There’s intense celebration that surrounds the anime community, which can be such a beautiful appreciation for the medium’s stories, yet this exuberant fandom can also be intimidating to casual newcomers. There’s an understandable level of hesitation when it comes to embracing an entirely new fandom.
Anime can sometimes seem like a medium that has opinionated gatekeepers who want to regulate how content is enjoyed. Alternatively, the anime community can be wildly supportive and inclusive, and inspire creativity in eager audiences. There are many ways in which anime fandom beautifully encapsulates the medium’s charms that should encourage curious audiences to check out what it has to offer.
10 The Collaborative Fanart & Cosplay Communities
There’s endless creativity and enthusiasm that’s generated by the anime community and it’s truly special to see how eager fans are to share and boost each other’s work. Two of the most vibrant anime communities involve fanart and cosplay, which have grown into encouraging echo chambers.
These sects of the fandom don’t only support one another, but there’s an open discussion on their process and craft so that others can accomplish the same thing instead of just feeling resentful. The aim is to foster creativity and improve fanart and cosplay as a whole, not on an individual level.
9 International Dubs & Accessibility
Accessibility is a crucial factor when it comes to anime and the industry has made tremendous strides since a few decades back when minimal anime dubs existed or bootleg fan-translations were shared via VHS tapes. There are now multiple anime streaming services that are internationally available and make hundreds of hours of anime content readily available.
To go one step further, there are also international dubs for anime that allows countries to experience these series in their own native languages. It’s so encouraging to see anime’s fandom cater to international audiences and not be so focused on North America.
8 Protection To Not Spoil Anime-Only Audiences
Anime fandom can sometimes be divided into those who have read series’ source material manga and others who are part of the “anime-only” crowd. There’s nothing wrong with anime-only fans, but it’s also understandable if they have some level of confusion that manga readers don’t experience.
It’s encouraging to see that there are passionate fans who will go out of their way to safeguard anime-only audiences so that they don’t stumble upon spoilers or ask questions where the answers will ruin the experience. These fans even carefully break down the manga and supplemental materials so anime fans know what’s safe to read and what isn’t.
7 Helping Share Obscure Media
Many anime series feature expansive worlds that will carry over into spin-offs, light novels, OVA specials, and other extra material that doesn’t always make its way out of Japan. It can be incredibly frustrating to fall in love with a new series, only to learn that just its mainline entries are publicly available.
Anime fandom is quite capable when it comes to tracking down lost or out-of-print media, as well as obscure manga and light novels that never received official translations. It can be difficult to locate these texts, yet anime’s passionate fandom eliminates these hurdles for casual audiences.
6 Anime Fandom’s Celebration Of Series’ Creative Staffs
It’s easy to praise an anime series or franchise as a whole, but there are so many individuals who help make these properties what they are. The anime fandom has grown increasingly cognizant of not only the animation studios that bring their favorite series to life, but also the specific writers, directors, musicians, and animators that are involved.
It’s beautiful to see these individual creatives get singled out by the fandom on social media. A particularly strong episode of an anime will air and social media reactions will contain just as much praise for the director and creative staff as there is for the episode itself.
5 Constant Meme Material
Memes are far from the most important aspect of a pop culture property, but one of the ways in which an anime’s popularity can be gauged is through its involvement in meme culture. Memes are an easy, amusing way for fans to connect and use their love for something as a way to discuss more general ideas.
Some anime generate more memes than others, but there are endless anime memes to discover and share. This fun aspect of the fandom gives audiences a little more social media currency when talking about their interests.
4 Voice Acting Help & Opportunities
There’s a supportive community that comes out of anime’s voice acting industry, which has many performers that initially started as fans themselves. Technology has reached a point where there are very few limitations that stand in the way of newcomers putting together professional demo reels.
Anime’s voice acting industry is quick to encourage and support each other, whether it’s through the sharing of reels, general advice for beginners, or even through the sharing of open auditions. There are even fan productions and dubs that recruit online talent and help individuals get their start.
3 The Growing Number Of Places To Celebrate
Fandom can be very lonely if there aren’t sufficient places to share and celebrate this passion. Only a few decades back, anime was such a niche interest that fringe clubs and hidden message boards were the best places to engage in fandom.
Not only has the Internet become a supportive home for diverse anime fandoms across social media and online communities, but there are also hundreds of anime conventions every year, across the world, that allow fans to share their love in person. The boom of anime conventions in terms of size, duration, and the number of guests that attend has helped make anime bigger than ever.
2 There’s Content For Audiences Of All Ages
It can be difficult for fandom to grow when content only materials to a specific demographic. There was a time when anime was considered to only be for more mature audiences. Over time, it’s become clear that there are diverse anime available that cater to all ages and interests.
Wide-ranging content that’s easily available means that a whole family can enjoy anime together, even if they’re all interested in completely different series. Having content that’s appropriate for all ages makes it that much easier for fandom to grow and evolve.
1 Anime Can Be A Gateway To Other Languages & Cultures
One of the most beautiful aspects of anime fandom is that these heightened series can trigger deeper interest in Japanese culture. There is no shortage of fans who have opted to learn Japanese, try to perfect international recipes, or even take a trip to Japan where they visit locations from some of their favorite series.
Anime tell inspirational stories and help bring audiences together, but it’s truly special when a whole new culture begins to feel accessible. Trips to Japan and the best places to visit even become easier through anime fandom recommending the best locales for certain audiences.
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