Why/when did Anime become mainstream in the U.S.?

[Al Gorefiend]

I'll admit I never liked it and never will, but thats okay! I totally don't think you're stupid/dumb/a furry because you like Anime and Japanese tradition.

Anyways, today a couple coworkers of mine were having a conversation about an adult-themed Anime (not pornographic, but just bloody/cussing/buxom women etc.) and I weaved a bit between the conversation. One of the guys asked me what my favorite Anime was, to which I confessed I do not like Anime and the last one I watched was probably Pokemon/Digimon as a child.
- They got annoyed.

They say things like "Do you live under a rock? Do you own the Internet?" etc. etc. But how am I to possibly understand the latest going-ons about shows like Death Note or Bleach (I know they exist, I've never seen them). Do people honestly expect that the average person my age (20) would know the slightest thing about Anime? I'm just mentally not into that side of the world. I haven't played Zelda or Final Fantasy and I don't watch Naruto or Inuyasha, I don't flame people about it.. I just avoid threads/comments about it as a passerby.

My question is: When has Anime become so engrained in the teen/young adult culture (particularly U.S. as I'm not sure of its popularity anywhere else) that not knowing or understanding anything about it makes you socially unaware or "had a bad childhood, have no life etc. etc." I say I have never played Ocarina of Time and people will be like "LOL, seriously? your childhood sucked bro"

Say anything Japanese and I'll have NO CLUE what you're talking about. =)

[breadisfunny]

i don't watch most anime because most of the plot lines dont make any sense to me.

[Garnier Fructis]

A couple of your coworkers talking about it doesn't make it mainstream. It's really not mainstream at all, since the majority of citizens probably couldn't tell you want anime even is.

[Divineknight13]

since pokemon and dragonball z i think ... cartoons are a little bit of a thing of the past... anime just takes it to the next level for the viewers i guess...

[obdigore]

With the same generation that started really loving JRPG's I believe. So the people who think FF7 was the best FF are also going to love anime, in general.

Clearly there are outliers. I'm not a big fan of Anime, about the only one I've seen that I enjoyed was Ghost in the Shell. The rest were just meh-tastic to me. And feel free to ignore people who claim 'you had a bad childhood' because you didn't do just the same things they did.

[semaphore]

Pokemon and Digimon are barely even qualifies as anime.

My question is: When has Anime become so engrained in the teen/young adult culture that not knowing or understanding anything about it makes you socially unaware or "had a bad childhood, have no life etc. etc." I say I have never played Ocarina of Time and people will be like "LOL, seriously? your childhood sucked bro"

I think that's a retarded thing to say (no anime = have no life? wha? it used to be the opposite! :indignant. But over the 2000s when the fansub scene took off in conjunction with bittorrent and internet filesharing in general. It's gotten sufficiently popular and widespread that it's simply taken as a regular element of life for certain demographics.

One that isn't and doesn't have to be shared by everyone, mind you, but nonetheless one that is widespread enough to be accepted as normal among large demographic groups.

[cz75fan]

I'm nearly 30 and generally don't care for most modern anime. Though it could be said that the real start of it came in the mid 80's. Mainstream probably hit close to 2000-02 with Cartoon Network

[Remilia]

Aside from the usual 'popular' anime, such as Dragonball, Naruto, Bleach, etc. The 'shounen type' or 'manime'. You won't be expecting much in terms of mainstream outside of those.

If you're looking for other anime, don't expect much outside of those other than those that actually bother looking for em.

Also the people you were talking about, are probably just the general idiots thinking they know a lot, surprisingly there are a lot of those... and they really don't know a lot about anime, hell I don't know a lot.

[Al Gorefiend]

Pokemon and Digimon are barely even qualifies as anime.


I think that's a retarded thing to say (no anime = have no life? wha? it used to be the opposite! :indignant. But over the 2000s when the fansub scene took off in conjunction with bittorrent and internet filesharing in general. It's gotten sufficiently popular and widespread that it's simply taken as a regular element of life for certain demographics.

