Ask John: Do Global Fans Really Want Authentic Anime?

Question:
Do international fans really want “authentic” Japanese animation, albeit with English subtitles? It seems everywhere I look I find evidence to the contrary, such as a country’s native dubs selling better on average then their sub counterparts with shows like Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh being the best examples. Or how shows such as “Ghost Stories” was heavily localized to change the entire tone of the show and was actually praised for doing so because the original was considered by reviewers as being “too dull.” Or how the minority of the fandom is despised and dismissed by the majority for boycotting a product that doesn’t come in an authentic format with slurs such as “Weeaboo” and “Why don’t you move to Japan if you love the original audio so much?!” Yet the irony is that when something the fandom really likes get censored there is this huge backlash against it. What is with these double standards, and do fans genuinely want “authentic” Japanese animation?

Answer:
The answer to this question becomes relatively obvious when the question is very slightly rephrased. Are most international anime fans “purists?” The answer is unequivocally no. Mainstream viewers have never particularly cared about the national origins of their entertainment; so long as something is familiar, comfortable, and satisfying, it’s accepted. Even within the global otaku community, dubbed anime has always outsold original Japanese language anime. Average viewers want pleasant entertainment. They want cinema that’s thrilling and fun, that’s rewarding – either by fulfilling their psychological desires or by making them feel anointed and exclusive – and that’s not too challenging to watch. Film that requires careful concentration isn’t relaxing. Film in a foreign language isn’t immediately accessible, thus it’s not immediately familiar and comfortable, so it’s not relaxing and enjoyable. Anime that’s somewhat localized, either via dubbing or which consciously contains characteristics that appeal to a certain geographical or cultural demographic, retains the edgy, underground, counter-culture, unconventional tone of imported anime but doesn’t require the viewer to extend outside of a familiar comfort zone. Just as there are people who genuinely and honestly appreciate and enjoy opera, poetry, eclectic music, or other art that’s foreign and challenging or intellectual, there are anime fans who prefer “authentic” and unaltered anime over familiarity and ease of accessibility. This small audience that values artistic and cultural integrity over accessibility immediately becomes a easy target for accusations of elitism and secularity. The anonymity of the internet especially allows and encourages the majority to appease itself and assert its own self-importance by criticizing the minority and those of contrary opinion. Thus fans who claim to prefer cultural and artistic integrity over convenience, comfort and accessibility become labeled “weeaboo” or “purist,” as though appreciating the Japanese-ness of Japanese animation is an incorrect and backward way of enjoying anime.

The irony is indeed that the majority of international anime viewers enjoy anime because it’s different and counter-culture. Anime is interesting because it’s unlike the entertainment produced natively by countries other than Japan. So international anime fans appreciate being part of an eclectic clique of indoctrinated “otaku” who are aware of Japanese animation and appreciate its unique charms. Being part of the anime fan community makes an individual part of a distinctive, select community that’s more culturally and artistic conscious and appreciative than the average mainstream. So the average otaku enjoys a sense of aloofness, of appreciation of an underground, cultish value. But the average fan still wants to be part of that select community without expending too much effort, without having to extend too far outside of a comfortable familiarity, thus the ideal anime is just foreign enough to be different, but not foreign enough to be inconvenient. When popular anime gets too heavily altered, just like when popular anime gets too popular and becomes adopted by the mainstream, cultish fans who self-identify via the secularity of anime become offended because “their” anime no longer falls into the narrow categorization necessary to seem viably intelligent and counter-culture. When anime becomes too popular, it’s not cultish and elite anymore. When anime gets censored, fans presume that they’re being alienated from the anime that’s “cool” and satisfying and counter-culture.

A small audience of international anime fans appreciate anime and enjoy anime, either localized via subtitling or dubbing, because they wholeheartedly enjoy the artistic medium of anime. A much larger majority of international anime fans appreciate anime, in part, because of the social status and identity that being an anime fan and watching anime imbues. Some people watch anime only because they enjoy it. Many more people watch anime not only because they enjoy it, but also because they get a sense of confidence, satisfaction, and “independent” credibility via watching media that’s outside of the mainstream spectrum. For these folks, watching anime is like having tattoos or body piercings, wearing particular styles of clothing or shoes, or selecting particular varieties of music to listen to; watching anime is a means of self-identification as much as entertainment, and these particular fans want the self-prescribed identity of being an anime fan, and do enjoy the superficial characteristics of anime, but don’t have an interest in having to invest concentration and effort into watching foreign film.

I do, finally, want to emphasize that I’m not criticizing any such otaku that prefer accessibility over artistic integrity. Everyone appreciates anime in a personal way, and no way to approach anime is wrong. I only intended to point out the objective fact that different varieties of anime otaku, with different value systems, do exist.