Who's the Mickey Mouse of anime?

[CastletonSnob]

Are we really going to argue anime isn't mainstream? I saw several anime shirts at Wal-Mart a few weeks ago, and I saw an entire store dedicated to anime at my local mall.

I'd say the majority of people know what anime is.

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

I guess I shouldn't be surprised though the amount of knowledge retained by the average person is abysmally low.

It's not about "retention". It's that people don't know what they don't know.

Let's take it away from anime for a second. Grey's Anatomy is a very popular show that's been going for 18 seasons. It's even had a couple of spinoffs. Yet, if you asked me to name a single character from the show...the best I could do is say something like "Dr. Grey" but I don't even know her first name... because I don't watch the show.

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Are we really going to argue anime isn't mainstream? I saw several anime shirts at Wal-Mart a few weeks ago, and I saw an entire store dedicated to anime at my local mall.

I'd say the majority of people know what anime is.

I know what Kpop is too. But show me a picture of any Kpop star and it's very unlikely I'll be able to tell you their name or what band they are in. There's a few bands i've heard of here and there... but I wouldn't be able to match their faces with their songs. I could maybe recognize Psy because of "Gangam style". Maybe Rain because of "Ninja Assassin" and because my sister was hugely into him for a few years.

Compare that with "Mickey Mouse". How many people would you have to talk to before you found a single person that said "I don't know who that is"

[Gehco]

What did you do before modding? Man a radio relay station in Antarctica?

Honestly. You would be surprised how many TV stations around the world believed it was a waste of money to invest in anime during the 80's, 90's and early 00's. I saw my first anime when I was like.. what.. 5? (1991) Because I found a Robotech VHS tape at the dump.. There were no anime on TV in my country until like, near the end of the 90's, and that was german channels that were running trial runs to see if it was worth investing in.

[rogoth]

Who's the Mickey Mouse of anime? A character who is synonymous with anime, and known even by people who don't watch anime?

Maybe Goku?

goku is only a shout for those who are already integrated into the anime community, for everyone else it's a pikachu situation, if you polled 1000 random people in the street with an image of each one and asked them to name them, i would say that 80% would guess pikachu whereas less than 40% would know who goku is.

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Honestly. You would be surprised how many TV stations around the world believed it was a waste of money to invest in anime during the 80's, 90's and early 00's. I saw my first anime when I was like.. what.. 5? (1991) Because I found a Robotech VHS tape at the dump.. There were no anime on TV in my country until like, near the end of the 90's, and that was german channels that were running trial runs to see if it was worth investing in.

just to piggyback on this point, it wasn't until the early 2010's and pretty entirely due to Funimation that the 'west' started to really integrate anime as a mainstream option for dedicated channels on TV and dedicated section on streaming sites that were popping up around that time, if you wanted to watch anime back in the 90's, you had to know somebody who knew somebody who could get VHS tapes imported from japan, and there was never any subtitles in English, nevermind the other major languages of the world, while it's a lot more commonplace today, anime as a general form of media hasn't existed in the form it does today since around 2011/2012, so for sake of arguement you could say that mainstream anime is only around 10 years old at this point.

[UnifiedDivide]

if you wanted to watch anime back in the 90's, you had to know somebody who knew somebody who could get VHS tapes imported from japan

While I was also involved in the trade of fansubbed VHS tapes at the time, I was also watching things like DBZ, Gundam, and Sailor Moon on TV in the 90s lol

[Dead Moose Fandango]

Gundam. I said it. I'll say it again. GUNDAAAAAAAAAAM!!!!

[draynay]

Gundam. I said it. I'll say it again. GUNDAAAAAAAAAAM!!!!

White Devil!

[Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang]

goku is only a shout for those who are already integrated into the anime community, for everyone else it's a pikachu situation, if you polled 1000 random people in the street with an image of each one and asked them to name them, i would say that 80% would guess pikachu whereas less than 40% would know who goku is.

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just to piggyback on this point, it wasn't until the early 2010's and pretty entirely due to Funimation that the 'west' started to really integrate anime as a mainstream option for dedicated channels on TV and dedicated section on streaming sites that were popping up around that time, if you wanted to watch anime back in the 90's, you had to know somebody who knew somebody who could get VHS tapes imported from japan, and there was never any subtitles in English, nevermind the other major languages of the world, while it's a lot more commonplace today, anime as a general form of media hasn't existed in the form it does today since around 2011/2012, so for sake of arguement you could say that mainstream anime is only around 10 years old at this point.

