Forum - View topicThis Week in Anime - Anime Across Generations
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Kicksville
 Posts: 1415 |
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It's good when people describe their own experiences, varying by age and location, since I think it helps give a fuller picture of what things were like rather than relying on one or two chronologies, which I feel like people tend to settle on. ...that said, there's a certain pattern to these, and it's "anime became socially acceptable and mainstream around the time I went to college". Which was 2012, but also 2008, 2015, 2022, last year...I can't help but feel like it says more about how judgmental kids and teens are than anything. Which is not to downplay the fact that anime got mainstream and has only become ever more popular. Just that some of us had that feeling back when the middle school tough guys were talking about how awesome Gundam Wing was in 2000, or when half of everyone I knew in high school had at least 1 manga volume in their backpack in 2004. |
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mdo7
 Posts: 8229 Location: Katy, Texas, USA |
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Although I'm a fan of watching anime in dub. I don't think that subtitles (or even CC/SDH subtitles) would go away or something like whatever you said because I assume both of you are aware of the Hollywood film/TV's dialogue problem (meaning they can't make out what they said whether it's the actors/actresses intention, any film(s) directed by Christopher Nolan, or the audio mix problem that the film get home video/streaming release), as long as you have that problem and it will continue no matter what, subtitles and closed captioning will remain to be there. Also, you got Generation Alpha that might be deaf or hard of hearing, they need those SDH subtitles/CC for watching Hollywood films and TV shows/series (and that does extend to anime too). So subtitles will still be there because of that. But, I think that might incentivize Gen Alpha to take reading and literacy more seriously because if you can't understand what they said and you can't read the subtitle or closed caption, that's going to make watching any film or TV shows with any mumbling actors/actresses or if the film was directed by Christopher Nolan much harder and also harder to enjoy if you can't read subtitles/closed caption. Also the anime industry in the US will not always dub every anime titles (usually obscure and niche titles), so they need to anticipate anime with no English dub. I can say the same for tokusatsu programs like Ultraman, Super Sentai, and other foreign language TV dramas/shows like K-drama or C-dramas titles. I like to add because of the Hollywood film and TV series having hard to understand dialogue problem and that is leading to more people turning on CC/SDH subtitles, I like to add that the US anime industry have already become aware of this and now they're using this to justify which non-mainstream and obscure anime titles would justify not getting an English dub, and just subbed it because if you're a person that is watching American film or TV shows/series with the CC/SDH subtitles turned on, and it's now a habit for that person, then you'll have no problem watching a dub-less anime with English subtitles turned on because of that. I'm seeing evidence of people that used to felt uncomfortable watching foreign films (that extends to anime too) but because they watched their American or English-language speaking program with their CC/SDH subtitle turned on due to hard to understand dialogue and they became used to watching their program with the CC/SDH turned on, they now get out of their comfort zone and can now watch foreign films/TV series and anime with no problem when turning on subtitle because they already developed the habit of watching all their program with CC/SDH subtitles turned on. Overall, good piece about anime fans across generation. I watched older anime (even though I was born in 1987) even before I was born because there's something charming about older anime and cel animation (which is full of art and beauty in my eyes). Last edited by mdo7 on Thu Oct 16, 2025 9:52 am; edited 1 time in total |
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dm
 Subscriber Posts: 1723 |
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Robotech?
Some of us go back to Astroboy on broadcast television. |
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Takkun4343
 Posts: 1751 Location: Englewood, Ohio |
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I got into anime the same way many late-stage Millennials my age did: watching Pokemon on cable. Only unlike the others, I immediately changed the channel whenever Team Rocket did their obligatory once-per-episode motto. There was just something about Jessie and James saying their own names as their own sentences that freaked preschool-age me the f*ck out.
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DerekL1963
Space Cowboy Posts: 1156 Location: Puget Sound |
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That wouldn't have been true when I went to college, had I gone to college - in 1981. That being said, I'm still not certain that "anime" has become socially acceptable and mainstream... Because everytime people bring that up, it's almost invariably accompanied by a mention of a large (quite often shonen) franchise. But then, *sigh*, big franchises practically define many media fandoms nowadays. |
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 19140 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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I got a chuckle out of the "didn't realize until years later that it was anime" comment because that was exactly the case for me and the first anime title I watched as a kid (i.e., Battle of the Planets, the first bastardization of Gatchaman). Because of that, I still point to Streamline's release of Akira in the States as my "gateway" title. (And I think I still have that VHS tape I bought at a comic store in 1989 tucked away somewhere. . .)
