Anime Is The Glue

I just got back from Anime North, a huge, diverse convention in the greater Toronto Area. Pretty much I can say if you like anime, you can join what appears to be about 20,000 people once a year and have a blast. Also, be sure to go to Sushi-Ya, it’s right next door.

What stood out for me this year was the amount of costumes, merchandise, and soforth that wasn’t just anime. There was plenty of Doctor Who, a heaping helping of Homestuck, a herd of My Little Pony fans, and no small amount of “Sherlock” shenanegans. If you could make a fan comic where Sherlock and Watson are ponies and team up with the Doctor to keep the Weeping Angels from decimating the world of the Homestuck, you’d capture it all.*

But of course, there’s a question that always comes up here – “how much anime does an anime con have to have?” I hear this asked at . . . about every other anime con I go to. It’s getting a bit repetitive.**

The flipside of this is that I also hear non-anime fans complain anime is everywhere. There’s these legion of anime conventions, there’s anime at seemingly unrelated events. You can’t swing a dead Menchi without hitting some anime-related thing.***

If you move around in fandom alot, you probably hear similar things. There’s a lot of non-anime in our anime, and a lot of anime in our non-anime. It’s peanut butter-and-chocolate all over again.****

Here’s how I see it – and explain it to “both sides.”

First of all, Anime hasn’t exactly been “pure anime” fandom for a long time, if ever. It always combines with SF, fantasy, action, and general interest in Japanese culture, music, and gaming. I first experienced anime at a general SF con, and rare is the fan I’ve met that is “all anime all the time.”

Secondly, anime is now a huge common denominator. Rare also is the geek, fan, or nerd who hasn’t seen some, finished a particular series, or enjoyed it at least on occasion. Especially for the younger set, anime is a formative part of their experience.

What we’re really seeing is the results of the gradual spreading of anime into larger geek and popular culture. Thus indeed it is everywhere because it really IS everywhere. Also, Anime conventions will not only have non-anime content due to history, but because love of anime is part of an expanded set of geek/nerd/fan enthusiasms for many demographics.

In the next five to ten years, I see a few things happening:

• * Anime cons will have to make identity decisions. Some will go “purer”, but many will be “anime with a lot of stuff.”
• * If it doesn’t have anime in it and it’s some geek/nerd/fan event, it probably will –  or have related properties like manga, games, light novels, etc. J apan is a big culture engine, that’s the way it goes.
• * This column will, by this time, see insanely dated and out of touch, so remind me to take it down in about five years.

I’ve been around long enough to watch the nerd scene change repeatedly. This is no big shakes to me – but it is fascinating to watch because we’re seeing cultural change right before our eyes. That’s pretty fascinating.

ANd, if you want something to chew on, look at the increasing prominence of Korean culture, from K-pop to K-drama, to comics. Where’s that going . . .

– Steven Savage
Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach for professional and potentially professional geeks, fans, and otaku. He can be reached at http://www.stevensavage.com/.

* You’re welcome.
** Also repetitive? Can we please have more love for doctors who aren’t 4,10, and 11? I was overjoyed to see a pretty great 9 at Anime North.
*** A dead Menchi is an excellent source of protein.
**** Anime is chocolate, in case you’re checking.