Anime is going through a lean time right now. The golden age is, some would say, clearly in our rearview mirror. The major flagships, like Naruto, Bleach, Pokemon and Dragon Ball are aging. They are still popular, but they are, let's face it, getting old. Acclaimed anime director Hideaki Anno, famous for the seminal Neon Genesis Evangelion, has seen all this unfold and is concerned as well.
Anno talked about the issues the genre is facing. Quite blunt about his concerns, Anno says that "anime is losing its spark" and is on its death bed. He feels, however, something else will rise up in its place. Anno's fears stem from the amount of time and money and manpower it takes to produce anime.
However, Anno goes on to point out that, while its base is in Asia, anime "is headed towards a good place and he is confident it will continue to prosper throughout the world. Its health in Japan though is a major worry to Anno and feels its demise in his home country is."
However, he goes on to point out that anime, while having its base in Asia, is "headed towards a good place." Anno is confident that anime will continue elsewhere in the world, but still fears its imminent demise within Japan over the coming years.
The creator of such classics as Gunbuster, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Anno is currently working on the continuation of Neon Genesis with the film series Rebuild of Evangelion, the fourth and final film of the series. Anno also is busily at work on the upcoming Japanese Godzilla film, which he original declined to do when offered a job in 2012.
Anime is in need of strong ideas. The characters we once loved, like Yugi, Ash, Pikachu and Naruto, are in our rearview mirrors. Anime is not dead. Fans just need something to get excited about.
