Anime What Animes Had the Most Impact in America?

[EVA Unit 100]

Anime has had a rocky history in America. First ignored, then negatively stereotyped, and now on the road to becoming widely accepted by the mainstream.

So what animes had the biggest impact in America?

As far as I'm concerned, outside of a few animes that might have opened up the gates for the first few American fans (i.e. Astro Boy, Speed Racer, Robotech, etc.), the first anime to have a huge impact in America was Akira. It pretty much opened the doors to anime being favored by the cult fans and the critics in America. Ghost in the Shell didn't have quite as great of an impact, but the smaller impacts it made (i.e. inspiring The Matrix) payed off in the longrun. Sailor Moon and DBZ also gathered cult followings (although their fans were a bit more, for lack of a better word, "odd" than those of Akira and GitS), and eventually burst into the mainstream when given the chance. Pokemon was definately a huge step in the wrong direction. It was a popular anime, but it was also rather terrible (even moreso in the editted dubbed version) and gave the public a view of anime, but a negative one. Gundam Wing, on the other hand, was a huge step in the right direction, as an anime to break into the mainstream while avoiding butchering and Americanization, as was Tenchi Muyo, which proved to American audiences that anime didn't have to be "epic" in order to be fun. Cowboy Bebop was not just a big step, but an elevator ride to an entirely new level. A fairly "mature" anime series 95% uncut on non-premium cable was deemed absolutely impossible, but Bebop made it possible, and it actually became a trend setter, with two blocks, Adult Swim Action and Anime Unleashed, spawned off its success. More recently, Spirited Away broke records as the first anime to win an Oscar (the 2nd biggest "geek accomplishment" at the Oscars only behind Return of the King winning Best Picture), The Big O was given new life thanks to Cartoon Network funding a second season, and Evangelion has gone down in history as the first show to air on ADV Films' Anime Network.

So what do you think were big steps for anime in America?

[Okita]

You've pretty much mentioned most of the recent landmark achievement, though I'm a bit miffed that you left out some of the earlier great anime such as Astro Boy. (hello? it's anime dammit!!!)

And you should also mention Princess Mononoke which had stars like Gillian Anderson as voice actor and was the first to be given the 'full star treatment' by hollywood. (Incidently, it was voted best film -and not just anime- in a German film festival)

[Camlaren]

I think you're covered it... but I think I'll add I'm one of those 'odd' Sailor Moon people ;) hehe, also... maybe adding Inuyasha in there, it's only been around a very short time in America, but it's fan base is HUGE, it's getting a new wave of anime fans as we speak :D .. though I'm not sure if that's a good thing, I see far too many "so-and so is MINE111!!" posts involving Inuyasha all over the net ~_~

[Solo Tremaine]

[COLOR=#503F86]I think you're underestimating the influence of Pokemon. But bear in mind this is from a British point of view.[/COLOR]
[quote name='Eva Unit 100']Pokemon was definately a huge step in the wrong direction. It was a popular anime, but it was also rather terrible (even moreso in the editted dubbed version) and gave the public a view of anime, but a negative one.[/quote][COLOR=#503F86]I think this had a far greater impact on America and the world in general than anything else you've mentioned. I'm not saying your arguments aren't sound, but I think this has to be the most influential anime with regards to its recognition, even though it's certainly not the best.

It was the first to be widely distributed everywhere and the first to have huge mountains of merchandise piled up behind it- the campaigns were desperate to make sure it was recognised. And it was. Hell, I hadn't even heard of Dragonball before Pokemon arrived. Granted, I don't live in the US, but I don't think the influence Akira had is any match for the widespread ruin Pokemon left in its wake. As far as I know, [i]everyone[/i] would recognise Pokemon if they saw it- even adults, but if you mentioned Akira or something similar, they'd just say 'What?'.

