Growing out of anime

[Dist]

I don't really get how you can '' grow out '' of anime. It's a type of entertainment. Would you grow out of watching movies or TV series? Likely not. The only people who I could see saying that are they who think anime is meant for kids only, so once you grow up you'll grow out of anime.

And sure .. When I got into anime I'd watch anything and everything. Nowadays there's like five shows at most on each season that I watch .. This season there's only three. Sure I'll get picky when ideas keep getting re-used but there's always something unique and entertaining, worthy of watching each season. Same goes for TV or movies, or any other type of entertainment really.

[Lanvidia]

Originally Posted by Dist

I don't really get how you can '' grow out '' of anime. It's a type of entertainment. Would you grow out of watching movies or TV series? Likely not. The only people who I could see saying that are they who think anime is meant for kids only, so once you grow up you'll grow out of anime.

And sure .. When I got into anime I'd watch anything and everything. Nowadays there's like five shows at most on each season that I watch .. This season there's only three. Sure I'll get picky when ideas keep getting re-used but there's always something unique and entertaining, worthy of watching each season. Same goes for TV or movies, or any other type of entertainment really.

I agree strongly with your post. At the bare minimum, there's always at least 2 shows that I like every season. Unless you only like the more westerny type of anime, then you're gonna have to do your watching on a yearly basis. With that said, you can definitely grow out of certain kinds of anime but provided you wait long enough there WILL be stuff you like coming out. I would equate that with growing out of the general audience of anime, not growing out of anime itself. It's merely a medium in which people can channel their storytelling into.

[Guernsey]

Originally Posted by Dist

I don't really get how you can '' grow out '' of anime. It's a type of entertainment. Would you grow out of watching movies or TV series? Likely not. The only people who I could see saying that are they who think anime is meant for kids only, so once you grow up you'll grow out of anime.

And sure .. When I got into anime I'd watch anything and everything. Nowadays there's like five shows at most on each season that I watch .. This season there's only three. Sure I'll get picky when ideas keep getting re-used but there's always something unique and entertaining, worthy of watching each season. Same goes for TV or movies, or any other type of entertainment really.

This post makes some sense. While I cannot say that I am most astute of viewers, I had developed some unique tastes due to years of watching anime and television.

[Soverence]

Originally Posted by Dist

I don't really get how you can '' grow out '' of anime. It's a type of entertainment. Would you grow out of watching movies or TV series? Likely not. The only people who I could see saying that are they who think anime is meant for kids only, so once you grow up you'll grow out of anime.

And sure .. When I got into anime I'd watch anything and everything. Nowadays there's like five shows at most on each season that I watch .. This season there's only three. Sure I'll get picky when ideas keep getting re-used but there's always something unique and entertaining, worthy of watching each season. Same goes for TV or movies, or any other type of entertainment really.

I agree with you for the most part but I can understand how someone could "grow out" of anime. I think that as we get older our tastes in things can change which push old hobbies or joys out for new ones. For example, for music I preferred metal and rock music when I was younger and now I prefer J-pop and Alternative music. Its not that I don't ever listen to metal or rock anymore it is just that I now have a new preference. I think the same idea can be applied to most media in general, our preferences as people can change which means we have to put the time we had been using to watch anime somewhere else. Is this going to happen to everyone? Of course not, but I can certainly understand how it could happen to some people.

[Maremi-san]

I didn't back read but I'm just gonna post my opinion here.

People don't really "grow-out" of a hobby, in most ways, well in cases like anime where you consciously choose what to watch. You only stop somewhere down the line when things in life gets "hectic" or when the activity itself becomes "less" interesting for you, like what happened to me.
Some form of "withdrawal" when it fails to catch your attention or you've been exposed to a differing interest you put a sudden "stop" to every activity involving it but later in life when things settle down and your activities sink in you'll eventually find a resurgence of the same hobby. Apparently, a person can only change so much.

tl;dr, once exposed there's no breaks on the anime train.

