Japanese anime director Goro Taniguchi – known for directing the Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion series, Planetes, One Piece Film: Red, and Paris ni Saku Étoile – recently shared his thoughts on the evolution of anime and where he believes the medium is headed over the next decade.
Speaking at a university lecture reported by Bunshun Online, Taniguchi traced anime’s origins from the 1960s to the present day, breaking its history down into eight stages. Of note, he discussed how recent shifts in Japanese society have transformed anime in terms of creative expression and how its produced.
According to Taniguchi, anime first became a true “industry” during the era of Astro Boy in the 1960s. Since then, it has passed through several phases of evolution, eventually arriving at what he describes as the seventh (current) stage of anime history.
Looking back on the rise of the internet and anonymous online communities such as 2channel (the Japanese equivalent of 4chan), Taniguchi noted that “unprecedented levels of malice” started flowing into production environments during this stage, placing increasing pressure on creators. However, he argues that one of the industry’s greatest current challenges is the emergence of what sociologist Toshio Okada has called a “white society” in Japan.
Note that this term does not carry any racial implications, but rather refers to a highly transparent and “sanitized” society shaped by the proliferation of smartphones and social media. The theory proposes that, with Japanese society becoming more peaceful and interconnected, behaviors seen as aggressive, disruptive, or unconventional become increasingly discouraged, while (surface-level) social harmony and cleanliness are prioritized.
“I see this ‘white society’ as a phenomenon where all Japanese people are, in a way, becoming more like Kyoto residents,” Taniguchi explained, referencing a well-known Japanese stereotype about Kyoto people being extremely roundabout in communicating negative sentiments, prioritizing decorum. “Let’s not do anything unusual, let’s read the room, avoid open confrontation, and show respect to the people sharing the same space.” Interestingly, the director points out that many protagonists in recent ‘narou-kei‘ (isekai-style) stories fit this pattern. Coincidentally big publishers like Kadokawa have acknowledged they’ve been relying too much on this genre as of late.
Taniguchi believes this “sanitization” of Japanese society has affected not only anime’s themes and characters, but also the structure of production. The proliferation of one-cour anime series (12 to 13 episodes) helped mature the industry’s production committee system, but at the same time, it weakened the traditional model of apprentice animators learning from their masters, paralyzing the process of nurturing new talent. He also argued that the growing influence of original authors (i.e., the manga or light novel authors behind anime adaptations) and rights holders over anime has complicated the role of anime directors, making it increasingly difficult for productions to establish any clear creative direction.
According to Taniguchi, producers increasingly favor staff members who are easy to manage and who can reproduce source material at an acceptable level without introducing strong creative ideas of their own. As a result, the more ambitious creators gradually find themselves receiving less work, and eventually even leave the industry, he says.
Taniguchi characterizes the current period of anime evolution as an era of “prioritizing profits at the expense of creative vision.”
Looking ahead, he described the eighth stage of the medium’s evolution as the next decade of anime. While Japanese animation has now successfully spread across the globe, with overseas audiences and creators increasingly appreciating the classics of Japanese animation, Taniguchi believes that at the same time, this could cause Japan to lose its competitive edge. He compares it to the massive outflow of Japanese woodblock prints and other artwork to Europe during the mid-19th and 20th centuries.
He warns that if the domestic anime market continues to focus on short-term profits and rapidly consumable content aimed at casual fans, Japan could struggle to compete against the speed of production seen in China and South Korea.
Despite these concerns though, Taniguchi ended on an optimistic note, believing that anime’s future remains secure because of humanity’s inherent need for stories. “As long as people remain people, they will always need stories. Stories broaden our understanding of people and the world, they allow us to experience emotions and choices vicariously, find meaning in events, enjoy excitement and suspense, ease loneliness, connect with others, and pass on experiences and wisdom from the past. Anime is capable of covering all of these things.”