One that isn't and doesn't have to be shared by everyone, mind you, but nonetheless one that is widespread enough to be accepted as normal among large demographic groups.

But it happens. Now, my test subjects are typically ALWAYS the gaming community so the responses are likely extremely biased. But if I were to say on Trade chat for example that I never played Ocarina of Time or seen Naruto, I'd be lambasted.

[Daedius]

I totally don't think you're stupid/dumb/a furry ...

What? -.-;


Anyways... my first Anime was Kimba the White Lion [which Disney totally ripped off for Lion King btw], and other Osamu Tezuka's series, back a few number of decades ago before anime was even mainstream... I was a hipster kid /derp

[Al Gorefiend]

What? -.-;

Does that not mean what I thought it did?

wait, thats not derogative is it?

[Remilia]

But it happens. Now, my test subjects are typically ALWAYS the gaming community so the responses are likely extremely biased. But if I were to say on Trade chat for example that I never played Ocarina of Time or seen Naruto, I'd be lambasted.

If you talk to the gaming community of a very famous and loved game, you'll get that response.

Same with if how I talk about how I hate Dragonball or Naruto, I get a face full of flame.

[semaphore]

But it happens. Now, my test subjects are typically ALWAYS the gaming community so the responses are likely extremely biased. But if I were to say on Trade chat for example that I never played Ocarina of Time or seen Naruto, I'd be lambasted.

That's because you'd be asking that question in a community where anime is extremely popular. I don't know what you find surprising or whatever about it.

[KCguy]

I remember Sailor Moon on tv when I was a teen and that was very big. Believe that was pretty big mainstream wise. I want to say early/mid 90's, but I that's just a guess. That's the first one I remember on tv anyways.

[Ineko]

Does that not mean what I thought it did?

wait, thats not derogative is it?

Basically equal to bestiality... ;P

[Chrysia]

I remember Sailor Moon on tv when I was a teen and that was very big. Believe that was pretty big mainstream wise. I want to say early/mid 90's, but I that's just a guess. That's the first one I remember on tv anyways.

Eh, a few things were imported before then, too. Ronin Warriors, bits and pieces of a couple others. Sailor Moon, and much more Dragonball Z, really took off here though. Toonami was huge in bringing anime to the US.

[Kurioxan]

Hmmm, mainstream... mainstream among younger generations yes, above 30ish not so much at all.

Although there is one anime in particular that is considered to have opened anime to the western world in particular adults, it also happens to be one of my favourite.
Neon Genesis Evangelion :P

Edit: and lol yes, your age, 20, you do need to live under a rock to not know most animes.
Then again, it is still a niche, if you like it you will watch it, if not, you wont.
But the idea that "cartoons are for kids" is quite... wrong with anime, many of them are all BUT for kids.

[Al Gorefiend]

That's because you'd be asking that question in a community where anime is extremely popular. I don't know what you find surprising or whatever about it.

I do not find it surprising. I avoid conversations about it because the response would be obvious. But say for example someone were to just walk up to you and say "Hey, whats your favorite Nikki Minaj song?" How do you respond? I say "I don't know any" and I get the typical "Oh you dont like the same things I do? allow me to think you're weird". I didn't think that would be the case for something so obscured from U.S. culture like Anime, but it isn't so.

[Very Tired]

I personally don't like women in anime. There just seems to be a few set personalities they have. Shy girl/girl who pretends to be cat/angry girl/always cheerful girl.

[Chrysia]

I do not find it surprising. I avoid conversations about it because the response would be obvious. But say for example someone were to just walk up to you and say "Hey, whats your favorite Nikki Minaj song?" How do you respond? I say "I don't know any" and I get the typical "Oh you dont like the same things I do? allow me to think you're weird". I didn't think that would be the case for something so obscured from U.S. culture like Anime, but it isn't so.

Anime isn't that obscure, though, especially in the mid-to-late 20's crowd. Toonami aired a ton of anime on Cartoon Network, and it was hugely popular. Since then, many people that liked those shows have sought out more.