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Originally Posted by bhl88
Think the "music fans" or "music otaku" are getting angry now that Oricon's charts are dominated by anisongs?
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Good question that I can't resist answering. I assume that the "music fans" or "music otaku" you are referring to are big fans of the mainstream J-Pop/J-Rock artists as supposed to works by anime voice actors (like Nana Mizuki, Aya Hirano) or artists whose works are majority anime tie-ins (like KOTOKO, ALI PROJECT). If that's the case, then in my opinion the answer is a qualified yes.
I agree that this has been a banner year for anime music not just in terms of sales and chart ranking but also in respectability and critical praise. It is expected that around 100 anime tie-in singles will place in the top 10 for the year 2010, a record that is most welcomed for the anime community but may raise some eyebrows of people outside it. They may not like the fact that anime songs are getting attention in the Japanese mainstream and is not a niche market anymore, but they are a minority. There may be or eventually be a backlash to the increased exposure of anime music in primetime Japanese TV or other media but for this year new fans have outweighed the cynics. Below are some articles to prove my above-discussed statements:
1.
The Japanese communications service provider BIGLOBE recently presented the top 10 anime news stories of 2010 (Noteworthy are Nos. 8 and 10)
#8 The anime song whirlwind as one tie-in song after another takes over the Oricon charts' top ranks (which relates to #1 The Big Boom of K-ON!!)
#10 Anime voice actresses and actors make a splash in magazines and television highlighted by Nana Mizuki's appointment to Kouhaku Uta Gassen's support team.
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Anime songs top charts with talented singers and support from women
Apparently, majority of the sales of singles from seiyuus came from female consumers. When the Tower Records store in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district opened a section for anime songs this spring, there was a 30% spike in female customers. The manager believes that this big boom will continue as talents are going into the anime songs genre.
3.
New fans groove to 'anime music'
Anime music is considered a musical sub-genre of J-Pop but just like alternative music was in the early 90's, this year, what was once music catering to a specific market is now debuting high in the Oricon daily or weekly charts on a regular basis. New music magazines are even devoted to the genre.
4. Lastly, let's explore the situation back in 2005:
More Exposure for Anime Music Wanted (June 2005)
A #3 anime song could not even secure a spot on music shows, 2ch lobbied in the vain. It was considered a risk for an artist who is not yet well-established to do an OP or ED to an anime song since some sectors would brand that artist as second-rate. Even a musical guest on a radio show made the comment "I hope these [anime] things would just go away".
But, today, five years later:
NHK to air a TV show about popular anime songs (May 2010)
2ch got its wish, better late than never.Clearly the demand is there, it's about time NHK to supply that demand. It took K-ON!!, Nana Mizuki, Lia, May'n and even virtual idol Hatsune Miko selling singles like hotcakes and selling out concerts to force a change.
On a final note, I would like to state my personal view that anime music has it's share of horrible music which adds fuel to the fire of these 'haters' (some quarters would point to some K-ON!! singles as example) but such may also be said for mainstream J-Pop which has it's share of bad singles which sold well. If a song's total sales correlates to its beauty then this world would be a much better place. In my world, Maaya Sakamoto has a dozen #1 singles and KOKIA would have sold-out concerts but life is not fair and beautiful song just like a beautiful woman really depends on the eye of the beholder (of course there are general consensus). Moreover, other forces are at work: radio, TV and the music company's promotion being the major ones. Thus, I am glad that there are bashers out there, just hope that the commotion won't die down since it may mean that anime music is relegated back to the bargain bin of a music store gathering dust.