Five key questions for my final idea
Has anime become more popular over recent years?
From the this link here http://en.rocketnews24.com/2013/10/08/manga-and-anime-my-how-youve-changed/ it mainly discusses how the animation style of anime has changed through previous years and how this might have an effect of why it is become more popular. This site compares the animation style from the 90's to modern day animation and from this, it clearly shows how it has changed and makes the audience wonder, what lies ahead for the animation styles. Even though this site doesn't exactly offer, anything specific on the popularity of anime, it does provide information on how it has evolved over the decades and the possibility of looking forward to new animation in the future.Otaku: "Is a Japanese term fro people who have obsessive interests, commonly the anime and manga fandom" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otaku
I found this quite an interesting article as it focuses on the impact that the anime has on it's culture/creator and how it is effecting people to "see the 3D world as somewhat ugly and uninteresting, and have no desire to ever have a real relationship." and this graph here supports the fact of the decrease in Japans population since the growth of anime industries.
In this article it also discuss that anime and games continue to improve due to technology, which is creating the otaku culture to expand. Also it shows that anime culture is slowly being more accepted in western countries.
I think this article is very eye opening, as it shows the impact the popularity is having in Japan and what it's leading to and also opens the question of "what if in the future anime becomes as popular as it has in Japan and the population even starts decreasing in western countries?"
How do conventions increase anime popularity?
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| Here is a table which shows the main conventions that takes place in England, which is the MCM expo and this table consist of the number of attendees it has each year. Compared to America, the UK is rather small, but this table shows that there is a number of people who share and interest in anime/conventions, as from the expo in 2010 the number of attendees was 50,000 and in 2013 it reached 88,000. |
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| This table here shows the anime convention attendance list from all around the world, and from here it clearly shows that anime and conventions in general, have become more popular over the last 10 years. Even though the country mainly shown is America, it still shows that anime has become more popular and it is getting larger each year. Also from this table it suggests that the more conventions that are held the more popular anime becomes, which would then lead to a increase of fans. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_attendance_figures_at_anime_conventions)
Also here I found an article( http://asianavenuemagazine.com/2013/anime/)) that focuses on the increase in anime popularity and in each paragraph, the writer breaks down what is making anime become more popular such as:
- " Cosplay: A creative act of admiration"
- "NDK provides local anime indulgence"
From the information that I gathered here, I think the main thing that makes anime popular is conventions, because without them the fans wouldn't be able to communicate in real life and share there interests person to person rather than through the internet. Conventions give the fans a chance to express their love for anime and other things at conventions and from the statistics above, it clearly shows that every year there are more people attending these conventions, which then helps with the popularity of anime.
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Should anime become more mainstream?
This here could be considered as an expert opinion on the topic as here a Man discusses his opinion on " Is anime becoming more mainstream?" where he expresses his views on does it have a chance of becoming popular in the west, which he answers the " Yes and No" to the question such as at 1:02. I find this quite a reliable source, as in the video it shows that his is knowledgeable about the different genres of anime, as through the video there is constantly clips from different shows, while he does a voiceover expressing what he thinks. Also through this video his answers sub-questions that lead up to the main question, such as:
- Do we as a fan-base want anime to become more popular?
- Would we lose the uniqueness of are obscure hobbie?
- Is it worth it at a cost of watering down these characteristics that drew us to the medium in the first place?
- Would it change a lot from what we know and love at the moment?
which I think is a good way to approach as this way when it comes to the main angle, the viewer is able to make there own conclusion about the topic, as he has provided a lot of information for them to take in and decide for themselves which is presented at 7:24. This video here, I think is helpful when it comes to my documentary, as it opens more questions that could be asked when it comes to interviews and it could be something I address through mine as sub genre, as I found this video to be very influential as he provided both the negative and positives to the question. Also by finding a video that links to this question, I am also able to read the comments and see what their thoughts were on the topic and as he is a youtuber that dedicates himself to anime, the audience's opinion would be able to help me develop this idea further.
Why do people attend anime conventions?
