In the depths of Japan’s online forums and social media, an intense debate has emerged about The crucial role that elements that attract women play in the success of an anime series. According to several users, The absence of these elements could condemn a series to failure or even complete unpopularity..
The debate has been fueled by the growing diversification of the anime-consuming public, which includes a significant proportion of women. According to a survey conducted in Japan in December 2022, 62 percent of male high school students watch anime at least once a week or more, compared to 48 percent of female students.
Netizens point out that while anime has traditionally been considered a medium aimed primarily at young men, this perception is rapidly changing. They cite recent examples of series that have achieved great success thanks to their ability to appeal to both men and women, through emotional plots, complex interpersonal relationships and well-developed characters that go beyond gender stereotypes.
The consensus among many participants in these debates is that the inclusion of elements that appeal to women not only broadens the scope of a series, but also enriches its overall quality.. They argue that stories that address universal and emotional themes are more likely to resonate with a broader audience and maintain long-term interest.
However, not everyone agrees with this perspective. Some argue that forcing the inclusion of female elements can dilute the identity and direction of a seriesand that attempts to appeal to a broader audience may result in a loss of the authenticity and originality that often characterizes anime.
But let’s better see what the Japanese had to say about it:
- «In the last five years, all I can say is that Lycoris Recoil and Bocchi the Rock! They are the only series aimed at men that were successful».
- «I think there are more series aimed at women that only fail. The industry has to please men and women equally nowadays, I agree with that».
- «The days when the success of an anime depended on showing boobs and panties are over».
- «Isn’t it embarrassing that Lycoris Recoil is considered a men’s anime? It really makes me laugh».
- «I think women have been an important part of the success of Jujutsu Kaisen. After all, beautiful men are always trending online.».
- «In other words, when women find something interesting, they don’t stop talking about it on social media. On the other hand, men tend to be more reserved and do not talk about what they like, which condemns the popularity of something».
- «I can’t help but agree, it’s women who buy most of the crap that anime puts out. Keychains, pendants and stuff. The same men caused the industry to stop focusing only on them, because they do not invest».
- «Men spend more money on video games than anime merchandise, but it’s the latter that makes money for the industry».
- «Sousou no Frieren, SPY x FAMILY and Kusuriya no Hitorigoto are what they are now because they knew how to appeal to both men and women».
- «We already saw it with those hard-ecchi animes that never get a second season, the exclusively male market is about to disappear».
- «Incredible that Bocchi the Rock! be considered an anime for men, what have we fallen to?».
- «Why do people think “anime for men” means “tits and asses”? That is precisely why Bocchi the Rock! and Lycoris Recoil were successful among men, because they were pretty girls doing things that men like, not walking around naked in every scene».
- «Now many women watch anime, nowadays you can break the ice by talking about a popular anime series, because it is certain that the girl watched it too».
- «The fact that Oshi no Ko is also considered a series for women shows that making anime for a specific sex is no longer a good idea nowadays.».
- «First of all, making an anime series aimed at only one sex dooms you to failure. If the story is not interesting and the only thing it has to offer is sex, I assure you that there is another genre of the industry specialized in that. Jujutsu Kaisen is popular precisely because it appeals to both markets».
- «Many of those who say the statement is wrong do not even have contact with women. They are so closed off with their world that their sense of reality is atrophied.».
- «In fact, men now also watch series that, by their definition, are aimed at women. In the past it was something you were ashamed to admit, but today no one cares».
- «The perfect combination would be a harem story with an attractive protagonist, but that has never worked well. It seems that men want the protagonist to be ugly so that they can identify with him».
Fountain: Yaraon!
