Anime Boom versus Video Game Boom
An essay by former Secretary and President Benjamin Liu '98

November 2000

Nothing describes the valcanic economic development of Japan in the 80s more aptly than the word "boom," so aptly that the Japanese have quickly applied this word to any sweeping fashion, fame, or fad. The recent popularity of anime in America is, by many, a boom in the Japanese sense of the word.

It might surprise some of us foreign fans to know that the anime boom has peaked in Japan a while ago, and the video game boom has replaced the anime boom. Evangelian was for many a sparkle in the dying ash, while macross partisanship draws the image of disgruntled 30 years olds, who sketch Minmei during company meetings. Akira was a climax--it also marked the climax of the economic bubble. One might ask, is manga/anime a fad? And anime fans in America can ask themselves, would I watch anime in 10 years?

Of course, anime/manga lovers will always watch the new animes and read new mangas, which may also still be said about, say, Magic the Gathering. But in recent years, manga sell was 90% of it's peak. Some manga publication has opted for the sleaveless cover and inside-cover ad space to reduce costs. Recently, the famed artists of the Fist of the North Star and City Hunter manga are founding a new manga producation and publishing house to counter the onslaught of video games.

Indeed, video games seems to be the biggest threat--especially since the availability of Play Station in 1994. Economically, it compete with manga for the meager pocket money. Socially, its competitive and interactive nature steals the light of manga and anime. If children were trading knowledge on Doraemon's gadgets in the 80s, they are now discussing the secret boss monster in Final Fantasy 9 or the combo attack in Tekken Tag. Time is also a limiting factor. Finally, the glorious sign of salarymen and students alike reading manga on the train is now replaced by gameboy and, more and more, mobile phones.

On the other hand, the anime/manga boom in America is perhaps an indication of the future of the genre. Manga and anime begin to land in America at about the same time as Super Nintendo. The cultish hobby 10-12 years ago did not wane witht he competition of video games or digital culture. Quite the opposite they grow together. The electronic media help promote the spread of anime and manga--a search of"anime" on Yahoo will suffice as proof. More directly, many fans of anime begin their foray because of videogames. The spread of manga and anime and videogames seem codependent--quite the opposite movement as it is now in Japan.

Perhaps the future is somewhere in between (it is always somethere in between). For Japan, the video game industry and anime industry is a diversification of the manga culture. It may be the same aesthetics taken on different form and attribute. As a diversification or differentiation, it eats into the original market share of manga. On the other hand, in the case of America the different industries are working in concert to introduce this aesthetic. So long as the aesthetic is valid, its various manifestations will come to a balance.