It’s a safe bet that everyone who uses the Internet to any real degree has seen anime, either by accident or by randomly getting linked to the Lucky Star intro on youtube…
With out the Internet, “anime” would not be as popular in the west as it is now. Bleach is a prime example; it’s hugely popular for a few reasons. Firstly, sub groups (who subtitle and dub non english video) release nearly on time every week. It’s mainstream enough to entertain everyone, odd enough to entertain me, and it’s actually good. Without the Internet, there would be no dubbed version of it in America, as there would be no demand to have an English version with say “The Original” Black Power Ranger to voice the main character.
Sadly, the majority of dubs are a bit dire, but at least they tried. Some anime companies even let them, as it will drive up their foreign sales as fans will be more likely to buy a season box set if they have seen it online. Why they’d buy it is another question. Saying that I saw my first ever 720p anime advertised on a website…
Anime vs cartoons is a strange topic. Cartoons have not been adopted to the internet like anime has. It could be argued that anime is a superior quality piece of entertainment that has been carefully scripted, thought through and is original. Cartoons nowadays are a mesh of bright colours and childish humour, and adult humour has been utterly cut out with a chain saw. What’s left is no longer funny to anyone over the age of 12.
The Internet has proven a glorious medium of which we can share stuff we create. The problem with sharing stuff is that when it reaches the stuff not owned by the shares, then what should be allowed and what shouldn’t be? Sub-groups forbid the sale of their subs, and some companies will chase after subbers like mad people. Law suits fly about like mad, slightly dazed sea gulls.
So what has your experience been with drawn stuff on the internet? What’s your opinion on web comics, flash cartoons, anime, daily newspaper cartoon strips and of course youtube? Discuss!
