Why is anime so popular?

[Kilgore Trout]

as someone that has never gotten into anime, im interested in knowing why dragon ball z, naruto etc are so popular?

to be clear im not asking in a negative/hatin way, im genuinely curious

and yes, i've seen a bit of these shows , but i guess not enough to figure it out

same reason video games are popular

 

[Kingshango]

The same reason anything becomes popular, it occupied a space that nothing else did.

What american cartoon was comparable to DBZ when it first aired?

There was literally nothing like it

Yep, the best the west had to offer Batman, Superman and Xmen at the time.

Flip over to Toonami and you watching dudes flying in the air throwing punches at mach speed, crazy samurai duels and mechs blasting each other to pieces.

Also, magic super hero schoolgirls in miniskirts but I NEVER watched that.

 

[ThatTruth777]

Similar to how people watch movies or shows, its entertainment.

 

[Lannister]

I got into anime way back in 2002, when it was a huge niche medium and you would get ridiculed admitting that you enjoy it, so it's interesting to see everybody boarding the train now. I'm burned out on it now tho, A LOT of shows out there are straight trash.

 

[feelosofer]

I've been watching anime for many years well before it was mainstream. I think Dragonnball Z is when Anime became a national phemonenon and a lot of credit needs to go to CN and Toonami for breaking a lot of shows stateside. With that said the kid animes are far more engaging than western shows and the more mature animes deal with themes that most western cartoons won't touch due to puritanical standards. Even the shows about giant robots usually have fairly complicated political backdrops or deal with themes like the horrors of war.

 

[Dre Space Age]

as someone that has never gotten into anime, im interested in knowing why dragon ball z, naruto etc are so popular?

to be clear im not asking in a negative/hatin way, im genuinely curious

and yes, i've seen a bit of these shows , but i guess not enough to figure it out

For the fukkery

 

[Chip Skylark]

cause that shyt is amazing.. can't wait for the new episode of My Hero ACADEMIA.

 

[Moody]

Animes tend to cover facets of storytelling standard American media doesn't care for.

Like continuity for instance. It's an interesting take with its own shortcomings (considering the Japanese have a strange corporate dichotomy going on with their renditions of certain themes).

I personally enjoyed it because mangas felt like a truer form of storytelling than standard American comics.

 

[Thurgood Thurston III]

I think because there's so much of it that if you're into cartoons you're bound to find some anime you like.

 

[Amirah Dyme's Husband]

 

[Freedman]

Me personally I was fascinated by Ninjas/Samurais/Giant Robots and the action. And I especially like stories like Bleach/ YU Yu Hakusho where we have a seemingly normal protagonist and he turns out to be the person who has to save the world . Plus the art is cool the power ups , special abilities all that

 

[Colin X]

Why is any form of entertainment popular?

 

[Guizmo]

I grew up watching anime with my siblings. And thus, it's just another form of arts. It's cool and catchy (some adults/fights animes not the pedo ones).

 

[Balla]

Because DragonBall Z is the shyt, and after America loved the series, it made it possible for other animes to do well.

 

[Address_Unknown]

"..........!!!!!!"