“Many feel that the rapid commercialization as seen from the otaku consumption of anime has devalued it as an art form.”
Striking a balance between the aesthetic and commercial in anime
Has capitalism hurt anime? I have noticed a rapid decline in anime quality since I have begun watching it. Streaming and media platforms with dedicated voice actors have spurred another “anime renaissance” but it feels like none of it has the depth and artistic integrity older anime has. I feel like story has taken a back place to things like “moe” characters, and sexualization. The demand for good anime is high at the moment which could also account for a decline in quality; it could be looked at like a gold rush and they are trying to appease many different demographics simultaneously.
A in depth story like Ghost in the Shell with philosophy and mend bending plot lines simply can’t compete anymore, which is hurting the artform. Recently, there has been backlash against Anime as a genre and with films like Your Name, a great movie that actually just broke the record for highest grossing animated film in Japan, I am confident that studios are becoming of the problem and are seeking to regain the trust of fans who have turned away from the genre.