Depends where, here in Europe (my bias is centered around France and other Francophone countries, AFAIK Italy has had a similar early exposure), we started having japanese anime broadcasted on major television channels as early as 1978.

Things like Goldorak (UFO Robot Grendizer), Albator (Space Pirate Captain Harlock), Dragon Ball, Knights of the Zodiac (Saint Seya), Sailor Moon, along with many many children's shows, including numerous adaptations of Western Litterature classics, or various Euro-Japanese collaborations made up a sizeable chunk if not the majority of broadcasted animation at a time, chiefly on kids time slots and/or part of kids shows.

Anyone who grew up in the 80s and 90s received a substantial dose of all of that as they grew up, but by the late 90s it more or less stopped as far as major channels and kids slots were concerned, with the notable exception of Pokemon. Classics would see reruns, and we had the likes of Gundam Wing, Evangelion, Cowboy Bebop and Visions of Escaflowne, but those were first broadcasted in late afternoon slots (typically on the free slot of a major paid channel, before seeing reruns on cable).

In the 90s manga publication had started, with both major and niche editors gobbling up the catalogue of classics and quickly venturing into novelties, and choice and popularity exploded in the 2000's.

[rogoth]

Depends where, here in Europe (my bias is centered around France and other Francophone countries, AFAIK Italy has had a similar early exposure), we started having japanese anime broadcasted on major television channels as early as 1978.

Things like Goldorak (UFO Robot Grendizer), Albator (Space Pirate Captain Harlock), Dragon Ball, Knights of the Zodiac (Saint Seya), Sailor Moon, along with many many children's shows, including numerous adaptations of Western Litterature classics, or various Euro-Japanese collaborations made up a sizeable chunk if not the majority of broadcasted animation at a time, chiefly on kids time slots and/or part of kids shows.

Anyone who grew up in the 80s and 90s received a substantial dose of all of that as they grew up, but by the late 90s it more or less stopped as far as major channels and kids slots were concerned, with the notable exception of Pokemon. Classics would see reruns, and we had the likes of Gundam Wing, Evangelion, Cowboy Bebop and Visions of Escaflowne, but those were first broadcasted in late afternoon slots (typically on the free slot of a major paid channel, before seeing reruns on cable).

In the 90s manga publication had started, with both major and niche editors gobbling up the catalogue of classics and quickly venturing into novelties, and choice and popularity exploded in the 2000's.

from my own experience it's from a UK perspective where 'we' had an already very well established 'kids' sector for general television viewing, and other than a few ultra mainstream shows like sailor moon/DBZ/pokemon and a few others of the time, it was rare to see general anime on TV, if you wanted specific shows, especially those aimed at adults like ghost in the shell as a prime example, you were forced as i said to know a guy who knows a guy who can get the tapes imported, my wording was a bit loose with what i was meaning, but i hope this helps explain what i was trying to say, i grew up in the 90's, and while i did watch the likes of pokemon and sailor moon, it was only because they were available of free tv channels, if you wanted the likes of gundam/evangelion etc, they were on pay per view TV channels and where i lived there was almost no way to get that because the companies that provided that service at the time didn't operate where i lived, so even if my parents were willing to pay for it (they weren't), it wouldn't have mattered anyway, the only way i was able to watch different shows was due to an old childhood friend of mine, his dad would regularly get VHS tapes of shows that had finished airing in japan and get a bulk bye of them, it was thanks to him that i was introduced at the ripe young age of 10 to my first ever Hentai lol, i don't think he knew what it was due to the cover art being very shounen like, but the video was 'the legend of the overfiend'.

overall though the sheer ease of availability today is a night and day comparison to back in 'ye olden days' lol.

[Milchshake]

Speed Racer or Astro Boy ....

[Dhrizzle]

goku is only a shout for those who are already integrated into the anime community, for everyone else it's a pikachu situation, if you polled 1000 random people in the street with an image of each one and asked them to name them, i would say that 80% would guess pikachu whereas less than 40% would know who goku is.

