{"id":68779,"date":"2026-06-25T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=68779"},"modified":"2026-06-25T17:04:46","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T08:04:46","slug":"code-geass-director-goro-taniguchi-says-japans-increasingly-sanitized-society-is-changing-anime-and-even-pushing-creative-talent-out-of-the-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/code-geass-director-goro-taniguchi-says-japans-increasingly-sanitized-society-is-changing-anime-and-even-pushing-creative-talent-out-of-the-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"Code Geass director Goro Taniguchi says Japan\u2019s increasingly \u201csanitized\u201d society\u00a0is\u00a0changing\u00a0anime\u00a0and even pushing\u00a0creative talent out of the industry\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Japanese anime director Goro Taniguchi \u2013 known for directing the Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion series, Planetes, One Piece Film: Red, and Paris ni Saku \u00c9toile \u2013 recently shared his thoughts on the evolution of anime and where he believes the medium is headed over the next decade. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking at a university lecture reported by Bunshun Online<\/a>, Taniguchi traced anime\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Taniguchi, anime first became a true \u201cindustry\u201d during the era of A<\/em>stro 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking back on the rise of the internet and anonymous online communities such as 2channel (the Japanese equivalent of 4chan), Taniguchi noted that \u201cunprecedented levels of malice\u201d 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Note that this term does not carry any racial implications, but rather refers to a highly transparent and \u201csanitized\u201d 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I see this\u00a0\u2018white society’ as a\u00a0phenomenon\u00a0where all Japanese people are, in a\u00a0way, becoming more like Kyoto residents,” Taniguchi explained, referencing a\u00a0well-known\u00a0Japanese\u00a0stereotype about Kyoto\u00a0people being extremely roundabout in communicating\u00a0negative sentiments, prioritizing\u00a0decorum.\u00a0“Let’s\u00a0not do\u00a0anything\u00a0unusual,\u00a0let\u2019s\u00a0read the\u00a0room, avoid open\u00a0confrontation, and show respect to the people sharing the same space.\u201d Interestingly, the director points out that\u00a0many protagonists in recent ‘narou-kei<\/a>‘\u00a0(isekai-style)\u00a0stories fit this pattern. Coincidentally big publishers like Kadokawa have acknowledged they’ve been relying too much on this genre<\/a> as of late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taniguchi believes this \u201csanitization\u201d 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\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taniguchi characterizes the current period of anime evolution as an era of \u201cprioritizing profits at the expense of creative vision.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking ahead, he described the eighth stage of the medium\u2019s 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<\/sup> and 20th<\/sup> centuries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related: <\/strong>\u201cIf only adaptations remain, Japanese anime will be done for,\u201d says Code Geass series director Goro Taniguchi<\/strong><\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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