Pokemon was the gateway anime not just for hundreds of fans, but for companies to really start investing in importing animations from abroad. Hayao Miyazaki's Castle in the Sky had been out for many years before that, but since Disney was so popular at the time it was dropped as some obscure foreign film that nobody paid much attention to. Digimon followed Pokemon, then CardCaptors, then Yu-Gi-Oh, and now all sorts of animes are being shown.

But that doesn't mean they're mainstream for the general public. Yes, Adult Swim has a devout legion of followers and the animes it shows are far better than Pokemon and Dragonball, but Cowboy Bebop hasn't, to my knowledge, yet converted people to watching anime. It might have been the first mature anime to air, but it's still Japanese animation, and it still carries all all the stigmas that it did before: i.e., all anime is hentai or Pokemon. Once a really decent anime becomes popular with a huge audience and doesn't overmarket itself into stupidity, then I'll be happy.

Even Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke didn't get the treatment they fully deserved. An OSCAR is a great award, but I still believe it could have been better appreciated.[/COLOR]

[EVA Unit 100]

Tremaine, Pokemon did get the general publics' knowledge high, but it was negative attention, as opposed to the positive attention the other shows/movies got.

Dragonball Z was much more popular in the US than in the UK at the time. DBZ flopped in syndication in the US, but once it moved to Toonami, it suddenly became red hot. This process might have occured at different rates and different times in the UK, but it happened pre-Pokemon in the US.

As I said, people recognized Pokemon, but as a bad thing, and that isn't what we want.

It wasn't Pokemon that got anime companies interested. Other sources did that. Streamline opened due to the followings of the few anime on Saturday morning TV in the '80s; Viz, AnimEigo, Manga Ent., ADV Films, and Central Park Media all opened due to the aftermath of Akira (and for the ones that opened after Manga Ent., Ghost in the Shell); Toonami pretty much saved FUNi and Bandai's butts by making DBZ and Gundam successes; Sony's American division expanded to anime possibly to get in touch with their Japanese division; Disney (albeitly reluctantly) is releasing the stuff due to the fact every animator in the world worships Miyazaki; and with Right Stuf, TokyoPop, Media Blasters, etc. it was just a matter of jumping on the bandwagon the other companies started. If anything, Pokemon just made a success out of 4Kids and expanded the world of anime for DiC, Nelvana, Saban, etc. AKA companies that could care less about anime and are prone to butchering.

Yes, Pokemon opened up the world of Digimon, Yu-Gi-Oh, and CardCaptors, but the thing is that all of those shows followed the same formula and style (although in their original versions, Yu-Gi-Oh was an ultraviolent twist on the formula, and CardCaptors was just a decent shojo show that just happened to include cards, but they were butchered up by the dubbing companies bigtime to fit the Pokemon mold). On the other hand, Cartoon Network and their Toonami and Adult Swim blocks were aiming for variety (i.e. Sailor Moon for shojo, Dragonball Z for fighting, Gundam for politics and giant robots, Tenchi for romantic comedy, Outlaw Star for sci-fi satire, The Big O for old-skool film nior with a hint of mecha, Cowboy Bebop for serious episodic sci-fi cop-show-style action and a drop of comedy, Inu-Yasha for romantic adventure and horror, Trigun for a slightly silly gun-fighting western, .HACK//sign for confusing futuristic drama, Yuyu Hakusho for a DBZ-style show slightly more mature in tone, Rouroni Kenshin for ultraviolent samurai drama, Cyborg 009 for a Tezuka-ish old-skool sci-fi remake, FLCL for just plain insanity, Witch Hunter Robin for gothic supernatural action, Detective Conan for mystery and drama, etc.), and thus they had/have a better chance of dragging someone in.

Cowboy Bebop has converted pretty much every person over the age of 14 I know into an anime fan. In fact somtimes I even meet people at other boards who say that they "hate anime but saw an episode or two of Cowboy Bebop and it was pretty good." And you won't know how many stories I've read of Cowboy Bebop being a first hook for anime fans.

