Whenever a new anime season starts -- especially one that lacks a big-name release -- many fans will take to social media to argue that the medium is getting worse. They claim the industry was putting out better or more creative shows in previous decades, and that the newest titles aren't measuring up to their predecessors.
This is especially true in North America, where longtime anime fans often say the medium has fallen off since the 1990s and early 2000s. However, part of this argument's newfound ubiquity is caused not by a new season's quality, but by anime's ever-increasing accessibility.
Anime Localization Was Very Different Before the Streaming Age
Localizing anime was a slow and costly process before the streaming age took over. There would often be a decent gap between an anime airing in Japan and getting picked up for international broadcast, with localization companies wanting to be sure the show appealed to audiences and would make them some money before even considering starting the process.
For instance, Dragon Ball Z -- a franchise often cited as the peak of early 2000s anime -- started broadcasting in Japan in 1989 but didn't get its main US television dub until 1994. The same is true of many other popular series. Sailor Moon landed in Japan in 1992 but wouldn't hit America until 1995, and Fist of the North Star only arrived out West in 1999 despite originally airing in 1984.
The shift to streaming led to another massive change in Western anime releases. When considering a dub, a localizer would usually make a pilot and broadcast it on a smaller network to gauge interest. For instance, Harmony Gold experimented with bringing the original Dragon Ball anime to America in 1990 by dubbing a handful of episodes and broadcasting them on independent local TV networks -- with little to no fanfare. Dubs that didn't do well in this environment would be dropped and never made it to mainstream networks, meaning most anime fans wouldn't even know they existed unless they lived in the test market.
Other anime dubs were tested via small-scale VHS releases offered through mail order or in specialty retail stores. If a show did well, the company would localize more and the tapes would get a wider release. If it flopped, however, the show would be canceled and the dub would fall out of print. Unless fans paid close attention to these retailers, they wouldn't even know the dub existed.
American Anime Fans Can Finally See the Medium's Full Landscape
Today's booming anime industry -- combined with cheap, accessible streaming and the acceptance of subtitles -- means companies no longer wait to localize shows, with most being available a few hours after their broadcast in Japan. Vast swathes of every anime season are now more visible than ever, from the big-name hits to the smaller shows, which leads to fans thinking the quality of anime has fallen -- but this isn't true. Lackluster or trend-chasing seasonal anime have always existed, but Western fans usually didn't know of their existence as they lacked access.
The rise of international social media also means that American fans have greater access to information about the anime industry. This context makes it easier to see trends rise and fall, and it's noticeable when studios are clearly cashing in on a fad. Being able to identify these trends can lead to cynicism when looking at a new season's releases, but this isn't a new thing; it's just something most American fans didn't have the chance to learn about until more recently.
Anime is a constantly shifting medium with trends and storytelling styles continually coming in and out of fashion. It's natural that some seasons won't appeal to all viewers, but there have always been below-average anime and those made to profit from a trendy fad, the same as every other entertainment medium. The difference with anime is that, until fairly recently, American fans have had limited access to it, giving them a warped perception of the industry's overall state.
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