Ask John: What are the Most Influential Anime Ever Released in America?

Question:
What have been the titles that have led to the anime boom in the US? Isn’t Akira one of the main ones?

Answer:
Every anime title ever released in America can be said to have contributed to the increased popularity of anime in America, but I’ll limit my response to address the spirit of the question.

Virtually without question, the two most important anime titles ever released in America are Astro Boy and Speed Racer- the first two major anime releases in America. Although Astro Boy was the first anime ever released in America, it’s popularity has been overwhelmed by Speed Racer, which is still broadcast on American television today. These two titles introduced English speaking viewers to Japanese animation, inspired generations of viewers, and opened the floodgates for their descendants.

The 1960s had Astro Boy and Speed Racer. The 1970s may be remembered for Starblazers and Battle of the Planets. As a testament to their influence and lasting popularity, both titles are still successful contemporary commercial releases. While Astro Boy introduced Japanese animation to America, and Speed Racer gave American viewers an exciting, action cartoon like which they’d never seen before, Starblazers and Battle of the Planets introduced American viewers to a new level of sophistication in animation quality and story maturity in animated programming.

The 1980s were the beginning of the true American anime invasion with Robotech and Voltron. Both were hybrids consisting of Japanese animation and American writing. Both were made up of multiple Japanese programs edited together into single American series. Both spawned a flood of American toys and related merchandising. And both alerted American television executives and producers that Japanese animation could be successful and profitable on American television. The 1980s wrapped up with the American release of Akira, the first non-televised breakout anime hit in America. Akira was mainstream America’s first exposure to the quality and potential of contemporary, state-of-the-art Japanese animation. More than probably any other anime production in history, Akira put the word “Japanimation” on people’s lips, and brought Japanese animation into the consciousness of mainstream America.

The 1990s were simply dominated by a single pair of anime titles that overshadowed everything else released during the decade, and in fact, everything else since: Dragonball Z and Pokemon. Although Dragonball premiered in America in 1995, it was the 1996 debut of Dragonball Z which fundamentally altered the American anime industry. Dragonball Z became America’s first truly successful anime hit. Unlike everything that had come before it, including even Sailormoon, Dragonball Z wasn’t just successful within a niche market. Dragonball Z achieved mainstream success that couldn’t be overlooked. The series soon moved from broadcast television onto the Cartoon Network and became one of the network’s most profitable titles. Burger King produced Dragonball Z kids’ meals. No anime had ever had such a big impact on American culture before. And what Dragonball Z did, Pokemon did bigger. Pokemon single handedly caused the American anime industry to more than double in size and sales volume. Pokemon attracted the attention of news media and businesses that previously would have never even realized that Japanese animation existed.

Now we arrive at the present time, which may be too recent to critique in retrospect. Spirited Away deserves mention not only for being the first Japanese animated film to be officially recognized by the American Association of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences but for being the first Japanese animated film to receive extensive, universal critical acclaim from the mainstream American media. I don’t think that enough time has passed yet to determine the appropriateness of including The AniMatrix on this list. There’s no question that The AniMatrix is a landmark in the history of the anime medium, but its influence on the recognition of anime in America has yet to be clarified. However, based on critical citation to it from mainstream sources, it seems as though The AniMatrix is on a path to becomming on of the handful of anime titles that mainstream America uses as a reference point for all anime.

In conclusion, I’d like to defray debate by mentioning a few titles that arguably may deserve mention, but which I’ve excluded for the reasons henceforth provided. The Big O is significant as the first anime to get a second series made primarily based on demand from American television viewers. But The Big O still hasn’t achieved the degree of influential success or influence that titles like Astro Boy and Akira and Spirited Away have had in America. This lack of mainstream influence can also be said of Appleseed, Gunbuster and Dangaioh, America’s first subtitled anime home video releases; in effect, the first anime titles ever released in America specifically as high end foreign films. Gundam Wing deserves some recognition as the first “uncut” anime broadcast on American television. And Sailormoon deserves credit as the first “girls” anime to reach the American mainstream. But neither Gundam Wing nor Sailormoon have had quite the revolutionary degree of impact on American history that Pokemon or Speed Racer or Dragonball Z have had.