What is the appeal of ANIME ?

I like anime, and so do you (most likely) but I’ve had this thought for a while. What is the appeal of anime? Not only anime but I feel this goes for anything really, anything foreign (i.e. K- drama etc)

In an ideal world, I would watch equal amounts of all different kinds of tele from all over the world (assuming I watch the best shows) but I know I watch anime more and gravitate to it (when searching for things to watch) even though a good tv show is a good tv show no matter if it is anime or not.

It is obvious for some things such as battle anime, the exciting animation coupled with the usual teenager demographic is obviously better than American/ British cartoons (series) which are extremes: for very young audience or adults and usually unserious. But there are good western shows like invincible or avatar.

But the real question has to do with slice of lives/ romances. Anime produce good shows of these genres for sure but are they better than western (or other country’s) slice of lives/ romance? I don’t know.

What I’m saying is that why can’t I treat anime how I treat English shows. I struggle to watch both at similar time periods. I feel I treat anime with higher importance/ regard even tho very good western shows have given similar levels of enjoyment

Is it the storytelling? Is it the culture? All I know is that it has something to do with the fact that anime is animated and it is foreign, but can someone please tell me why this makes it special cuz I can’t pinpoint why.

What the difference if there is no need for it to be animated (when it’s just normal life so it could be done live action)

I might be overthinking it, and it might just be me, but I’m always only 100% in on anime or not at all. I was wondering if anyone’s the same

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Commentaires

N7CombatWombat2026-01-02 00:36

Because I enjoy it more. That's it, that's all there is to it.

-Peshwari_Naan-2026-01-02 00:37

Yeah I think I’m really over deeping it

Ancient-Beat-16142026-01-02 00:38

"What is the appeal?
"It appeals to me."

Literally the most nothingburger answer lmao

N7CombatWombat2026-01-02 00:40

It's the only answer that's needed when the question is about completely subjective personal taste and enjoyment.

ali941272026-01-02 00:57

Fun things are fun.

Own_Durian_87072026-01-02 00:38

Imo I’d say it’s cause its more visually appealing 🤷‍♂️

-Peshwari_Naan-2026-01-02 00:42

Yeah that’s the main one I guess, no animated shows over here have that much effort, except movies

timpkmn892026-01-02 00:38

>What the difference if there is no need for it to be animated (when it’s just normal life so it could be done live action)

Wait til you find out about manga

JinxApple2026-01-02 00:40

For me it's the limitless potential. Any thoughts and images you generate in your head can theoretically be put onto paper, and if they can be drawn, then they can be animated on a much more reasonable budget compared to the top of the line sci fi hollywood adaptations like Avatar.

-Peshwari_Naan-2026-01-02 00:41

That’s a good one

Left-Performance77012026-01-02 00:40

It's wholesome. At least the ones I watch.

QuasimodoPredicted2026-01-02 00:40

it's not netflix or hollywood

that shit is ass

TehNolz2026-01-02 00:41

Fun things are fun.

RandomNobody862026-01-02 00:49

I like cute girls, Anime has cute girls therefore i like Anime. For this part at least being animated is important.

These days the main reason i watch Anime, kdrama and other foreign media is because it's the only content still being produced with entertainment as the focus.

Stuff from the west is either some piece of political propaganda with little to no entertainment value or crap written so basic and politically correct that any comedy or interesting plot points it could of had are long gone (The great British sitcom of old is very much dead now). And of course who can forget the millennial slop writing where they think being "quippy" is the same as being interesting leaving you with a bunch of characters who are insufferable arseholes.

You can loop at Dr Who, Star Wars, Star Trek and see perfect examples of once great IPs ruined by the modern western media.

VoidEmbracedWitch2026-01-02 01:41

How about you look beyond the same IPs that have been milked for an eternity now? Idk, watch a Yorgos Lanthimos film or something. I always get the impression people with opinions like this are incapable of seeking out worthwhile media for themselves.

ScarredTiger2026-01-02 00:52

The appeal of animation is you can depict anything your mind desires. The downside is you have to draw it.

Lore-Warden2026-01-02 00:53

I feel like anime has a much higher proportion of shows that actually have a proper ending where many Western shows just contrive reasons to keep going until they get cancelled abruptly or peter out into a weak ending.

