Japanese anime has been popular for many decades, and anime fans find plenty to love about new and old series. Sometimes, it’s fun to rewatch classic series from the 20th century for nostalgia’s sake, like 1980s Gundam titles, but overall, modern anime rewards pop culture fans the most.
Modern Japanese anime may not be perfect; second seasons may be slow to arrive, and the oversaturation of isekai, for example. Still, modern anime offers many advantages over older series. Modern anime also has the edge over other media, such as live-action TV shows or Hollywood productions.
10 Brisk Pacing
Sometimes, iyashikei anime and other easygoing titles rely on leisurely pacing to help viewers relax, but that’s the exception. As a whole, modern Japanese anime series have brisk pacing and get a lot done in one season, which is ideal for fans who have a long “want to watch” list.
Older anime series, even the original Big Three, feel sluggish and often stretch their material too thin. Gone are the days of a season-long fight; now, anime like Jujutsu Kaisen and Demon Slayer can fit an impressive amount of material into a 24-episode season.
9 Cutting-Edge Animation
Today’s animation studios work incredibly hard to animate a manga or light novel series’ material for the small screen, and it pays off. Most modern anime series boast some of the best production values a fan could ask for, with series like Demon Slayer setting a lofty new standard.
It’s true that some series sabotage themselves with iffy CGI, even Demon Slayer, but that’s not too common. No matter the genre, nearly every contemporary anime will glide along with generous frame rates, vivid colors, and crisp lines and details.
8 Better Dubs
Foreign anime dubs have existed since the 1960s, such as the popular Speed Racer, but looking back, most English dubs from the 20th century are lacking. Those dubs had issues such as iffy voice work, awkwardly phrased dialogue, or not matching the characters’ mouth movements.
Even in the 2000s, dubbing wasn’t so stellar, but modern anime has changed that. Modern anime series like Your Lie in April, My Hero Academia, and more feature incredible voice work that bring the characters to life with engaging dialogue and heartfelt performances.
7 More Relatable Themes & Settings
Sometimes, it’s fun to watch an older anime series and see the world as it once was, and that’s doubly true for period pieces like Vinland Saga. However, genres like romance, drama, and slice-of-life resonate more when the series has a modern setting.
Watching modern anime series like Oshi no Ko means a viewer can easily relate to the characters and the world they live in, creating a thought-provoking narrative. For example, many of Oshi no Ko’s main characters struggle not just to make good music but also to handle social media and the harsh realities of internet life.
6 More Recognition & Strong Communities
There are communities and fandoms for anime series of any decade, but only the very best classics like Neon Genesis Evangelion can compete with the mainstream popularity of modern titles. Series such as Bocchi the Rock!, Demon Slayer, and Oshi no Ko tend to have more robust fandoms.
This makes it much easier for fans of modern anime series to find fellow fans online, such as in forums or on Twitter, and connect with them. For anime fans who enjoy being a part of active fandoms, modern anime series are far more rewarding than joining a small club for an obscure 1970s anime.
5 More Merchandise
For interested anime fans, modern anime has a clear advantage where merchandise is concerned. Plenty of anime fans express their love for the industry with goodies like plush dolls, ready-made costumes for sale, keychains, high-quality figurines, and tie-in video games, among other things.
Modern anime series tend to dominate anywhere anime merchandise is sold, such as at anime conventions or online retailers. Figurines or art prints for older series can be found as well, but fans of modern anime will find far more to buy and find it more easily, too.
4 DVDs & Manga Volumes Are Easier To Find
Plenty of anime fans are content to stream their favorite content on sites like Netflix, Crunchyroll, and HIDIVE, but sometimes fans really want a DVD set of a certain anime. Or, a fan will seek out the original manga series after the 12-episode anime series ends.
Fortunately for fans of modern anime, Blu-Ray DVDs and manga volumes are easy to find, given how they were produced recently and in great numbers. Older titles often have hard-to-find volumes, but that won’t be an issue for the likes of My Hero Academia or Komi Can’t Communicate.
3 Not As Many Spoilers
A general downside to older media in general is that essential plot elements have become a mainstream part of pop culture. Anyone getting into Star Wars is bound to know that Darth Vader is Luke’s father, and older anime series are sometimes the same way.
Meanwhile, modern, ongoing anime series dodge spoilers about the ending simply because the ending hasn’t been written yet. That way, any viewer can watch with pleasant suspense, waiting for the day when the story’s ultimate finale arrives, spoiler-free.
2 Appeal To Modern Sensibilities
Many older anime series, like many older live-action TV shows, age poorly simply because society’s sensibilities naturally change and advance over time. This often reflects in character design, dialogue, explicit content, and even implied societal norms in a story.
Some older series age just fine, while others feel downright regressive and dated by comparison. In general, modern anime series have today’s sensibilities in mind, such as creating more balanced and independent-minded female characters and not treating the LGBT community as one big joke.
1 Easy To Stream
Modern anime series are easier to find on DVD than older ones and are even easier for fans to find on major streaming platforms. Most older anime aren’t even on the likes of Crunchyroll or HIDIVE at all, while today’s anime series are often just one internet browser tab away.
Most of all, the juggernaut anime streaming platform Crunchyroll is loaded with hundreds of titles from the 2000s onward, with a scattering of older ones, too. That, combined with HIDIVE, Netflix, and Amazon Prime, means fans of modern anime find it almost too easy to tune in.