It was Disney's (as a corperation, most of the individual animators love Miyazaki's stuff) fault for giving Mononoke and Spirited Away such little respect. However, in the few theaters it was in, Spirited Away did fantastic. Some people in the biz have calculated that if Spirited Away got a wide release and still kept up the by-theater-by-day income it had been earning in every theater, it would have made as much money as the opening weekend of the 1st Harry Potter movie! And after the Oscar, there is hope. Spirited Away got a semi-wide release in time between the Oscars and the DVD release, Miramax is rereleasing Mononoke (hopefully in more theaters this time), and rumors say that Howl's Moving Castle (Miyazaki's next movie) will get a wide release, a world record for a first release of an anime movie in America.

[natetron46]

I agree with you guys, Pokemon was really the first anime to hit mainstream in the US. It really opened the door for all other animes coming after it. I dont like Pokemon, but I will have to give it props for what it did for the US anime market. Anime had always been an underground type thing, but all of the sudden it was thrown into the limelight of mainstream US market. Dragonball Z came to take its place. I like Dragonball alot, and so do alot of people, which is good. Pokemon has kind of faded out and Dragonball took over its place. That is now THE anime in the US.

[Solo Tremaine]

[quote name='EVA Unit 100']Tremaine, Pokemon did get the general publics' knowledge high, but it was negative attention, as opposed to the positive attention the other shows/movies got.[/quote][color=#503f86]It wasn't [i]all[/i] negative attention, although it's pretty much laughed on by everyone now. People just got sick of it because the advertising was so intrusive. When it kicked off it had a phenomenal fan base, which I don't think was too bad a thing. At least it set the way for other animes to be recognised, which was the point I was trying to make.

Heh, like I said, I don't live in the US, so your facts are much more appropriate than mine.

I'm not trying to say that Pokemon was the only thing that started anime everywhere, but it was really the first non-Western animation to burst into the public eye, albeit rather uneffectively. Had the series not aired in the US/Europe, I'm sure there wouldn't be half as many animes being broadcast now, and it still would have remained pretty obscure, save for Transformers toy-lines having their plots written for them by the toy companies.

And regardless of the formulas of the shows, TV companies rely on showing what's popular to try and boost ratings. They're only likely to buy broadcast rights to the most successful and well-known animes in Japan, and we're still being shown so little in comparison to how many have been created. Yes, there's variety, but it's limited.

Unfortunately I've not seen Cowboy Bebop, but I know it's highly acclaimed by everyone who watched it. but people who don't like anime saying it's cool doesn't mean they're converted, per se. It just means they liked what they saw. It's if they go out and start buying the series and go out of their way to see it that makes the difference.

I guess Mononoke and Spirited Away's limited release could (hypothetically) partially be down to Disney being worried that it might eclipse their own animation, which I'm thinking it's at least starting to if it hasn't already. There was a huge controversy caused over the violent animation of Mononoke, because people weren't used to it. Because Disney had such a tight grip on things, people still tend to expect anime to be for children. Even if critics like it, it can be hard to convince them otherwise.

And I hope Howl's Moving Castle will be given a wider release. I don't want to sit in that uncomfortably cold arthouse cinema again ^_^;[/color]

[Dagger]

[quote name='EVA Unit 100'] On the other hand, Cartoon Network and their Toonami and Adult Swim blocks were aiming for variety...[/quote]
I can't help but disagree with this, as most of the shows you've listed are primarily comedic action series; just about all of them are shounen or seinen. Neither Witch Hunter Robin nor Wolf's Rain have done particularly well in the ratings, and that's because both are too serious and too slow-paced to attract Adult Swim's core audience. In any case, at the moment Inuyasha is the only anime that draws enough viewers to even dream of competing with Adult Swim's wildly popular original comedy series (not to mention Family Guy and Futurama).

I am willing to bet money that CN would never air shows like Fruits Basket or Kodocha, regardless of their merits. Full Metal Alchemist possesses the requisite blend of action and humor to duplicate and possibly outdo Inuyasha's success. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex will probably become a second Cowboy Bebop, given the original movie's popularity in America.

