11 November 2021
By Caleb and Randall
According to Global News Wire, the Japanese anime and Manga industry made a record $22.6 billion in sales in 2020, and is expected to increase exponentially in the years to come. In Singapore we are seeing a boom in it's popularity with Anime games like Genshin Impact showing up as SMRT bus liveries and shows like Demon Slayer topping local streaming charts. So, how did such a niche, 'geeky' interest turn into the phenomenon it is today in Singapore?
What is Anime
The term "anime" is an abbreviation of the Japanese word "Animēshon." Anime is a genre of Japanese animation that refers to cartoon films and television shows produced in Japan. It has made breakthroughs into numerous communities throughout the years.
A scene from Spirited Away, an anime fantasy film about a girl named, “Chihiro” (right) working in an abandoned amusement park inhabited by supernatural beings to free her parents who turned into pigs. (Credits: Spirited Away/Studio Ghibli)
Modern anime originated in the early 1900s and reached its pinnacle in 1961, when Osamu Tezuka founded Mushi Productions, a prominent figure in modern Anime who mastered the complex, novelistic Japanese comic book style with shows like Astro Boy, that strongly influenced the aesthetic of the animation. Anime like Princess Mononoke (1997) and Spirited Away (2001) by Hayao Miyazaki are the current counterparts of Japanese masters like Mizoguchi Kenji and Kurosawa Akira's epic folk adventures. These films are frequently based on Japanese comic novels known as "Manga." Unlike American cartoons, anime does not have a consistent style and can vary greatly depending on the creator.
A scene from Clannad, an anime fantasy-drama film about Tomoya (left) helping Nagisa (right) to reform the drama club in hopes of impressing her. (Credit: Clannad/Toei Animation)
Furthermore, characters in anime, on the other hand, frequently share characteristics such as huge eyes, tiny features, and brightly colored hair.
The Root of the Scene in Singapore
In the early 2000s, the airing of popular programs such as Dragonball, Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Ho! Served as a catalyst for the anime boom.
G&T Hub, a local trading card shop in Singapore operating over 20 years. (Credit: G&T Hub)
Although it was reserved for the Otakus and geeks, due to this, anime conventions and meet ups grew in popularity here, allowing greater numbers of anime and manga enthusiasts to get together to share their enthusiasm.
An anime cosplayer dressed up as Amber from Genshin Impact in Singapore. (Credits: Xiaoyukiko)
Fans used to visit these conventions to play Anime inspired trading card games with one another and for the freedom to cosplay as their favourite characters without getting judged. Briant Neo, an Anime and Manga veteran highlights how these events helped strengthen the community in the early years. “I met countless Otakus like myself over the years and built unforgettable bonds. Even now, some of these people run Anime merchandise stores and have gone to lengths such as licensing movies to air here,” Briant said.
The Rise
Previously, anime streaming used to be exclusive only to Japan. Ever since Singapore got the license to stream anime, the growth of popularity for anime in Singapore increased.
Marina Bay, a location in Singapore, was being adapted into an anime series as characters tour around the world. (Credit: Sora yori mo Tōi Basho/Madhouse)
This is due to Netflix providing more anime streams for viewers to watch in Singapore .Being a new category that Netflix has to provide, some people may not have seen it before but now they will watch it because it will be a whole new experience for the new viewers to enjoy different anime genres such as romance, comedy, action/adventure, mystery/suspense and horror. Adding on, there is a streaming website called Crunchyroll which is the world’s largest collection of anime for people to watch. It was recorded that there are over 100 million users registered to the website worldwide in 2021.
The ability to watch new anime and keep up with current shows being aired in Japan became easier with the launch of streaming services. Although it is common for fans to watch their favourite shows on anime-services like Crunchyroll, the hype in the west continues to grow as streaming services such as Netflix continue to pick up and showcase anime shows. It is reported that Netflix has a current subscriber base of approximately 150 million across 190 countries.
Director of Netflix's anime programming, John Derderian, said in an interview with Vox that the anime business in the United States is "strong," which is why the service launched 30 original anime episodes in 2018. "We leverage the technology and the power of personalisation to find new anime enthusiasts," Derderian explained. "Anime has become more accessible and discoverable because of streaming in general. Traditionally, anime didn't have a lot of distribution real estate since it was frequently too tiny to achieve meaningful distribution, but now that we have a global streaming service, we can identify the fandoms."
The Impact of Anime
Anime may have been increasing in popularity but it is actually might be the biggest pop culture phenomenon that many people have yet to discover. It has become one of the best resources lately to tell stories in an animated form, with the freedom of expressing the stories in any genre for any audience which contrasts against the traditional cartoons which are generally targeted at children to watch.
In modern times, anime culture has made its way into pop culture with fashion brands collaborating with anime series and fashion trends revolving around them. Fans would be on impulse to buy anime fashion products such as Shonen Jump’s collaboration with Uniqlo UT and One Piece’s collaboration with Skechers. Since Anime is such a norm nowadays, fans are more comfortable with cosplaying on a regular day out This includes people wearing capes, robes or other pieces which are deemed “eccentric”. For a more subtle look, we can find people wearing accessories or regular streetwear essentials such as a graphic t-shirt to symbolise their favourite anime characters or series. When asking a new anime fan, we found out that she got into anime purely because she decided to look into what her new anime shirt was all about. “I bought a Jujutsu Kaisen t-shirt from Uniqlo because the design was nice and I decided to find out more about the anime as my friends were hyped when they found out about the collaboration,” said Ashley Ong.
A scene from Akira was adapted into a music video for Kanye West’s song, “Stronger”. (Credits: Akira 1988 left / Kanye West - Stronger music video right )
Anime comes out often as reference in music as well. Among prominent anime-influenced songs and music videos, we must start with Kanye West's "Stronger" video, which was greatly inspired by the dystopian 1988 anime film Akira. Not only do several of the images in the music video seem like moments from Akira but Kanye West still holds Akira up as a creative benchmark for all of his visual work.
A fan-made Anime Music Video for the hit single XXXTENTACION - ILOVEITWHENTHEYRUN.
Many of the late XXXTentacion's early tracks gained popularity when they were mixed with anime clips (AMV) to give the music a gorgeous yet melancholy visual life, despite the fact that they were fan-made. Before releasing his first album, songs like "I spoke to the devil in Miami, he said everything would be great," and "I'm Sippin Tea In Your Hood" were given thrilling visual narratives employing stunning footage from the series Naruto and The Garden of Words, and became synonymous with his music. This unique collision of anime and music was something not seen before which gave tracks a distinct flair which attracted new anime fans.
In the following years, we are unlikely to see a decline in popularity. Rather, streaming providers and anime stores here will likely continue to cater to their consumers and generate exclusive content.
As more people watch anime with mature themes and heartfelt content that combats issues such as bullying, such as Tokyo Ghoul and A Silent Voice, the perception that anime is "only for kids and geeks" will fade away. As society evolves and animation tries to adapt to and relate to it, we should expect to witness a change away from the stigmas of the past.
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