One of the many misconceptions people trying to ignorantly prove a point will make about this little genre of art is that it's either "those kids shows from Japan" or that "it's those weird shows with fan-service." And hey, guess what? Both are, in their own way, correct!
Much like any medium, anime will tailor to a wide variety of people. Take American cartoons, for example. While a show like Ben 10 or Teen Titans are targeted more toward kids, shows like Batman: The Animated Series and the "Avatar" shows can be viewed by both adults and children.
I think one of the main reasons this is so is because of where the anime series landed. I mean, the big ones that many people have heard of got their American roots on networks like the WB/ CW or on Cartoon Network's Saturday evening Toonami run. Nowadays, anime is shown almost exclusively in the U.S. on Toonami's late night Saturday evening run or through various websites. streaming services. It doesn't have the exposure it used to, so less people are getting to see it and seeing that there is more to it than just one genre.
As someone who has grown up watching anime, and will probably continue to do so, I think I stand fairly on both sides of the argument, and can say that anime isn't created for kids or adults; rather, it's created for us, the fans. What do we want to watch, what's someone going to watch? Some shows blur the line on which demographic its targeting, while with others it couldn't be clearer.
Toonami is the perfect example, as in its later days it was showing Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh! GX just before jumping into Naruto. If you know anything about those shows, you'll know that there's a drastic difference between them. But is Naruto really only for the adults to watch, or can a ten-year old watch it as well? There was discretion as to what Toonami showed (it never aired anything outwardly adult until recently) and for that many people tuned in to see what they may or may not enjoy.
Anime in general is most certainly not age specific. That's like saying cartoons are just for kids. No way, that's just not how things work. Can only jocks watch football? Can only geeks watch science fiction films? No. Stereotyping things is dumb. Just as it is here.
Really it all comes down to maturity level. Some children just may not be able to handle the violence in Dragon Ball Z and may want to stick with something like Yu-Gi-Oh! where the plot and characters are a bit simpler and the dialogue is kid-friendly. But whose to say some kid may not enjoy watching One Piece? Growing up, I would watch all but one of the Big 3, and that was because Bleach was on later at night. Now? Well I don't watch it, I read it, and it's really enjoyable to read. Naruto and One Piece are still enjoyable to watch.
A show like Fairy Tail is on that is similar. The violence isn't intense as it is in the Big 3, it's more the fan-service that may turn some parents away. Heck, Fairy Tail rarely, if ever, uses blood in the show. It is kid-friendly at times, but is exciting and humorous enough for some adults to enjoy.
I think Toonami, in terms of quality, has benefited in moving away from its normal airing time. Instead of reruns of Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh! we've gotten such great shows as Hellsing Ultimate and Black Lagoon. For kids?
Nooooo way, not a chance. Bad shows? Heck no.
It's these types of shows, where the violence is raw and intense and things are just crazy, that may make some people think anime is a cesspool of destruction and good artwork (I didn't even think about Deadman Wonderland, yikes...).
But then you have to take into consideration the series that are powerful with little to no violence in them. Death Note is a great example. Shows that intrigue the viewer simply by the situation at hand are what allow certain series to excel. Even the original Hellsing had its own little militant strategy moments that required the viewer's attention. It was really a character study of Seras and her climb to becoming a powerful vampire, as it was the chase for the ones responsible for the new slew of artificial vampires.
Anime is meant to appeal to all audiences, and has such a wide variety that it's almost impossible not to find a series that will interest someone. Like fun, simple action series? Fairy Tail. Want a series about mercenaries set in a world very similar to ours? Black Lagoon. Epic mech battles? Gurren Laggan. Political intrigue? Spice and Wolf.
There are definitely shows for kids and definitely shows for just adults. But where the line is drawn is where the viewer's maturity lies, and it's fine for them to stick to what they like before branching out and discovering new series that may have interested them but seemed a bit much. Age is a factor but not a deciding one. Kids see horror movies all the time just as they may accidentally stay up too late one night and watch Attack on Titan. Happens.
What matters is that stereotypical judgments of the genre come to a halt as does the hate within the anime community over what's for kids and what's for adults. Petty arguments like these are what determine the maturity level for certain folk and cause this little debate. Anime is anime and is meant to be viewed and enjoyed by general audiences, it's not at all exclusive to anyone anymore.
Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @seanovan13 to stay up to date on when I post. Thanks for reading!
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