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Discussion: What Do You Think Cause an Anime to Become a Fad




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Lord Kefka



Joined: 22 Dec 2006
Posts: 96
Location: California..for now
PostPosted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 3:33 pm Reply with quote
Well, first of all, I want to let everyone know there will be no wrong answers unless you decide to sound stupid so post away. But I want to hear some views points of this "issue". it's not like I have anything against an Anime becoming too overly popular but this questions probably slipped through our minds at one time or another: what causes an Anime to become so popular and reaching the high level of reception? This isn't the survival of the fittest we are talking about right where only the stronger dominates...right?

Before posting anything straight out of your brains, take some time to think about these questions. Does an Anime have to be better than the unpopular Anime to become a fad? What is the "spark" that lite the start of the fad? In other words, where and what started it? Is there some underlying theme of a particular Anime that somehow is able to cause a general population to appreciate?

I guess it's something to think about. But to me, I really think it depends on how much that Anime is marketed. Cowboy Bebop is a great example as well as Wolf's Rain. Even though they are not considered "fads", they have been welcomed with a great amount of attention of Adult Swim and have even gotten scores that I think are higher than what they should be. But then what explains the TMoHS fad right now? It's not even out in the United States yet we hear about it nearly everyday. What I want to know is WHAT caused this? Is it becaused it deviates from a cliche we see in a lot of Anime? Maybe it's really unique? Maybe it will lead to a better understand on how we can manipulate people even though that word is cruel to use. So goes back to the idea of survival of the fittest. Can this be applied to Anime. Take some time to think about this. Is there really an invisible hierarcy in Anime that we just don't notice. If it's true, can we shed some light on the ones left in the dirt.

Well, I just wanted to throw some things for people to think about.
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Mr.Diction



Joined: 02 Jan 2007
Posts: 29
PostPosted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 3:48 pm Reply with quote
In many cases, i find the anime that recieve "god" status by their audience tend to either be comedy, or shonen action flicks. Naruto and Bleach are my guilty pleasures, i watch them. They are predictable, and lack alot of deep or original characters, but the action is really really freaking awesome. Haruhi, I've yet to finish it (i know, i'm a monster). But in most cases, lots of the really popular ones are those that have long long run times. Naruto and bleach, they can go on without end, and over time, more and more people will notice them. Take Narutofan, the website for naruto that i've seen, they have over one million members, over the course of 4 years. If the show had ended at 50 episodes, i dont think membership would be that high.I think its about timing, and with a little extra twist, combined with a long run time that makes some anime so popular, or perhaps its just they are around long enough that theres no one that hasn't heard of it.
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Steventheeunuch





PostPosted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 6:25 pm Reply with quote
What makes an Anime, let alone anything, very popular is how well it does with it's target market, aswell as timing and what not. Naruto is successful because kids like ninjas, or like them because of it, it's not too inaccessable, and it's new, fresh, and whatever else. It's something that is easily accessable and doesn't require too much involvement to really pick up. Compared to something like, I don't know, Saint Seiya/Knights of the Zodiac, which came 10-20 years too late, and contains all kinds of superficial and ridiculous alterations that aren't nessecary (plus it's pretty tired and just won't have the appropriate shine and glimmer anymore), that's really not going to do well with today's market.

So basically, it's relevance and timing.
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fighterholic



Joined: 28 Sep 2005
Posts: 9193
PostPosted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 7:33 pm Reply with quote
As mentioned above, how it does with the target audience, in the form of showing the series, and commercialism. How they advertise for the series is important too. So that they let people know that the series is on, and when they can find it and such. And as long as the series appeals, they can go on, like Naruto, One Piece, Bleach, etc.
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Vortextk



Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 892
Location: Orlando, Fl
PostPosted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 11:22 pm Reply with quote
As was said, they're all comedic/action shounen anime. Inuyasha, DBZ, Naruto, Bleach. That's the biggest I can think of with inuyasha being geared a bit more to girl's than the rest with DBZ at the other side more for boys. An older anime fan can like them(I'm not terribly old, 21, but I like them), and not because they're so deep and good but just because they accomplish what each show sets out to do. Also, these are the types of shows most easily grasped and liked by children. More people can like Naruto than paranoia agent. And the whole "fad" thing usually comes from this more universal popularity as well as mediocre games, toys, card games etc etc; all of these being things that little kids will devour. It's also easy to see fads become bigger as these people grow up with them. Aa long as there is no backlash like the all too popular "I started on [enter kiddy/shounen anime here] but now I hate it", which I guess is a fad or trend to do as well.
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