-Peshwari_Naan-2026-01-02 00:56

Yeah, like how the office should have ended once Michael Scott left

VoidEmbracedWitch2026-01-02 01:36

Funny you say this considering it feels like every other anime fan complains about how many of their favorites never got a S2. For every Mob Psycho 100 that actually crossed the finish line there are dozens of Houseki no Kuni or <insert almost any yuri here> that were single season projects with no intention of ever telling a complete story.

AKindleSoul2026-01-02 00:57

Strictly only answering to your title question. For me Anime medium "TRIUMPHS" and "TOWERS" over all other entertainment mediums out there. Anime's 'highs' are insanely highest of highs out there that are quite litreally unmatched and unbeatable in overall quality. Simple as that.

Pahavara2026-01-02 01:01

I would say it is appealing because if you draw things, they can be so wild that it would be near impossible to make into real movie. In anime you can make characters that express themselves more vividly, like making sad moment really sad and also happy ones really happy, somewhat going into extreme and that will also stir up more feelings in viewers.

abandoned_idol2026-01-02 01:15

For me, it's that I can't picture live action actors as characters. I just see them as actors.

Voice acting doesn't bother me, so radio dramas or animation is my preferred medium.

I can't create voices either, so I NEED voice acting, therefore reading books/comics isn't as good as voice acted content.

MayonakaMadaraka2026-01-02 01:17

To me, anime has always been more immersive. I can enjoy a wide range of fantastic, inspirational or thought provoking experiences at any given time without the distraction of real world associations with live action performers. For the most part, anime characters remain isolated within their unique world. It’s kind of like music in that I can always find something that resonates with my present state of mind.

-Peshwari_Naan-2026-01-02 10:35

That’s interesting

AffectionateNeat57062026-01-02 01:19

1. It’s cute or kawaii
2. The characters are well written
3. Anime is usually already based on a good story manga, light novels, etc so they don’t need to work on the story too much
4. More creative freedom, even with more controversial anime. Something like Boku no Pico or Eromanga Sensei would never in a million years come out in America.
6. It’s just better, tbh. Really the only good western movies I watch are historical movies. Majority of fiction in the west is for kids or just bad.

There some more points I could mention, but those are some major ones.

TropicalFrost2026-01-02 01:25

I haven't kept up with western SoL/romance, but from what I recall, those tend to not be just SoL/romance. There's always an element that injects "drama" that increases stakes somehow. You will never get a pure SoL like Yuru Yuri, Gochiusa, or Aria the Animation in the west. That's one of many reasons why I like these genre in anime. Edit: maybe something like The Office is closest we'll get.

Many anime SoL tend to portray non-adults. Most romance tend to be middle/high school. Hollywood is dominated with adult actors, so child actors are few and far between. Also kids tend to, y'know, grow up. It's a hassle to work with when your actor looks/sounds one way today, then next week totally different because of puberty. Anime has the advantage of being ageless with seasons being years apart but characters unchanged.

BusyHoney97672026-01-02 07:49

I think the biggest difference is that romance/SoL in the West is almost entirely targeted to women and generally has a lot of drama like you said. I feel like wholesome and cute stuff is more popular in Japan even with guys which is why there's so many SoL series. Many romance anime have relatable male leads so guys can enjoy them even when there's no fanservice.

SliderGamer552026-01-02 01:28

I like animated television more than other forms of storytelling, and Japan allows such things to actually succeed significantly more often than the west does.

There's plenty of other reasons but that's the core one.

VoidEmbracedWitch2026-01-02 01:57

Honestly, I don't think there is a general appeal to me. I love the wild exaggeration of Redline or Gainax / Trigger originals. I love more personal and intimate feeling anime like Liz and the Blue Bird or Aoi Hana. I love the stop motion works of Tomoyasu Murata. I love... a lot of different strands in anime. There's no way to pin down one thread that defines them all.

Unless you go for the cop-out answer that is saying it's the friends I made along the way. But seriously, I think the reason why I watch so much anime enduringly is a sense of belonging / community with people who are in too deep (yeah, I'm an Aikatsu fangirl, how did you know?), which in turn helps with finding more I want to watch. I can't say I'm nearly as entrenched in any other medium.

-Peshwari_Naan-2026-01-02 10:53

Yeah that’s a good one as well, could you explain what is an aikatsu fan girl?