Anime Convention: is an event or gathering with a primary focus on anime, manga and Japanese culture. Commonly, anime conventions are multi-day events hosted at convention centers, hotels or college campuses. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anime_Convention)
When it comes to people going to anime conventions, there could be a number of reasons why, but as this site here states the main reason is because " wanting to interact with others who share your same interests."
But other reasons might be:- Panels of the persons favorite show
- Cosplay contests
- Appearances from special guests
- Merchandise
-Workshops
Overall conventions have a lot to offer a niche community and they can vary from small halls that can only hold hundred people, to giant expos where over 50,000 gather. Through conventions, it has made people with the same interests gather, where they are able to express what they love without the feeling of people judging, as anime can be seen as "weird", which is why some people decide to keep the interest to themselves, which is why going to conventions allows the person to engage with others and not feel alone in something that they love.
Link to where I got this information:
from- http://animecons.com/articles/article.shtml/1074/A_Parents_Guide_to_Anime_Conventions
http://www.wochikochi.jp/english/topstory/2011/12/cosplay-manga-anime.php
http://www.theguardian.com/culture/tvandradioblog/2009/jun/09/anime-japan-tv
Why do people cosplay and lead a lifestyle dedicated to it?
Cosplay: short for costume play and it's when people dress up to resemble a character from a show that they admire.
When it comes to cosplay, the reason why people do it vary, but the main response is usually " nothing more exhilarating to me than to portray a character that I grew up loving." Cosplay can be considered as a hobbie, but there are some people who cosplay professionally, spending weeks or even months perfecting their costume for the next convention.
"“Cosplay is about two things. First it’s about expressing the things you love........ And it’s nice to devote a part of yourself to something."
When it comes to cosplay it gives people a chance to be accepted for their interests and in some cases it can be considered as a sign of escapism, as for one or more days, you are completely someone else and even has made some people improve on their self-confidence levels "“There are lots of great reasons to cosplay, and while I have several I can point to, the real driving force for me has been self-confidence. I spent many years of my youth feeling awkward, ugly and unwanted by my peers. I hung out with my fellow nerds in school, and while I was accepted there, it wasn't enough because I wasn't happy with myself. Cosplay has helped turn that around."
Being able to attend conventions and cosplay, allows some people to make friends who share the same interest as them and not feel ashamed for liking it.
Link to where I got this information from: http://ifanboy.com/articles/what-is-cosplay-and-why-do-people-do-it/
Also in some cases, people lead their lives as dressing up on a daily bases such as Hideaki Kobayashi, who is famous for dressing up as a Japanese school girl and is also one of Japans most experienced cosplay photographers. He has become extremely popular through social network and very popular on the streets of Japan where "schoolgirls—who want to get their photos snapped with him." Kobayashi states that a reason of why he dresses as a school girl is "I want to cheerfully enliven Japan." which is something I think he is achieving. Links to where I received this information:
http://kotaku.com/this-is-just-a-middle-aged-man-dressed-as-a-japanese-sc-479226302
http://visualioner.com/2013/09/06/hideaki-kobayashi-the-old-man-who-became-a-schoolgirl/
How has this research developed your documentary idea?
From this research, I have gathered that conventions are the main source of what makes anime more popular, as they bring together a niche community into a large one, where people area able to express their interests without being ashamed for liking it. Also I learnt that conventions are also able to make the less known anime more popular, as people who attend conventions like different anime, which would then increase the show itself, if people begin to discuss them. I also found it interesting about if anime is becoming more mainstream, which could be something I could address in my documentary, as I would be able to ask people who attend conventions on their opinion if they think it should become more popular or stay as the obscure hobbie. But from this research, I think I will be able to link my angle of " has anime become more popular" with conventions, as I believe I will be able to get a lot of information from the fans and if possible, I could interview someone who has been to a few conventions and does cosplay. I think doing this research, it has helped me have a better idea on what to include in my documentary and how to address my angle more, as I think focusing it more on the convention side of anime popularity, it will be able to come across better in the documentary, as I would be able to address what they are and what it offers to the fans and also include further information on what the future holds for anime.
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