We have a special treat today, class, so please take your seats. Instead of the typical one-sided lecture about our favorite past time, I've invited our own Dean of Academics, Kain, to sit in and offer some counterpoints. So let's begin.

Some of you may recall Kain's lecture on the state of anime at the end of the 20th century. Today, we will continue the discussion of anime at the turn of the millennium as it becomes more visible in the American entertainment scene. At the end of today's lecture, we invite you to share your own opinions with the Staff and other students in the Lounge.

Years ago, anime (erroneously referred to then as "Japanimation") was a rare find, especially in a subtitled format. If you were lucky enough to find a fan subtitling group, you had to wait weeks to receive your tapes. Compare that to the availability of anime today, where a show can be found online and subtitled practically the same day as it airs in Japan. Add to that over a hundred commercially licensed titles in the United States and the popularity of anime in the West is at an all-time high. With more availability comes more marketing, increased awareness among a wider range of demographics, a definite influence on American-produced entertainment and many other benefits...

... which is not necessarily a good thing, mind you. The old cliché of "more is better" would certainly appeal to me as an anime otaku, but only on a rudimentary level. On a global scale, this recent surge in popularity among Western countries, in particular the United States, will have repercussions that will resonate through the entire anime industry for many years to come. While anime as a commercialized product may flourish in an economic sense, anime as an artistic medium will continue to degrade. Like many things in life, you can't have your cake and eat it, too.

You're right, there will be repercussions. But I would argue that those repercussions will be beneficial, and that they are already happening. Statistics show that not only is anime at a new height of popularity in the United States, but in Japan, as well. And it's not hard to see that the two are directly related. With a new world market, anime creators and producers have a wider audience and increased source of income. With that in mind, they have gained the freedom to produce more and more anime that they might not have had the chance to otherwise. I agree that quantity does not equate to quality, but the door is now open for many who may not have had a chance before. This paves the way for not only the mainstream types of anime, but also the abstract and artistic ones along the lines of FLCL.

Since when is opening doors for every Miyazaki-wannabe a good thing? Oh sure, the occasional gem like FLCL will surface, but for every great anime there will be a dozen Tekkens ready to satisfy humanity's primal desire for sex and mindless violence in order to cash in on some Yen. It is this very trend that I had previously touched upon in my aforementioned lecture that will spell the doom for anime as art. This doesn't mean that my love for anime will wane. On the contrary, my appreciation for classic works... anime that were born from the blood, sweat and tears of those who weren't trying to turn a global profit but instead wanted simply to entertain... will only be magnified.

Who is to say that anime as an art will die and not evolve? Again, I will contend that it's happening already. Not only are new anime creators getting a chance in their own country, but anime is now so far-reaching that it is already being hailed as an influence in American filmmaking: both live-action films and animation. The Animatrix, for example, brings to American film the creative ideas from the directors of Cowboy Bebop and Ninja Scroll while giving new directors the chance to share their vision for the first time anywhere. Without recent popularity of anime, would these directors have had another chance to produce their art for a whole new audience?

Ultimately, as of this writing, it is hard to predict if a project like The Animatrix will be a complete success, or if others like it will follow. But it foreshadows the shortening gap between American and Japanese filmmakers. This cannot happen if anime is not continuously created and exposed to old and new audiences alike. As the two cultures continue to influence each other, anime as an art will evolve... into what, only time may tell.

I'm sorry, did you say "evolve"? De-evolve is more like it. Some may construe my comments as elitist, but my intent is to keep anime in its purest form possible. I am a traditionalist to a fault; there are aspects of anime that we as otaku must hold sacred. I realize that nothing can remain stagnant and hope to survive in a world where tastes change daily, but I feel strongly that where anime is currently headed is not the right path.

Think about it for a second. What was it that lured thousands of non-Japanese decades ago to anime in the first place? My dear, it was its style; anime had its own style (from art to music to story-telling methods to choreography) that was distinctly and unerringly Japanese. The fact that it's not like anything we've seen or experienced before gave it an exotic appeal; as otaku we grew to love these distinctive characteristics for what they were, and that is as astonishingly beautiful art. Anime today is becoming too sterile, too devoid of character. It's losing its identity! Those new to the scene will not understand, but for those old folks like us who have been around the anime block a few times, we've witnessed the degradation of anime's identity... and we don't like it one bit.

Anime developed into its current artistic state by becoming an outlet for the repressed personalities and ideas that were once subdued by the unspoken cultural rule in Japan that everyone should look and act the same. While American anime otaku appreciate style, we also recognize and embrace the individuality that we see coming through anime as an art form. This new surge of anime comes not from repression but from the flood of ideas by creators who now have the freedom to express themselves. As long as anime producers have that freedom, anime will create for itself a new identity... and still remain pure and retain its creative integrity.

Is anime evolving or de-evolving? What effects will this "Japanese invasion" have on anime? As you can see, these are questions that cannot easily be answered. As much as Kain and I disagree on the future of anime, it is clear that we at least agree that anime will change in some way as a result of its surging popularity. Whether this change results in a whole new art form or into meaningless for-profit drivel remains to be seen.