You said that AS is striving for "variety," but in my opinion, this is a very limited sort of variety.

~Dagger~

[Okita]

I agree with Dagger on this, most mainstream channels will never show a wide variety of anime simply because unique and sophisticated anime don't neccessarily have a wide audience base to support it. Anime has a very restrictive audience base, it does not appeal to the majoritive of adult due to it being a 'cartoon' and the younger audience will often not appreaciate the depth of the slower paced, plot centric or unique styled and executed show. As there is no audience, no one will activily braodcaste it.

There are some exception to this rule, but the majoritive of anime is action/adventure centric aimed at a selective teenage audience, the day I see mainstream Gravitation with a raving fan base will be the day I eat a box of lemon... ~_~

Anime has a long way to go before it ever goes fully mainstream.

As a side note, who here likes Astroboy? I still think that it's one of the most important anime to ever be release outside of Japan...

[keisuke shuuken]

I think in year 2000, Pokemom was at it's fullest. Then, YuGiOh the next year, then Love Hina(in Anime Xpo at least), then this year, uhh, not sure... :sleep:

[EVA Unit 100]

[quote name='Dagger IX1']\ In any case, at the moment Inuyasha is the only anime that draws enough viewers to even dream of competing with Adult Swim's wildly popular original comedy series (not to mention Family Guy and Futurama).[/quote]

Correction: In any case, at the moment [I]Cowboy Bebop, FLCL, and Trigun are[/I] the only anime[I]s[/I] that draw enough viewers to even dream of competing with Adult Swim's wildly popular original comedy series [I]except for the mega-bomb Brak Show, the seriously underrated Home Movies, and any original that isn't on the weekday strip because Sundays are made for the AS internet geeks while weekdays go mainstream[/I] (not to mention Family Guy and Futurama).

Yes, Inu-Yasha gets ratings. However, most of those ratings are 12-17 ratings, and sadly AS doesn't give a crap about what they (or, depending on the case, we) think and want to put their efforts into the 18-34 demographic. Toonami is hoping that they'll be able to push the limit enough to become a 12-17 aimed block, so Inu-Yasha airing pretty much the same standards as AS on Toonami would be a progressive step for Toonami. However, Toonami's old rep prevents the Inu-Yasha fanbase from trusting the block, and thus IY is a young-teens show stuck on an adults block. The average 18-34 year old would probably dismiss something like Inu-Yasha or Detecive Conan for a kids' show, so the group that AS wants to be for ignores IY. Lupin 3rd and Kikaider look too old and don't have the same pop cultural importance in America as they do in Japan, and thus they don't attract a lot of 18-34 viewers. Witch Hunter Robin and Wolf's Rain fall into the trap of being too slow for the average viewer, although The Big O, a rather slow series, was able to attract a decent amount of viewers due to the retro feel and faster action scenes. Overall, the average 18-34 year old viewer will most likely watch anime if it is fairly new, faster moving, and doesn't look like a kids' show on first sight, and Bebop, Tirgun, and FLCL are really the only ASA shows that fit those requirements. Ghost in the Shell should attract 18-34 viewers, Full Metal Alchemist will likely have an Inu-Yasha type fanbase although it may have more luck drawing in older viewers due to the fact the show is slightly more mature than IY, and Samurai Champloo will come someday to ASA and get great ratings.

[Dagger]

[quote name='EVA Unit 100]Correction: In any case, at the moment [I]Cowboy Bebop, FLCL, and Trigun are[/I] the only anime[I]s[/I] that draw enough viewers to even dream of competing with Adult Swim's wildly popular original comedy series [I]except for the mega-bomb Brak Show, the seriously underrated Home Movies, and any original that isn't on the weekday strip because Sundays are made for the AS internet geeks while weekdays go mainstream[/I'] (not to mention Family Guy and Futurama).[/quote]
I don't want to nitpick, but I feel the need to defend my assertions. I didn't pull that statement out of thin air, after all. I was reading a July 2004 article from Media Life Magazine which focused on how CN executives play down Adult Swim's success with younger demographics. The piece was followed by several tables listing the top 30 programs in broadcast television and basic cable among various age groups; they showed ratings for the week that ended on July 11.