[Asuras]

Originally Posted by Dist

I don't really get how you can '' grow out '' of anime. It's a type of entertainment. Would you grow out of watching movies or TV series? Likely not. The only people who I could see saying that are they who think anime is meant for kids only, so once you grow up you'll grow out of anime.

That's a preposterous statement. Anime is nowhere near as generic a term as television or cinema. I'm not saying anime is necessarily for children, but just as an example anime is to television as Kids Bob is to music. Both are subsets of their respective medium. And I'm sure you'll agree you can grow out of the latter. You could even substitute it with metal or rap or whatever. What you liked as a child for reasons you had as a child can be lost as you grow older.

[TinyRedLeaf]

Originally Posted by Asuras

That's a preposterous statement. Anime is nowhere near as generic a term as television or cinema. I'm not saying anime is necessarily for children, but just as an example anime is to television as Kids Bob is to music. Both are subsets of their respective medium. And I'm sure you'll agree you can grow out of the latter. You could even substitute it with metal or rap or whatever. What you liked as a child for reasons you had as a child can be lost as you grow older.

Heh.

I'll add that I read many of the recent posts with a large pinch of salt.

I'm past 40. And I can confirm that I've grown out of TV and movies. I rarely watch TV any more, and I only bother with cinema for the occasional blockbuster.

In most cases, I'm no longer very interested with what passes for entertainment on both mediums.

I can also confirm that I've largely grown out of anime, and I think people who insist that TV anime is not mainly for children (including teenagers) is denial. How would they account for the sheer amount of anime based on high-school drama, teen romance and young-adult fantasy?

In this season alone, the only TV anime I would say is targeted at older audiences is Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju, and look at how little traction it gets, relative to all the other series running at the moment.

That said, it's not like I've completely stopped watching anime. But it is indeed the case that most series today no longer resonate with me, simply because I am older. I have other concerns, and it would be great if there's more anime that addresses mature issues, realistically.

[ChainLegacy]

It's also a very insular industry that is mostly concerned with keeping a small subset of people willing to splurge on merchandise happy. As the market changes, the type of anime being produced are different. My golden years in anime were probably from 2002-2007, with some 90's shows thrown in the mix. The industry has definitely changed since then and new trends have taken hold. I still find stories that appeal to my taste, but it's harder to do. I will say that I think we are perhaps seeing a mini revival of shows that appeal to me, an "early 2000's" fan. There's been a trickle of good stuff ever since Shin Sekai Yori aired.

[Girls with Guns]

Well, I am a 55 year old guy who actually just started watching anime less than five years ago, and I blame my two teenage daughters for getting me hooked on the stuff. They started me out with Studio Ghibli movies, of course, and then I began checking out other anime on my own on Adult Swim and Netflix. It was Last Exile and Blood+ that got me hooked on anime series. I started collecting anime on Blu-ray (and some really good DVD-only titles) about three years ago, and I've been going strong ever since. In the last two years or so, I've gotten heavily into importing anime directly from Japan, so it's actually become a very expensive hobby, and certainly not suited to any child's income, lol...

Like ChainLegacy above, my anime sweet spot is the 2000-2010 decade, as there was a lot of anime in that time frame more suited to adults than there seem to be now - but I can still manage to find a few titles per season currently that are more serious and thought-provoking enough for me to want to buy on solid media. I've completely lost interest in Television, and cut the cord on that three years ago, and there are very few Hollywood movies I'm interested in any more, but I seem to have no problem with finding interesting anime to watch, even at my age!

[TinyRedLeaf]

I think it's been argued before in this forum that there's no such thing as a "golden age" for anime. Selection bias is a factor, so in effect, almost any given period could be called a golden age.

It's true that I have phased in and out of anime at various times, from my childhood through early adulthood. The period from 2006 to 2008 was my most recent peak, when I was drawn in by shows such as Mushishi, Kino no Tabi and Seirei no Moribito and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. So, this period was my "golden age", a time when I was surprised to find a variety of mature socio-political themes in TV anime.