As a Gen Xer who started calling himself an anime fan in the early '90s, I've never understood the attitude some have had about how anime is less "special" as more people have gotten into it. Expanding the hobby is absolutely a good thing, and I've certainly contributed to it over the years by selectively exposing both students and friends to various anime titles. I've never been shy about advertising my geekdom (otakudom?), either, even before it started becoming more cool. I've always taken the attitude that the more people I can get interested in anime (without being pushy about it), the more people I have to talk about it with. Of course, it probably didn't hurt that I established my geekdom creds well before anime came along for me. (I started playing Dungeons and Dragons in 5th grade.) |
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Great Rumbler
 Posts: 349 Location: Oklahoma |
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Kinda funny that my gateway into anime [in the very late 90s] were shows and movies that weren't contemporary. I started watching older shows like Robotech and Speed Racer, as well as older movies like Galaxy Express 999, Odin Space Sailor Starlight, and Venus Wars. I think the first anime I saw when it was new was Pokemon.
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Hiroki not Takuya
 Posts: 3036 |
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One commonality among the fandom, which has lessened I think from back then, is the contrast in youth entertainment in the US. I was absolutely floored by shows like Kimba because they were thoughtful dramas and not shallow comedies that made up 99.99% of shows aimed at kids but in the last couple of decades thanks to the influence of anime there have been fewer pure comedies. I doubt anyone today would find someone watching anime odd or questionable as the "anime is porn" opinion born from (sort of) anatomically realistic characters has thankfully disappeared. So, I have been overjoyed to see anime explode in popularity and variety as it has increasingly since the '90's and that people appreciate it like I and others always have. Anime used to have a few characteristic artistic styles but now, the variety is insane! Same for the stories. I would agree with your counsel to new would-be-fans to do some homework and check out as much as you can. There is a literal world of anime offering something for everyone! |
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Piglet the Grate
 Posts: 1435 Location: North America |
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Unless TV was ABC/CBS/NBC/PBS and maybe one or two independents on UHF using rabbit ears (and maybe some aluminium foil) connected to the set with 300-ohm spade lugs (no cable or VCRs), you are not an Elder. Also, one or more grandparents born in the 19th Century.
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kgw
 Posts: 1541 Location: Spain, EU |
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So, that's me, then. First anime I remember watching, Mazinger Z.. On the original (sort of)* run, then Heidi (too "girly"/boring for me). Comando G/Gatchman - Battle of Planets, etc. I am glad more people watch anime and I don't plan to stop watching it til I die. Why should I? If I ever go to a retirement house I will fight to have Tatatakae! Otaking as background music. 
* it was pulled out of Spain's national network due to protests ("too violent", they said), never to return. Last edited by kgw on Wed Oct 01, 2025 4:42 am; edited 1 time in total |
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MiniMarps
 Posts: 187 |
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While most my kindergarten classmates' parents plopped them down on the couch and turned on Rugrats or Dexter's Lab or whatever, mine for some reason plopped me down and turned on Dragon Ball and Sailor Moon. I don't know why. But my fate was sealed before I ever really even had any say in the matter.
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snake-eyes
 Posts: 205 |
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I first watched Speed Racer in 1972. I did not know it was Mach Go Go Go. I was then introduced to US Translations of Gatchaman and Space Battleship Yamato late 70’s. 1981 a movie Channel Spotlight aired Jim Terry’s Force Five…Grendizer, Getter Robo G, Gaiking, Danguard and Spaceketeers
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Lactobacillus yogurti
 Posts: 916 Location: Latin America |
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In that sense, Latin American anime fans were spoiled at a younger time than people in the USA. I remember Saint Seiya and Captain Tsubasa airing on TV in 1992-1993, with Dragon Ball and Sailor Moon making it to broadcast TV a little later on, in 1993 and 1995 respectively. What helped us a bit was that some of these series made it to Europe (more specifically Italy and Spain) and we kept some of the localization from them. Also remember watching Magic Knight Rayearth thanks to what we called perubólica (when we got Peruvian channels thanks to bootleg cable TV).
I also remember watching Gatchaman (a.k.a G-Force) on Cartoon Network in 1992-1993, and saw some glimpses of Moonlight Rider and Mazinger when I was VERY young. I'm a millennial, and honestly, if y'all are calling yourself old at the tender age of 30, my sweet sweet children, I've got news for ya: The 30s are the best time of your life. Cherish it. |
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snake-eyes
Posts: 205 |
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Other channels aired anime. The Christian Broadcast Network aired Voltes V and General Daimos. Mazinger Z became TranZor Z. I went to Creation Conventions in the 80’s. I was finally able to Watch Yamato Subtitled when I bought the Yamato Films.
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Otaku-sempai
 Posts: 160 Location: Lackawanna, NY |
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My Introduction into anime was through Saturday-morning television (Marine Boy; Speed Racer; King Kong) and syndication on local UHF (Astroboy; Prince Planet).
King Kong! You know the name of King Kong! You know the fame of King Kong! Ten times as big as a man. |
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