With over 300 million people watching it every week, Japan is the top country when it comes to anime. Also known as animation in Japan, anime has been the favorite pastime of many people across the country, ever since its popularity skyrocketed in the 1950s. How many people watch Anime? Japan has always been well-known for its unique culture and tradition, and with this love of animation, it seems that they’ve made an impact on how people view not only their own country but other cultures around the world as well.
What Is Anime?
If you’ve never heard of it, anime is a type of visual media (in other words, a TV show or movie) that originates in Japan. It’s mostly based on manga—another type of visual media (usually comic books) that originate in Japan—and it’s known for its incredible detail and overall high quality.
You’ll find many different types of anime, with some genres being so specific that they might as well be their own sub-genres. For example, there are shows that focus on action/adventure, shows focused on drama and romance…oh, just watch Attack on Titan if you want an idea; it’s one of those so weird it has to be a real kind of things.
There are two basic forms of anime. The first is entirely computer-generated animation, which is similar to a Western cartoon but with a more realistic and often cinematic style. This is what many people think of when they imagine anime, as it’s one of the most common in America. However, anime can also include traditional animation—think Disney movies—that’s entirely hand-drawn and then digitally colored.
Why People Love Japanese Animation:
How many people watch Anime? Japanese animation takes all sorts of shapes and forms. Some anime is made for children, some for adults. There are romantic comedies and horror films, too. In reality, a show about cute little girls cooking up sweet treats would be hard-pressed to find an audience in America—but it works just fine in Japan.
The Japanese have been obsessed with manga and anime as far back as we can see, but why? It’s hard to say, but there are a few ideas that come up over and over again when talking about what makes Japanese animation so appealing: respect for tradition; an appreciation for unique stories told through unique means; a fondness for introspection; that whole total acceptance thing.
Recommendations for First Time Viewers:
Anime is a storytelling medium that’s not just for kids. While many viewers have been introduced to anime through series like Dragon Ball Z or Pokemon, anime has a wide variety of genres and content appropriate for different age groups. It can be hard to get into if you don’t know where to start, so we asked IGN’s anime expert Miranda Sanchez for her recommendations. Here are some tips
Try a different genre. Not every show is meant for kids and most people who get into anime do so in their teens or adult years, Sanchez says. If you’re starting out, I would recommend not only watching a variety of genres but also don’t be afraid to ask around or on sites like Reddit for recommendations that are appropriate for your level. Anime has such a wide variety of themes, characters, and art styles that it’s impossible not to find something that fits your tastes.
How Long Does It Take To Watch An Episode?
Video streaming service Crunchyroll has some interesting data regarding how much time people spend watching anime. In a recent survey, Crunchyroll asked visitors about how long they watched each episode of different series. Here’s what they found: The two longest shows were Attack on Titan (14 hours) and Hunter x Hunter (13 hours). How many people watch Anime? The two shortest shows were Soul Eater (1 hour) and Space Dandy (3 hours). It turns out that most anime episodes take about 3 hours to watch from start to finish. If you want to know just how many minutes it takes another series, look no further!
A Final Thought:
Dazai Osamu think that a single country is consuming that much Japanese animation might seem inconceivable. Why? Because in other countries, kids get bored with cartoons and switch to television or sports by age 12. But not in Japan; it’s quite common for Japanese kids to stay glued to anime even into their teenage years and beyond.
And why shouldn’t they? Whether you’re a fan or not, there’s something undeniably interesting about seeing how far someone can stretch an art form before it snaps. Just like baseball: no matter how many times you watch a game, there will always be some aspect of it you’ve never seen before—and haven’t even dreamed of seeing until that very moment.