Adult Swim comedy series were sprinkled throughout the charts labelled People 12 - 24, Teens 12 - 17 and and Kids 9 - 14. The [I]only[/I] anime which appeared anywhere was [B]Inuyasha[/B], which had the #25 spot for Teens 12 - 17. In case you're curious, its Nielsen rating was 2.4. I'm well aware that Cowboy Bebop, FLCL and Trigun are popular series, but they can't hold a candle to Aqua Teen Hunger Force or Family Guy.

While AS certainly is trying to skew older, ATHF and co. perform quite strongly in the 12 - 17 age bracket. Considering that none of the three anime you mentioned are in the top 30 for 18 - 24 or 18 - 34, much less 12 -17, I'm going to stand by what I said about Inuyasha.

However, I think your characterization of Toonami's ambitions is absolutely correct.

~Dagger~

[eleanor]

[color=firebrick] Basically it's Pokemon and Dragonball Z, and I really don't think anyone can argue with that. Both brought thousands, probably millions of fans to other anime series and basically opened the door for anyone who was interested. [i]And[/i], I think this is just the beginning. Look at the anime/manga fanbase twenty years ago, and then look at it now. But I don't really think it will ever get bigger than shows like the Simpsons or whatnot, it's just too restrictive. Like the other people in this thread said, the only anime shows that will ever get played on TV are shows like Inuyasha. It was action, it can interest people greatly, and there's no touchy subject material. And if there is, there's not much and they can cut it out. If they ever did start playing something like Fruits Basket, even I wouldn't watch it. [/color]

[Semjaza]

I'm surprised it was only mentioned in the opening post, but I'd have to go with Robotech. If it wasn't for the influence of this series, I don't think anime would be anywhere near where it is in this country right now.

Obviously the show is a mish mash of various Macross-related anime with a twist to it, but it was one of the first series here that did well, crossed the "cartoons are for kids" gap and was obviously originated from Japan (many other shows weren't as obvious about this). Plus it spawned a rather successful novel series.

Other things have followed and exploded at a far higher level thanks to many factors, but I think Robotech was one of the main catalysts.

[Dagger]

On a related note, Robotech is the first anime that ADV plans to sell in Hot Topic. I'm not sure if this should be interpreted as progress, though... :p

At the moment I can't think of any relevant anime which haven't already been mentioned, except perhaps some of the older Leiji Matsumoto series. So I thought I'd mention that the advent of manga, though quite recent, has really raised awareness of anime and Japanese pop culture in general. Manga is now much closer to going mainstream than anime may ever be, and its popularity is continuing to skyrocket.

~Dagger~

[ChibiHorsewoman]

[color=darkviolet]I always thought that SailorMoon (as half backed as the dub was) Dragon Ball Z and Pokemon (as damn frightening as it is) and even in lower amounts Gundam Wing had some large following in the US. At least where I live. For a while in the years from 98-2002 I couldn't go anywhere without finding productsl from those anime. Hot Topic Spencers Media Play and even JC Penny had products from the anime. I actually bought a Gundam Wing T-shirt from JC Penny. And I had no problem buying manga at Hot Topic until mid 2002

I don't think that's a really good example since now that trend has faded a bit. I think Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away are very good examples of how anime is slowly becoming more mainstream in America. and to a lesser extent the Yu-Gi-Oh movie and repeated rumor of the InuYasha movie being released in theaters instead of just on DVD. But what we have to remember is that this is America, where most cartoons are still for kids no matter what the strange guy who's looking at your chest in Empire Comics because you're one of only two girls not related to him that he's seen outside of RIT tries to tell you. (Gods, i have to stop going out in public!) Anime is never really going to have the same popularity here that it does in the countries it comes from. although a bit more publicity wouldn't hurt to bring the interest up a bit.[/color]