But with the benefit of hindsight, I now realise that such titles have always been a minority among TV anime, and the business, as a whole, is simply not geared towards older adult audiences. Movie anime is a different beast altogether, thanks to bigger budgets and production timelines, so I don't usually compare them against TV anime.

At this point, I should clarify that it's most definitely not my intention to denigrate anime by pointing out that it's largely meant for kids — that's merely me pointing out the obvious. There's fun and joy to be found in children's entertainment too (I greatly enjoyed Disney's Zootopia, for example). And I have peers who remain staunchly dedicated to their Marvel/DC comics, even after all these years.

But in my case, there are things that I do just for fun, and there are other, deeper things that I actively look out for from my long-term hobbies. And most TV anime, I'm afraid to say, doesn't provide what I'm looking for. So, yes, I can confidently say that I've "grown out" of anime.

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by Girls with Guns

Like ChainLegacy above, my anime sweet spot is the 2000-2010 decade, as there was a lot of anime in that time frame more suited to adults than there seem to be now - but I can still manage to find a few titles per season currently that are more serious and thought-provoking enough for me to want to buy on solid media.

I started watching anime when I was about the same age as you are now. That was a decade ago. Like TRL, I still think the 2006-2008 period was the high point in terms of diversity and shows that could appeal to adults. I probably watch 2-3 new shows each season, like the currently-airing ERASED, but most of the anime produced nowadays doesn't hold much appeal. I'll still watch a well-made high-school show like Chihayafuru or Hibike! Euphonium, but they are the exceptions. The vast number of LN/VN adaptations about high-school romance and sexuality deal with issues I left far behind decades ago.

I can't imagine a show like Bartender or even Hataraki Man being produced today. I know I haven't seen anything like those of late. Showa Genroku is possibly a counter-example, but it stands out by being so unlike most anything else produced today.

I also think there's a certain "relativistic" aspect to this topic. Both the viewers tastes may change ("mature") as do trends in what producers think will sell to the Japanese anime audience. Having the two become synchronized is pretty uncommon.

[0utf0xZer0]

Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf

I can also confirm that I've largely grown out of anime, and I think people who insist that TV anime is not mainly for children (including teenagers) is denial. How would they account for the sheer amount of anime based on high-school drama, teen romance and young-adult fantasy?

Certainly some of these shows are aimed mainly at teenagers, but when I look at stuff like Hanasaku Iroha and Hyouka, I can't help but think the target market for these shows has expanded to include a lot of people in their 20s and 30s as well. I attend a lot of conventions and go to local screenings of movies like Madoka and Love Live, and from my observations the genres you highlight are popular with a broader audience than just kids and teenagers.

Older protagonists just doesn't seem to be that important a demand for many of the fans I've met. It wouldn't surprise me if many of them kind of feel like they're in some limbo between being a teenager and a "real adult", as that's how I feel despite being 29, with nine years of university education, four years of experience living on my own and a girlfriend of six years.

[TinyRedLeaf]

Originally Posted by 0utf0xZer0

Older protagonists just doesn't seem to be that important a demand for many of the fans I've met. It wouldn't surprise me if many of them kind of feel like they're in some limbo between being a teenager and a "real adult", as that's how I feel despite being 29, with nine years of university education, four years of experience living on my own and a girlfriend of six years.

That's actually another topic best suited for another thread.

As someone who belongs to the tail-end of Generation X, many of my peers and I have observed with dismay what I would describe as the arrested development of millennials who are just entering the workforce.

As you've hinted above, it's as though they're living through a period of extended adolescence. Some have a tendency to be pampered and arrogant, unwilling to follow simple instructions without questioning authority at every turn.

Others can be soft and complacent, to the point where they're content to put in just the bare minimum. It takes a lot of prodding to get this particular group of millennials to work, but one can't be too assertive while doing so, as they could crumble into an emotional wreck if pushed too aggressively.

I wish I could say this is just the onset of "grumpy grandpa" syndrome, except that it's hilarious when I hear Gen Y colleagues in their late 20s and early 30s raising similar complaints about their juniors.

