General Discussion

I think it's always been like that, If you were the head of a studio wouldn't you want to do something profitable? Sure the ones who have deep stories are way better in the long run but they aren't really profitable cause you got to think, Would a consumer rather buy moe merchandise then a Blu-ray of the deep-story anime? I think 9/10 a consumer would rather buy the moe stuff, just mostly because it's 'cute'.

Everything has it's phases and this is just a phase too. If Blu-ray box sets of anime weren't so pricey over there then I'm sure they'd get more profit in the long run. Still alot of the great story anime have pretty large fanbases cause everyone will remember it. (Clannad/EVA for ex.) where as something like (k-on) everyone will forget about.

You just got to remember most companies just want to make money. You can't expect them to make as much as deep-story messaged involve anime as much as all these fan-service, moe stuff.

Although If this stuff keeps going on then yeah the quality of anime is good as dead.

high quality of video and audio just make all of them into bluray

I would have to disagree, I believe the moeblob era revitalized the anime industry. Specifically the KyoAni trinity of Clannad, Haruhi and K-On. Lucky Star too for runner-up. for more seriously themed anime I believe its declining though.

I agree, the anime industry is becoming loli & moe industry. Most titles tend to include elements of those two just to catch the attention of the consumer.

I suspect it is becoming more geared toward certain types of japanese public. That's why we are starting to notice a decrease in quality.

Also, many of them no longer focus on story but in action and pantyshots....

so sad :(

Nowadays the quality of animation is quite impresive. The art is also getting better and better. However I agree with you that stories are just something you already had seen in other series. and also makes me feel they are just worrying about the fanservice and no more. Maybe this is the new trend on new generations of Anime fans, and hopefully this is just a short era that will end sooner or later, but will end, fantasy is something that is endless and without limit.

I think it depends on what the viewers want to see. As time passes, tastes and trends change. Example - people from the early 70s don't dress the same way as people from the late 90s.

Today, a common theme I notice in anime and manga is "Moe" or generally cute characters and etc. Notice that for the past year we've been getting anime shows loaded with "Moe".

It's the same everywhere,video games,Hollywood movies,the music industry have the same kind of problems too...

The future for anime seems very bright consider the new generation seems to be very open minded to the genre. Very optimistic.

Normally I always gravitate towards a more negative view of things like this, so part of me says yes; anime is on a downward spiral. The industry has become an agent of globalization (lolcollege) in that it produces mostly mindless crap in order to appeal to the largest possible audience ... which naturally means that the end product is going to be mainstream, dumbed-down and possibly censored. Original ideas aren't guaranteed to be profitable--in fact the most brilliant shows/manga appeal only to a small niche audience, so these ideas get shunted to the side in favor of large-scale projects with simple premises: moe (or just sex, depending on the target audience) and violence. And for some horrible reason even good shows are constrained by the 12 or 24 episode limit, and if the manga material goes beyond that, then the animation studio just makes up a rushed, brain-dead ending in order to keep the show within the episode limit. And some good shows never get another season if the first doesn't get a lot of viewers.

If you were the head of a studio wouldn't you want to do something profitable?

... this. It's a bit depressing to me, but the world strikes me as devoid of any fundamental values in terms of what is produced. It doesn't matter what you're making; all that matters is profit. goes on anti-capitalism rant

But that's not my only point of view. (Can't be negative all the time...) There are good shows out there despite all the limitations and hurdles entrenched in the industry. Almost every season just this year I've found something I liked, so I think the gloom and doom "anime is dead" mentality is a bit premature. Now print, on the other hand...

I think nowadays many animes producing is in a business way and they do focus on profit but forget producing a wonderful anime. TV anime is getting lower quality and meanwhile light-novel, manga etc don't make a step up but as a circle there is no creative story or settings.

I am worried about future. But when I notice recently someone animes do have a original script and I feel really happy to see there still have someone is trying to create anime not only reward from other mediation and just work as a business.

i have to disagree i think its the same now as it always has been....may not be as much of a certain genre as there once but have bits still around like every season anyway

it seems to be that way. most animes/mangas i come across, and really enjoy, turn out to be old and already completed. feels bad man

ive thought about this... there aren't that many new ideas in the anime world that rival the creative giants of the past. Take for example an older series such as neon genesis evangelion. very different, very mind-blowing, very creative. There are few anime's today that give you the same experience. These days anime creators and mangakas seem to be trying to create hits by reverting to stero-typical concepts and charecters, or milking an old, long-going series, such as bleach, naruto, and onepiece.... when are those series going to end anyway??!! they've been going for years and years

I think there is still hope with shows like Usagi Drop and Hanasaku Iroha coming out. Maybe it's because I'm getting older but these shows for me, with their honest content are very well done and show a lot of promise for future productions.

I can't say I've found a lot of interesting shows lately but the graphics are defiantly not going downhill. The anime quality (drawing styles and CG color) is so much better compared to before. If I look I can still find one or two animes I get hooked on. lol! I also agree that most seem to focus on panty shots more than storyline.

I only look for 1 anime this year, the only one that is worth of watching ( Tiger and Bunny ), the rest is just the same of the other years, fanservice and kuchi-kuchi crap.

But afterall, that´s what the people whant to see..

My conclusion: As long as fan service and otakus exists, anime wold exists too.

I'm really not into this kind of catastrophic view.

The anime industry have been always aiming for the best profit. That's why it is called "industry", it exists to make money and not to make "art".

Even though it is quite possible to find "art" rising from such kind of industry.

What seems to be happening is just a trend in the industry that will change someday. It always changes. But the different genres will always exists as long as there is consumers for it.