[EVA Unit 100]

[quote name='ChibiHorsewoman][color=darkviolet'] But what we have to remember is that this is America, where most cartoons are still for kids[/color][/quote]

Yes, but even that's changed a bit. From the '30s to the '50s animation was just considered an "everyone" medium. Then from the '60s up to the early '80s the whole "cartoons are for kids" thing was put in place. From the late '80s onward America is in the middle between animation being "for kids" and "for everyone including adults." A lot of kiddy crap is put out, but we also have stuff like The Simpsons, South Park, Beavis and Butthead, Family Guy, Futurama, Aqua Teens, The Critic, Home Movies, even some shows like Ren and Stimpy and Pinky and the Brain that were advertised as kids' shows but weren't exactly meant for them.

Currently, it seems the situation with anime (except for the overprotective soccer moms who won't let their kids say the word "stupid") is not that people are scared of a mature cartoon, but that it's unfamiliar. I know quite a lot of 25-year-olds who watch The Simpsons daily but would be confused and almost scared (of the mighty power of) something like Rouroni Kenshin.

[natetron46]

[quote name='EVA Unit 100']is not that people are scared of a mature cartoon, but that it's unfamiliar.[/quote]
I think that is very true. This rule applies to all facets of life, especially anime. Things that are unfamiliar are often either feared (to an extent) or shunned, and I have seen both with anime. Some people say, "Im not even going to watch it, its stupid" but they in fact know very little about it. Some people are so arrogant that they will actually make fun of kids who watch anime and frequently call it "gay" or "retarded", something that I have experienced before. Either way, for people that think that way, they need to at least watch it before a decision is made on whether or not it is stupid.

[AzureWolf]

[font=Book Antiqua][size=2][color=blue]Something's botherin[color=blue]g me: [QUOTE]Manga is now much closer to going mainstream than anime may ever be, and its popularity is continuing to skyrocket.[/QUOTE] How did you arrive at that conclusion? If I'm right, it sounds like you are saying manga is going to be more popular and known than anime? That's impossible, given the state of America and it's integrity to hold on to old things. There's nothing special about graphic novels, nor is there anything that makes it wholly different than the relatively poor-selling books or comics that line stores today (relative to "free" TV ratings).[/color][/color][/size][/font]

[Dagger]

Manga sales have increased drastically each year (according to ICv2, English-adapted Asian comics are the fastest-growing sector of the publishing industry). Generally speaking, manga/manwha also receive a lot more recognition than anime--lately I've seen articles about the popularity of shoujo titles in publications ranging from Time Magazine to The Boston Globe. Of course press recognition won't keep anything from just turning into a fad--in fact, it often indicates the opposite. But I don't think demand for manga is about to flag; it's penetrated mainstream bookstores to an extend that's really quite surprising.

The [i]perceived[/i] differences between American comics/graphic novels and Asian comics are significantly greater than whatever actually distinguishes them. Likewise, new American manga (or whatever you care to call it--graphic novels styled after manga, but written and drawn by American citizens) from publishers such as DC Comics frequently outsell their more established titles.

Anime, meanwhile, is slowly expanding but continues to be more of a niche market. [url=http://www.icv2.com/articles/home/3006.html][u]Here's[/u][/url] an interesting (if brief) ICv2 article written in the middle of 2003.

EVA Unit 100: I think many people's objections to mature anime stem more from the fact that it's shown on Cartoon Network than anything else. They automatically associate the channel with childen (which makes sense, at least to a certain extent). In the end it's more visceral than logical.

Speaking of television, here's a question for everyone--how successful do you think ADV's Anime Network will be? FUNimation and Viz have also reportedly been looking into developing their own channels. Is this a good idea?