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just to piggyback on this point, it wasn't until the early 2010's and pretty entirely due to Funimation that the 'west' started to really integrate anime as a mainstream option for dedicated channels on TV and dedicated section on streaming sites that were popping up around that time, if you wanted to watch anime back in the 90's, you had to know somebody who knew somebody who could get VHS tapes imported from japan, and there was never any subtitles in English, nevermind the other major languages of the world, while it's a lot more commonplace today, anime as a general form of media hasn't existed in the form it does today since around 2011/2012, so for sake of arguement you could say that mainstream anime is only around 10 years old at this point.

There was a huge anime push in the UK around the mid-to-late 90s. Channel 4 showed quite a few series like 3x3 Eyes, Legend of the Four Kings and Fist of the North Star. Shops like HMV and Virgin Stores also had pretty big anime sections where you could even find the early hentai hit Urutsukidoji. Then it was early 2000s that mainstream anime took over with series like DBZ and Gundam Wing being shown on Sky.

[Lodreh]

Gen X didn't grow up with anime?...

We did have Anime but it was called Japanimation... I recall Astro Boy, Speed Racer, and Fist of the North Star... but for widespread recognition I would probably go with Pikachu. Nintendo marketed the hell out of that one.

[UnifiedDivide]

There was a huge anime push in the UK around the mid-to-late 90s. Channel 4 showed quite a few series like 3x3 Eyes, Legend of the Four Kings and Fist of the North Star. Shops like HMV and Virgin Stores also had pretty big anime sections where you could even find the early hentai hit Urutsukidoji. Then it was early 2000s that mainstream anime took over with series like DBZ and Gundam Wing being shown on Sky.

I remember this being one of the late night movies that the then Sci-Fi channel would should late at night, too. The way they censored it was hilarious. I also remember them showing things like Akira and Tokyo Revelation, which I later found out was related to what we now call Shin Megami Tensei. It was not good lol But its one of those early experiences, like Akira, that has stuck with me. I also still remember going into HMV and buying all kinds of different Manga Entertainment releases like Violence Jack and so on.

But yeah, then we started getting a whole bunch of stuff on Cartoon Network/Toonami.

[Kokolums]

Gen X didn't grow up with anime? So no, never heard of goku, or whomever

But I do know who Pikachu is, because of all the memes

Gen X's most popular anime was either Battle of the Planets / Science Ninja Team Gatchman (1972) or Robotech / Super Dimension Fortress Macross (1982). I'd say Rick Hunter is the most popular anime character from that era.

[Jigga93]

Nina Tucker

[Zmagoslav]

Pikachu for sure.
When i was younger i would go with Goku, but looking at it from franchise-presence in Europe over the last 20 years there's really no competition here.

Nina Tucker

Oh no, you didn't...

[Khain]

Definitely Goku, Pokemon is way more popular as a game than an anime.

[Jastall]

Pikachu and I don't think it's even close. My mom and her sisters would have no idea who Luffy, Goku or Doreamon are. But they all know who Pikachu is. Every gamer knows Pikachu. Everyone who's even casually watched animated shows (Western or Japanese) knows Pikachu.

[Advent]

Yeah it's 100% Pikachu. I don't think anyone can reasonably argue otherwise, unless they're biased. You'd have to go to some remote corner of the world to find someone who didn't know who the furry yellow rodent was, but I know of many people who have 0 idea what dragonball or Goku even is. Nintendo did a superb job marketing Pokémon. Hell, I'm a millennial and my first anime wasn't dragonball, it was either Sailor Moon or Ronin Warriors, can't recall which. I didn't watch DBZ until I was a teenager.

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

I've been giving this a lot of thought...and I gotta say...I don't think there is any one character that is synomymous with anime in the same way Mickey Mouse is with Western Cartoons. And here's my reasoning:

All of us here...no matter the differences in our ages...we pretty much all grew up with Mickey Mouse. Maybe he wasn't our favourite...but we saw plenty of Mickey & Friends. Disney cartoons are part of all our formative memories. There's just no one character in anime that applies in that way. I mean, I understand how popular pikachu is...but I was already in my 20's when Pokemon came out...I got no connection to that. My connection is to earlier anime.... Akira, Battle Angel, Vampire Hunter D. More "adult" oriented anime.

Anime just doesn't have that one character that's stood the test of time that Mickey has yet.