Friday, August 26, 2011

Outgrowing Anime; A Rant

A lot of people remark that they have outgrown anime. I don't understand this statement.


Considering that anime is a broad market, and encompasses every genre and demographic, I don't understand how you can outgrow it

Did any of you read Twilight and say "Ugh. I'm so tired of this junk. I'm just outgrowing books." No? Did you just denounce the Twilight series as "stupid teen stuff" and get some more mature books? Well, why can't you do that with anime?

Is anime, because it's an animated medium, only for teens and kids? In the West, cartoons are generally regarded as a medium for children and are cast away as one becomes older. Are anime, because they are also cartoons doomed to the same path?

I find the lack of knowledge about intended demographics appalling. For something EVERY SINGLE book and show has, it seems like it's one of the least known pieces of information ever. There are manga for men, women, children, and teen girls and boys alike, yet people can only recall the popular boys' or girls' manga instead of the ones for adult men and women.

Would you pick up a children's book, then announce you hate books? Why doesn't anyone understand that as they grow, their tastes mature? You also don't have as much time on your hands.

I don't read books everyday. I used to read around 10-12 books a week, but now, I only read 1 book a month. I could stop reading books for any amount of time, or only read 2-3 books a month, but it doesn't mean I don't like books anymore.

Everyone has different tastes, and as an industry, anime tries to cater to every taste. If they didn't, they would lose money. If you honestly can't find anything to watch, then you must not even be trying.

Maybe I'm a minority, but I like watching anime. Even if I stop watching, I'm still an anime fan. I love animated media, but I'm not going to waste my time watching things that are beneath me. I have standards. You should, too.