VoidEmbracedWitch2026-01-02 11:02

Aikatsu is a long-running idol show that's part of an arcade game franchise, targeted primarily at prepubescent girls. Also, the first 20 or so episodes have extremely rough CG for the idol performances. It's the sort of series where if someone outside of east Asia says they're a fan, you can be sure they watched way too much anime in their life.

Kadmos12026-01-02 02:49

I am one of those that tends to watch harem and fan service shows for the fan service. So, I am one of those people that approaches a lot of anime from the T&A appeal.

twistacles2026-01-02 03:14

Its usually not trying to shove propaganda down our throats like everything coming out of hollywood

DarkConan14122026-01-02 03:15

Initially, for me, it was another world outside of own. Some of it being fantastical, and some of it being just different from what I was familiar with in the USA. Anime was also more linear than what was being shown on American tv in the 00s. Though, I do prefer Japanese stories over the ones that have released from other places. I enjoy Korean stories and some Chinese stories, but I'm definitely more of a fan of anime and its many sources than anything else.

What I liked most from anime was the stories and how they felt new or at least somewhat different. I adored the soundtracks as well. To me, anime/manga stories were so much more thought out. I got into reading American novels for the same reason. There was so much more in them than movies. The world's were vast and gave me immense joy to imagine.

-Peshwari_Naan-2026-01-02 10:54

Yeah, not being used to it makes it great. Although I would say western movies do hold up very well compared to anime movies, I can watch both simultaneously, it’s just the shows that I don’t think are worse but not as attractive as anime

Salty1452026-01-02 03:34

I like animation as a medium, and (for all its flaws) Japan’s animation industry is the best on the market right now in terms of diversity and quantity. The American industry is largely dominated by kids movies and adult comedies, most of the latter which use rigging software anyway. The bar is so low that something like *Invincible* makes waves despite being (at least in my opinion) a fairly 7/10 show, at least through the first season (which is the only one I’ve seen).

Things have improved, and indie animation has gotten better, but I’m just so invested in the Japanese market and community around it (and have so much left to watch) that it’s hard for me to venture out at this point.

It’s also stupid to say, but I don’t have a great alternative to MAL/AniList for non-anime series. I’d love a MyAnimationList or something so I can be even broader with my media diet as it scratches my data nerd brain.

BusyHoney97672026-01-02 07:33

I agree with you that one nice thing about being in the anime fandom is that all anime(and manga) are grouped together like on MAL. Lots of people watch a wide variety of genres and you can easily discuss them in a spaces like this. It also helps that anime typically come out seasonally.

-Peshwari_Naan-2026-01-02 10:48

Yeah that is good, I like conversing with people who like the same things about me. A downside is that comparisons can’t be made to other media so anime is rated against anime only (I don’t know whether that is bad or good)

-Peshwari_Naan-2026-01-02 10:46

Yeah that is very true, but could make an argument that some, let’s say 6/10 anime’s are seen as a little better than they are because it’s an anime? I think we subconsciously think some anime’s are better than they are

DE4THWI5H2026-01-02 04:50

The problem with this question is you can't ask "what is the appeal of anime?" and get a decent reply, because people will just say "I like it" or "the japanese are better story tellers" instead of explaining what strengths anime has over anything else. In the end, there is no inherent advantage in the art form. It's just animated stories. Cartoons. What's the appeal of cartoons? Nothing inherently. What's the appeal of live action? Video games? Nothing inherently, they're simply mediums.

Anime's strength specifically comes from the fact that it's based on manga. Once again, nothing inherently good about manga, it's just a japanese comic book with each page written backwards. But you usually have one author with a singular vision and no limitations except their imagination. If the author is talented, that can lead to amazing stories and great characters. If the author is not talented, well then you never hear about the manga. If the manga is popular, that usually leads to an anime series that is more often than not faithfully adapted from the book. This is why anime is usually well liked. Same reason why people used to like American comic books and why faithful adaptations of the good ones, like the first 10 years of Marvel Studios movies, were very successful whether you personally liked them or not.

Sadly more and more as it gets localized to different regions the localizers think additional "adjustments" are needed. More adjustments than simply translating Japanese words and phrases to American ones to more accurately convey the meaning to native english speakers instead of just using the literal translation which English speakers don't always fully understand. They feel they need to "fix" things to more accurately serve an audience that doesn't exist.

In the end I personally am not an "anime fan." I just like good stories and good characters and sometimes when I am really enjoying those things, they happen to be in anime form.