In any case, if such anecdotal observations are also true in other developed countries and cities, then it's no wonder that you'd see a larger number of young adults at anime conventions and fairs. Overall, it's a harmless trend, as it probably reflects the changing nature of youth nostalgia.

But it would be worrisome if the trend represents young adults who are unwilling to step out of the comfort zones of their cosseted youth.

[0utf0xZer0]

I've been thinking about this whole thing a bit more deeply and I realized that my taste in genres hasn't changed since around 2007. I still like cutesy, sappy romances and the like, genres I didn't even get into until I was 18-20, a lot. I do think I've become more discerning regarding the quality of the shows I watch though. I mentioned Hanasaku Iroha and Hyouka earlier, that's partly because I felt those shows were raising the bar in genres I love. I was super pumped about how anime was headed in 2011-2012 because of those shows and I think it's a shame the industry lost that momentum. Especially since both shows were fairly successful.

But that makes me an entirely different case than someone who grows out of the genres anime is servicing. I'm not always satisfied with the anime I get in a given season, but I'm still into anime because I've got an itch for some genres that no other medium does in quite the same way. Contrast with someone who grows out of the major genres - if I were in their shoes, I'd wonder what the point of continuing as a fan was too.

Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf

That's actually another topic best suited for another thread.

As someone who belongs to the tail-end of Generation X, many of my peers and I have observed with dismay what I would describe as the arrested development of millennials who are just entering the workforce.

As you've hinted above, it's as though they're living through a period of extended adolescence. Some have a tendency to be pampered and arrogant, unwilling to follow simple instructions without questioning authority at every turn.

Others can be soft and complacent, to the point where they're content to put in just the bare minimum. It takes a lot of prodding to get this particular group of millennials to work, but one can't be too assertive while doing so, as they could crumble into an emotional wreck if pushed too aggressively.

I wish I could say this is just the onset of "grumpy grandpa" syndrome, except that it's hilarious when I hear Gen Y colleagues in their late 20s and early 30s raising similar complaints about their juniors.

In any case, if such anecdotal observations are also true in other developed countries and cities, then it's no wonder that you'd see a larger number of young adults at anime conventions and fairs. Overall, it's a harmless trend, as it probably reflects the changing nature of youth nostalgia.

But it would be worrisome if the trend represents young adults who are unwilling to step out of the comfort zones of their cosseted youth.

My perspective on this matter is probably kind of skewed by the fact I've always been pretty driven and tend to look at people who aren't and wonder "how can they be so relaxed, aren't they worried about not getting ahead"? So I have to pin my not feeling like a "real adult" on something else. But basically, I put in a lot of blood sweat and tears to get some fancy degrees (and hopefully a decent career, still working on that part) but don't feel like I've actually changed much since I was like 16.

All of this is kind of tangential though - I honestly think the main reason we see teenage protagonists in shows that also target fans in their 20s and 30s is because of industry inertia - that's the way it's been done, and if you're catering to people who like sappy first romances and such like me, it actually works pretty well. It's not a major factor in my current dissatisfaction with the industry. I was more speculating on the reason why you don't see a ton of fans in their 20s and 30s pushing for older protagonists.

[Mahou]

I wouldn't say grow out but in my case the type of media has changed. I've completely stopped reading mangas and anime and only skim through some manga threads of the very few ones I know. There's nothing "special" (for lack of better words) that keeps me in animes any longer. The cases where I simply stopped watching somewhere in-between (without any "hard" feelings) kept increasing and most animes didn't even bring any kind of reaction/emotion out of me and eventually I simply stopped paying attention to it. Meanwhile, I switched over completely to Visual Novels. Not that the genres I'm interested are different than the samle old "moe-ge romance" for most of the time but for some reasons I cannot explain, the format keeps me going. Maybe because I can skip past all painful/annoying-to-read drama which had made me annoyed/disgusted/sick in animes/mangas.

[Marcus H.]

On the topic of changes to anime tastes, I think I've started appreciating lighter stories and the more serious ones simply become too sad or too angsty for me. It's the reverse of some people would expect, but whatever.

