In the past I was unsure if a particular individual watched anime or not. You can’t exactly pick anime fans out based on physical appearance. Even those who may be found with a Gundam t-shirt or some other form of apparel may not be “fans.” As a corollary of sorts to that theorem we can see the same in Hello Kitty and Spider Man clothing as well. One’s exposure to some-thing is not indicative of that person’s acceptance or understanding of that thing, or it doesn’t suggest that they understand or accept it in the way that you do.

Over the last decade (almost two) we have seen a several fold increase in the popularization of Japanese animation. To that end, it would seem that this is largely the result of digital fan-subbing and file sharing networks.

I have seen an increase in the number of casual viewers that cross my path. It is expected given the steady increase in anime popularity among general audiences. These are individuals that don’t read anime blogs but do watch the occasional dubbed show on television. They may also download the occasional fansub but are more likely to get the files from friends. In short, they don’t have several 200GB hard discs filled with anime files downloaded from the internet.

For example, I was recently speaking with a new acquaintance. He was a guy that just came over from Mississippi. He stated that he watched a lot of anime. My usual response is to ask what one watches when presented with that statement. His response, “Have you seen Bible Black?” Well, yes, I have seen Bible Black to paraphrase my response. My actual first thought was the oddity of someone casually admitting that they watched Bible Black, given the prevalence of futanari-nurse and all.

We could make a point here about the increasing instances of finding people who casually watch hentai versus those who casually watch non-porn anime. Although, non-porn anime sometimes verges on porn with the fan services provided. That’s not to say that my friend only watches hentai. I’m sure that he has broader viewing habits.

That wasn’t my point. Casual fans of anime are drawn to things they can readily identify with. A show like Bible Black, while being carnal in nature, doesn’t require knowledge of niche anime references or Japanese culture. For that matter, the story probably unknowingly holds more cultural references for a western audience than a Japanese audience simply because of the way the witchcraft, magic book, and dark-magic angles are portrayed. This is similar to the way Neon Genesis introduces religious symbolism that more than likely added to its appeal to western audiences.

Cultural diffusion of these ideas makes them understandable to many that are foreign to their origins. Still there are differences in their perceived relevance and impact on the story. It has to do with innate understanding due to cultural history and memory. For me and others who were raise in a Judeo-Christian society the aspects of stories that utilize plot devices like those in Bible Black or NGE carry with them an inherent context. We see them a certain way because of cultural conditioning.

The implications are not that others do not “understand” them truly. That’s not the case. As I’ve been fond of pointing out on occasion, other’s perception of a story is just as valid as any other. The key term is the word “valid” with regard to that statement. Instances of the right way and wrong way to interpret something do not come into play. We are speaking of individual interpretations.

Drunk wolf girl, just because.

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This was Part 1. The astute reader will realize that this concept works in both directions.

I’m writing much of this as I think about it. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get a part two out when I get a chance and have a better idea of what it will be about.

In reference to the 200GB hard drives mentioned in the article. You people, just delete those files. It’s not like you’re ever going to watch those again anyway.