N7CombatWombat2026-01-02 05:19

Wow, lots to go over here. First, anime isn't solely based on manga, it's also based on light novels, classic literature, games, some directors random fever dream. Anime, like any other medium, has many sources and inspirations.

Second, the first ten years of Marvel movie's were very much not faithful to the comics in the least, they worked because the writing and the chemistry between the stars was so much better than most of the newer entries.

And third, localizers literally do translate Japanese words and phrases to American ones to convey the meaning to an English speaker and that's it, anyone who says anything else is widespread doesn't have a clue what the original context was to begin with and just gets their shorts in a bunch because they don't agree with the message, both original and localized.

-Peshwari_Naan-2026-01-02 10:51

This is an amazing answer imo, I think you got my question, that is one major part to it, there might be other reasons aswell but it depends person to person. Just thought your’s was well worded

BusyHoney97672026-01-02 07:20

I'd say one appealing thing about anime compared to a lot of American media is that it's usually based on a manga or novel and aims to be faithful to the source material.

This means its moslty one person's ideas and feels more authentic and less commercialized. You can find some great series with some really out there stuff. If a corporation was deciding everything its unlikely these things would get off the ground due to risk aversion. It also allows people to be less locked into gender stereotypes as many women write action manga and men romance.

Also some cultural differences do lead some genres being more popular in anime like romance/SOL than other media. Romance series aimed at guys aren't much of a thing in other media. Anime actually has lots of serious romance, emotional, or heartwarming series aimed at guys showing those genres aren't only for girls. In general anime shows adding cute girls can make a lot of things more appealing.

Now there's a lot of negatives too, but I stuck to the positives for this comment.

-Peshwari_Naan-2026-01-02 10:35

Good answer

Organic_Machine_23242026-01-02 17:51

- Visually Appealing
- Far better writing
- Far better world building
- Concepts are also limitless

Gamerunglued2026-01-02 22:06

I think anime is much too broad for this question to apply. Anime has no singular appeal because anime is a million different TV shows and movies. It's like asking "what is the appeal of Hollywood cinema," and now you have to find a way to synthesize what appealing aspects are shared between Citizen Kane, Spiderman 2, When Harry Met Sally, The Lion King, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Goodfellas. Good luck doing that. Similarly, I can't really find anything similar between the appeal of Fullmetal Alchemist, Yuru Camp, Perfect Blue, Nichoijou, Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu, Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Toradora, and Serial Experiments Lain. They're just good shows, and not even atypical kinds of stories you'd find in other media. Pretty much everything that has been suggested so far is something that isn't unique to anime. Even battle anime tend to be exactly how you described them being for western television, battle shounen are just anime's take on action blockbusters like Marvel films.

The things that are unique to anime are usually more subtle, and may not apply to you depending on what you enjoy. Otaku culture is unique to anime, although only a limited number of series have that sort of appeal (at the same time, I don't see a huge difference between attractive cute or sexy girls in anime and attractive female actors in live-action films). There's a database element that many anime like to play with. The medium is uniquely interested in its own meta, you get stories like "a romcom where the childhood friend wins" in reaction to a trope in which they typically lose, or characters can be constructed starting from an archetype and working backwards from there to make them interesting. There are a few directorial quirks that are used in anime more than other mediums, stuff like chibi cutaways, post-card memories, the "pause... then the camera pulls out and character screams in surprise," etc..

For me, the appeal of anime is just the same as the appeal of any TV show or movie. I've always been frustrated by people's tendency to put anime on a pedestal compared to other countries' shows. I'm interested in anime less for anything to do with anime in particular, and more to do with the convenience of having a neat little category to fully dig into. It just so happened that the first media I really came to care about deeply was an anime, and the good old autism brain decided to focus in on just that category. But now I've branched out more, and when I do I find that anime isn't unique or special at all. It's just its own neat little industry with its own set of interesting creators and shifting trends which is worth exploring simply because some of the TV shows and movies it produces are good.

The other appeal of anime to me is the release format. Most western live-action shows have 45-60 minute episodes, it feels more like watching a bunch of short films than watching a show to me. I love that anime tend to be short, with just 20 minute episodes and often only 12 of them. I like that tight storytelling condensed into a short runtime, I find longer episode lengths much more of a commitment. I also just like animation, and appreciate that anime is dedicated to serialized animated TV shows for older teens and adults while American studio animation largely ignores those demographics (films are different, European animation is a treasure trove of great films for adults).