The Importance of Old Anime

The internet is one of the best creations of our time, and perhaps of all time. For multiple reasons alone, life without internet nowadays seems unimaginable considering businesses like Netflix, Amazon, Spotify, Crunchyroll, and FUNimation are just some of the thousands of online-based companies that we all use weekly. The anime industry is also no exception to benefiting from this creation, mainly due to the realization that if more people can watch it, the more money they’ll potentially make. While this statement is nothing new within the entertainment business, it becomes even more interesting as time continues to pass, especially with older shows.

Older anime series continues to be quite an exciting topic to think about because no matter how vastly popular a series is at the time of their premiere, the sun always has to set. Shows like My Hero Academia, Pokémon, and the plethora of other series that one could love, unfortunately, end at some point. Nowadays, those shows are viewing by thousands of people throughout the world, but like most things, it will force them to fade away, and something new will take its place. This cycle is a never-ending, and while some may say it’s a great time for anime – which it is at points – we tend to shed away from older anime. Why?

Everyone knows the two highest-grossing anime films of all time, Your Name and Spirited Away, but almost nobody remembers the first feature-length film, Momotaro: Sacred Sailors. While I understand that everyone has different preferences and thoughts on older anime, and no one can love everything. But that’s not what this post is about; this post is on not forgetting where anime was to where it is now and not forgetting the journey it had. Another example of this would be imagining the anime industry without Studio Ghibli; many people consider them to be right up there with Disney when it comes to childhood memories. Imagine a world without Kiki’s Delivery Service, Totoro, or even Castle in the Sky due to only time passing, and a newer studio takes its place within people’s hearts.

Time is a blessing and a curse, especially for the internet. While we’re able to buy almost anything online, some forms of entertainment, and especially anime, are lost forever. The most famous example regarding lost media within anime is the first sounded anime film, Chikara to Onna no Yo no Naka (Within the World of Power and Women) which was released in 1933. Imagine being able to watch the first sounded anime fully restored and seeing the astonishment at how it all started to where we are now. The American equivalent of this would be the loss of Steamboat Willie or even Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and never again being able to see what made people start to fall in love with Disney.

While some may not be interested at the beginning of anime history, hopefully, one day, we can cherish everything we have and everything that came before it at the same time. The ability to rewatch anime that is decades old, and was created before anime even came to America is remarkable. The power the internet brings us is something we need to keep in mind with all these old series and movies, even ones we’ve never heard of before. Because in fifty years, who knows if people throughout the world will know who Goku, Gon, or whomever. The internet brings us countless anime from across the globe within every three months, and it easily replaces just as many.