I've also become more apprehensive of original anime series. I've seen too many original anime blunders to trust them as easily as before.

[ChainLegacy]

Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf

I think it's been argued before in this forum that there's no such thing as a "golden age" for anime. Selection bias is a factor, so in effect, almost any given period could be called a golden age.

It's definitely true that we look at the highlight reel of past eras. "Quality" in a broad sense can't be properly quantified, but I think it's easier when you focus on particular genres of anime, for example one could make the claim that the 90s were the high point of shounen action series. You can't prove it's a golden age for that genre because it's not a purely objective claim, but percentage of series airing in that genre, critical acclaim of said series on average, etc, all help make a case.

Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf

That's actually another topic best suited for another thread.

As someone who belongs to the tail-end of Generation X, many of my peers and I have observed with dismay what I would describe as the arrested development of millennials who are just entering the workforce.

As you've hinted above, it's as though they're living through a period of extended adolescence. Some have a tendency to be pampered and arrogant, unwilling to follow simple instructions without questioning authority at every turn.

Others can be soft and complacent, to the point where they're content to put in just the bare minimum. It takes a lot of prodding to get this particular group of millennials to work, but one can't be too assertive while doing so, as they could crumble into an emotional wreck if pushed too aggressively.

I wish I could say this is just the onset of "grumpy grandpa" syndrome, except that it's hilarious when I hear Gen Y colleagues in their late 20s and early 30s raising similar complaints about their juniors.

In any case, if such anecdotal observations are also true in other developed countries and cities, then it's no wonder that you'd see a larger number of young adults at anime conventions and fairs. Overall, it's a harmless trend, as it probably reflects the changing nature of youth nostalgia.

But it would be worrisome if the trend represents young adults who are unwilling to step out of the comfort zones of their cosseted youth.

I have my own complaints about the generation below me (though some would argue I'm a part of it), but I'd have to write an essay to feel satisfied with that topic...

I'm not entirely convinced by your explanation, however. Coming-of-age stories are ubiquitous across cultures. As an anime fan, though, I definitely prefer stories with older protagonists... then again, I've preferred adult characters since I was a teenager.

[TinyRedLeaf]

Originally Posted by ChainLegacy

I have my own complaints about the generation below me (though some would argue I'm a part of it), but I'd have to write an essay to feel satisfied with that topic...

I think every older person believes the young'uns have it so much easier. Those in the baby-boomer generation would no doubt have their fair share of gripes about me and my fellow Gen X whippersnappers.

Originally Posted by ChainLegacy

I'm not entirely convinced by your explanation, however. Coming-of-age stories are ubiquitous across cultures. As an anime fan, though, I definitely prefer stories with older protagonists... then again, I've preferred adult characters since I was a teenager.

I wrote in half-jest! Moreover, it was in response to what 0utf0xZer0 observed, about not feeling like a "real adult", despite his or her age.

In many ways, I don't feel my age either. I regularly suprise many people whenever I reveal my age; on one hand, I don't look my age, and on the other, my outlook on a number of topics isn't as stereotypically conservative as what some would expect for a person at my age.

I suspect that it has a lot to do with two things: One, I'm still single, and two, I don't have kids.

All my friends from childhood who now have kids — they've aged. Parenthood takes a toll, not just physically, but also psychologically. Priorities change, and it's no longer about "me-first", but rather, "Will this be good for my children, for my spouse, for my family?"

So, I suspect one doesn't become a "real adult" in the traditional sense until one starts a family. You'll lose something, but you'll gain in other ways. Life becomes bigger than just your own whims.

And, to bring this all back to anime, I think the industry as a whole fails to realise that the demographics of its audience has changed. It has become a lot broader, and no longer encompasses just children and teenagers, but also a significant number of older fans who remain attached to their childhood hobby. I think there's a huge market out there for anime pitched at older audiences, who also happen to have deeper pockets. But the industry isn't looking at them.

So, yup, it's no wonder people "grow out" of anime.

