With many incredibly popular anime being released right now, it certainly feels like it to some.
Summary:
Many newer fans are wondering if the 2020s are the golden age of anime.
While there are many important things happening to the anime fandom, there’s less anime than there were 5 years ago, and many series fall off the schedule.
In the end, we’ll only be able to correctly evaluate this era of anime in the far future.
If you have just got into anime recently, chances are you’re amazed by the number of new anime being released — and how popular they are getting. Between the incredibly popular shounen series from the past few years like Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man, and current seasonal hits like Frieren and The Apothecary Diaries (Kusuriya no Hitorigoto), it may feel like the recent few years are among the best ever, and that the 2020s are the new golden age of anime.
To others, it might feel like these are the exceptions, and most anime are too generic and by-the-book now. Who is right, and are the 2020s truly the new golden age for anime? Let’s look at the facts.
Stats and the state of production
If we go off the number of anime released alone, then the peak isn’t actually now. It’s 2016-2018, the few years before COVID. That makes sense: the pandemic hit the industry incredibly hard, and it is still recovering from it.
It also threw a wrench into the planning and production of many anime, causing many delays — the consequences of that can be felt even now (although when studios use the COVID excuse to halt production nowadays, it’s usually most likely because they simply can’t keep up with the original schedule). And outside of the top-notch productions, many anime now look worse than an average anime 10 years ago, once again, because of the ever-present production issues.
Historical moments
On the other hand, many moments in anime right now are going to be considered historical moments down the road. Attack on Titanending, One Piece remake being announced, and Demon Slayer bringing in millions of new fans worldwide, the end of 2010s and the start of 2020s will definitely be remembered forever.
These years are huge for anime, albeit perhaps not necessarily because they’re the new golden age for anime, but rather because they’re a precursor to the anime fandom changing completely.
So, are we in the golden age now?
In the end, it’s really hard to say whether the current era of anime can be considered the new golden age or not. With no strict definition of the term, it really depends on one’s interpretation of it. And perhaps the argument is pointless from its inception: when discussing history, we can’t really discuss how the current events will compare to future ones, for example.
It’s the same with anime, really: the harsh truth is that we’ll only figure out whether this was a golden age or not some time — perhaps a decade or two — later.
With many incredibly popular anime being released right now, it certainly feels like it to some.
Summary:
Many newer fans are wondering if the 2020s are the golden age of anime.
While there are many important things happening to the anime fandom, there’s less anime than there were 5 years ago, and many series fall off the schedule.
In the end, we’ll only be able to correctly evaluate this era of anime in the far future.
If you have just got into anime recently, chances are you’re amazed by the number of new anime being released — and how popular they are getting. Between the incredibly popular shounen series from the past few years like Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man, and current seasonal hits like Frieren and The Apothecary Diaries (Kusuriya no Hitorigoto), it may feel like the recent few years are among the best ever, and that the 2020s are the new golden age of anime.
To others, it might feel like these are the exceptions, and most anime are too generic and by-the-book now. Who is right, and are the 2020s truly the new golden age for anime? Let’s look at the facts.
Stats and the state of production
If we go off the number of anime released alone, then the peak isn’t actually now. It’s 2016-2018, the few years before COVID. That makes sense: the pandemic hit the industry incredibly hard, and it is still recovering from it.
It also threw a wrench into the planning and production of many anime, causing many delays — the consequences of that can be felt even now (although when studios use the COVID excuse to halt production nowadays, it’s usually most likely because they simply can’t keep up with the original schedule). And outside of the top-notch productions, many anime now look worse than an average anime 10 years ago, once again, because of the ever-present production issues.
Historical moments
On the other hand, many moments in anime right now are going to be considered historical moments down the road. Attack on Titanending, One Piece remake being announced, and Demon Slayer bringing in millions of new fans worldwide, the end of 2010s and the start of 2020s will definitely be remembered forever.
These years are huge for anime, albeit perhaps not necessarily because they’re the new golden age for anime, but rather because they’re a precursor to the anime fandom changing completely.
So, are we in the golden age now?
In the end, it’s really hard to say whether the current era of anime can be considered the new golden age or not. With no strict definition of the term, it really depends on one’s interpretation of it. And perhaps the argument is pointless from its inception: when discussing history, we can’t really discuss how the current events will compare to future ones, for example.
It’s the same with anime, really: the harsh truth is that we’ll only figure out whether this was a golden age or not some time — perhaps a decade or two — later.
