. Demon Slayer is a manga release in the Shonen Jump, a mainstream manga-consuming platform in Japan. It was released as anime as new gen anime and was successful, to contribute to that the movie was a great success.

All the things which make up a good anime are bound to create a great community around it. In every community, some nagging people force anime superiority over others creating a toxic environment and others who rationally appreciate it as an art form while promoting it. But all of the communities put their efforts to get animes to receive the attention it deserves. They want to spread the word all across the world about how anime can alter people’s lives in the same way it transformed theirs.

Reference List:

1. Game Rant. (2022). Every Anime That Has Been Nominated For An Academy Award. [online] Available at: https://gamerant.com/every-anime-nominated-academy-award-oscar/ [Accessed 10 Jul. 2023].
2. IMDb. (n.d.). Kenjirô Tsuda. [online] Available at: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1328859/mediaviewer/rm1497909760/?ref_=nm_ov_ph [Accessed 14 Jul. 2023].
3. Kawaii Vibe. (2020). Top 5 Online Anime Communities You Should Join. [online] Available at: https://kawaiivibe.com/blogs/kawaii/top-5-online-anime-communities-you-should-join#:~:text=Top%205%20Online%20Anime%20Communities%20You%20Should%20Join [Accessed 10 Jul. 2023].
4. Li, J. (2022). ‘One Piece’ Manga Breaks Guinness World Record, Surpassing 500 Million Copies. [online] HYPEBEAST. Available at: https://hypebeast.com/2022/8/one-piece-manga-breaks-guinness-world-record-surpasses-500-million-copies [Accessed 10 Jul. 2023].
5. Wikipedia Contributors (2019). Anime and manga fandom. [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anime_and_manga_fandom [Accessed 10 Jul. 2023].

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