[Guernsey]

Originally Posted by 0utf0xZer0

I've been thinking about this whole thing a bit more deeply and I realized that my taste in genres hasn't changed since around 2007. I still like cutesy, sappy romances and the like, genres I didn't even get into until I was 18-20, a lot. I do think I've become more discerning regarding the quality of the shows I watch though. I mentioned Hanasaku Iroha and Hyouka earlier, that's partly because I felt those shows were raising the bar in genres I love. I was super pumped about how anime was headed in 2011-2012 because of those shows and I think it's a shame the industry lost that momentum. Especially since both shows were fairly successful.

But that makes me an entirely different case than someone who grows out of the genres anime is servicing. I'm not always satisfied with the anime I get in a given season, but I'm still into anime because I've got an itch for some genres that no other medium does in quite the same way. Contrast with someone who grows out of the major genres - if I were in their shoes, I'd wonder what the point of continuing as a fan was too.



My perspective on this matter is probably kind of skewed by the fact I've always been pretty driven and tend to look at people who aren't and wonder "how can they be so relaxed, aren't they worried about not getting ahead"? So I have to pin my not feeling like a "real adult" on something else. But basically, I put in a lot of blood sweat and tears to get some fancy degrees (and hopefully a decent career, still working on that part) but don't feel like I've actually changed much since I was like 16.

All of this is kind of tangential though - I honestly think the main reason we see teenage protagonists in shows that also target fans in their 20s and 30s is because of industry inertia - that's the way it's been done, and if you're catering to people who like sappy first romances and such like me, it actually works pretty well. It's not a major factor in my current dissatisfaction with the industry. I was more speculating on the reason why you don't see a ton of fans in their 20s and 30s pushing for older protagonists.

Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf

I think every older person believes the young'uns have it so much easier. Those in the baby-boomer generation would no doubt have their fair share of gripes about me and my fellow Gen X whippersnappers.


I wrote in half-jest! Moreover, it was in response to what 0utf0xZer0 observed, about not feeling like a "real adult", despite his or her age.

In many ways, I don't feel my age either. I regularly suprise many people whenever I reveal my age; on one hand, I don't look my age, and on the other, my outlook on a number of topics isn't as stereotypically conservative as what some would expect for a person at my age.

I suspect that it has a lot to do with two things: One, I'm still single, and two, I don't have kids.

All my friends from childhood who now have kids — they've aged. Parenthood takes a toll, not just physically, but also psychologically. Priorities change, and it's no longer about "me-first", but rather, "Will this be good for my children, for my spouse, for my family?"

So, I suspect one doesn't become a "real adult" in the traditional sense until one starts a family. You'll lose something, but you'll gain in other ways. Life becomes bigger than just your own whims.

And, to bring this all back to anime, I think the industry as a whole fails to realise that the demographics of its audience has changed. It has become a lot broader, and no longer encompasses just children and teenagers, but also a significant number of older fans who remain attached to their childhood hobby. I think there's a huge market out there for anime pitched at older audiences, who also happen to have deeper pockets. But the industry isn't looking at them.

So, yup, it's no wonder people "grow out" of anime.

That actually makes some sense considering that life happens and priorities change. I do want to give up on my hobby and I know it sounds self centered but I do not want to give up anime anytime soon. I am just burned out by anime.

[Kafriel]

Eh, I know of people who gather as a family and watch anime, to the point of having a program for the entire week. It doesn't have so much to do with age or social environment, as it does with personal choice. Taking myself as an example, I watch fewer anime than I used to, but that's because of several reasons:

1) There are less and less anime that actually appeal to me, with everything else being rehashed formulas of older hits, or something entirely random that I see no point following.

2) I've gotten into light novels. When I finish over 20 books per month, it's just a lot of potential anime-time being invested elsewhere. The same applies to games - when P5 comes out in summer, I doubt I'll be doing anything besides playing P5 and working. Ok, actually I will still work out. That's another 3-4 hours a week not going to anime...so it's all about time management!

3) I might pick up another hobby and let this one hibernate for as long as it takes...but when stimulated, I'll binge watch 5 cours in a week...and then drop anime again for an X amount of time.