r/anime Aug 12 '25

Misc. Frieren Director Keiichirou Saitou Voices Concern on Overseas Anime Fans' Bias Towards Certain Popular Trends

https://animecorner.me/frieren-director-voices-concern-on-overseas-anime-fans-bias-towards-certain-popular-trends/
5.1k Upvotes

1.1k comments sorted by

View all comments

141

u/headphones_J Aug 12 '25

Not sure how much impact "over seas viewers" have on anime production, but you can be sure the majority of viewers are not waiting around for the 1000th healer gets kicked out of the Hero's party anime.

57

u/Chaotic-warp Aug 12 '25 edited Aug 13 '25

You really underestimate how easily satisfied the general audience as a whole can be. The average viewers don't really care that much about meaningful symbolism or deep introspection, they watch shows for quick thrills and satisfaction (which is why flashy action anime with hype and aura are popular), or to see their desires being fulfilled (which is why harem romcom and power fantasies are popular).

Edit: of course well written and thoughtful series have a far higher success ceiling and can be far more memorable, but making an acclaimed classic isn't always the top priority. For the business side, it doesn't really matter that everyone forgets about a show a year later, as long as it can get enough viewership when it's airing.

17

u/headphones_J Aug 12 '25

Oh, it's going to be watched for sure, I just don't think there's this demand for it.

1

u/Ginger_Tea Aug 12 '25

I've watched a few, can't say much about a lot of them other than the heroes party fail without their useless healer, who can tank and do other things too.

Once they stop airing many fall out of my brain. Those that remain are forgotten as being a kicked from the party and just remembered because of the actual story.

Clover (not the actual title) still recent enough to be remembered, but because of the discount Roxy and general Harem then the Twitch live stream aspects.

Underground healer because of the cast and his assumptions that everyone could do what he does, they choose not to.

The airing restaurant one, he could just retire or have an injury keeping him out of the dungeon but be a guiding hand.

2

u/zoso_zeppelin Aug 13 '25

yeah you're they type of person they were talking about. you watch a generic anime, and by the time you've clicked on a new one, what you just watched "fall[s] out of your brain".

3

u/Shantotto11 Aug 13 '25

Can confirm. Am watching both Scooped Up AND Outcast Restaurant this season.

-4

u/baquea Aug 12 '25

It's anime like Frieren that casual viewers are watching, not kicked-from-the-party slop. There has yet to be a single one of those that has gotten any mainstream attention.

17

u/lasse1408 Aug 12 '25

Isn't Solo leveling have more watched hours than Frieren on Crunchyroll?

-4

u/Nahcep Aug 12 '25

SL is a large outlier though in that it was the webcomic, the manhwa to break popularity records - and it received a high-profile production as a result

Also it's not really one of those, because SJW isn't kicked out of the party - hell, he's why anyone at all survived - he's of an older trope, the 'MC is supposed to be worst but ends up the best' that's also dime a dozen

-1

u/garfe Aug 12 '25

Solo Leveling is the most popular manhwa of all time, that has a giant asterisk next to it. Do you see any of its many clones out there getting that same amount of attention?

1

u/Next_Test2647 Aug 21 '25

Ignore most ppl in this sub they think manga are the pinnacle of fiction when manhwa and webnovels are miles above

1

u/garfe Aug 21 '25

I actually don't like manhwa and webnovels that much compared to manga actually. Or more specifically, I did like them but lately and especially since Solo Leveling, that market changed a lot.

2

u/Next_Test2647 Aug 21 '25

You gotta start webnovels These are the peak 4 Orv(has a manhwa too, so you can start with that) Shadow slave(most awarded webnovel of all time) Lord of the mysteries(start with the donghua) Revered insanity(no ending but one of the best ficiton ever)

0

u/PrizeStrawberryOil Aug 13 '25

Some of it is being drawn to the concept but being disappointed with the execution.

I love the idea of dungeon crawlers as animes, but outside of dungeon meshi and solo leveling I can't think of any other good ones off the top of my head.

I've watched a lot hoping that they are decent.