~Dagger~

[Davethestampede]

It is whatever all of the little kids jump on to, that is going to have the biggest impact. I'm not going to repeat what everyone else has said about Pokemon, DBZ, Sailor Moon etc. Its just that the ones that appeal to the little kids ages 7- 12 usually do the best because, little kids are the easiest to merchandise to. It's not like some older teen or adult will go out and buy every little Bebop or Trigun or Evangellion toy out there. It's all about merchandising! :eek:

[EVA Unit 100]

[quote name='Dagger IX1']EVA Unit 100: I think many people's objections to mature anime stem more from the fact that it's shown on Cartoon Network than anything else. They automatically associate the channel with childen (which makes sense, at least to a certain extent). In the end it's more visceral than logical.[/quote]

Well, if that is the reason, then why do quite a few of these people watch Futurama, Sealab, Aqua Teens, etc. nightly, and perhaps even watch a few of their daytime shows out of nostelgia or some appeal? The thing is that people are scared of what they are unfamiliar with, so even people who watch CN for Family Guy will turn off the TV once Inu-Yasha starts.

[Solo Tremaine]

[color=#503f86]I seriously doubt it's a matter of fear. I think it's simply a lack of motivation to watch and sustained interest. They know what they like and can't be bothered to watch anything else. It is still, essentially, a kids' TV channel. That shows cartoons. People like Family Guy and Futurama because they have a reputation of being good and full of adult humour. They aren't as likely to know Inu-Yasha and so will just switch off once their favourite show has finished. It's not deliberately shunning away something they don't want to see. It's more likely to be viewer apathy.[/color]

[AzureWolf]

[QUOTE=Dagger IX1]Manga sales have increased drastically each year (according to ICv2, English-adapted Asian comics are the fastest-growing sector of the publishing industry). Generally speaking, manga/manwha also receive a lot more recognition than anime--lately I've seen articles about the popularity of shoujo titles in publications ranging from Time Magazine to The Boston Globe. Of course press recognition won't keep anything from just turning into a fad--in fact, it often indicates the opposite. But I don't think demand for manga is about to flag; it's penetrated mainstream bookstores to an extend that's really quite surprising.

The [i]perceived[/i] differences between American comics/graphic novels and Asian comics are significantly greater than whatever actually distinguishes them. Likewise, new American manga (or whatever you care to call it--graphic novels styled after manga, but written and drawn by American citizens) from publishers such as DC Comics frequently outsell their more established titles.

Anime, meanwhile, is slowly expanding but continues to be more of a niche market. [url="http://www.icv2.com/articles/home/3006.html"][u]Here's[/u][/url] an interesting (if brief) ICv2 article written in the middle of 2003. [/QUOTE][font=Book Antiqua][color=#0000ff] Interesting, I really didn't know manga was growing so quickly. However, I still need to emphasize relativity. TV is much more competitve and harsh than the world of books and comics are. To rise quickly in a bookstore only equates to an insignificant rise in TV ratings. What I'm trying to say is while manga is skyrocketing relative to other books and comics, its absolute popularity is most likely lower than the absolute value of anime, even if anime's relative rise is so low.[/color][/font]

[font=Book Antiqua][color=#0000ff]I really don't have any information either way, but I have a new hope for manga now.[/color][/font]
[font=Book Antiqua][color=#0000ff][/color][/font]
[font=Book Antiqua][color=#0000ff]EDIT: Oh, to draw parallels, it's like you may be the champ of the Jr. division, but you're still a chump in the Sr. division. Or, a thousand out of a million appears to be small overall, but a thousand out of two thousand seems quite large.[/color][/font]

[Guest Mana]

Pokemon had a great impact on America, besides all the others you mentioned. Pokemon was huge man. All the tournaments people went to, the shows, the cult followings, lol. It was just huge, and it had a great impact. Without Pokemon, we wouldn't be where we are now. DragonBall Z also had a big impact on me.

-MILZ