Anime adaptations of shnen manga are among the most popular in the medium, so it’s no surprise that the biggest names in the demographic “genre” also have animated film releases. Many of these productions are for the most part non-canon, making the films largely avoided and unnecessary to watch. This trend has changed over the years – but it comes with its own problems.
Many of these films take a while to arrive overseas, and their authenticity makes them a must-see for anyone who wants to follow through with the story. Never mind the fact that anime can reread these stories anyway, making them unnecessary like old movies. Thus, despite their massive success now, canon anime movies present as much problems as they solve.
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Canon anime movies are a must-see, for better or worse
The change in being canon to anime movies began with releases such as: Dragon Ball Z Battle of Godswhich differed in a significant way from the previous dragon ball g Movies. They were largely non-canon from anime and manga, and thus were ways of telling strange stories that capitalized on the success of the franchise. with battle of gods And Resurrection ‘F’,, However, the stories in the movies became important to the anime. It was also seen with films in other franchises such as Jujutsu Kaisen 0 And Demon Slayer: Mugen Trainwho adapted the arc from their respective manga.
The problem with this is that, for anime being canon, fans have to watch the movies as well. It would be okay if said films’ international release dates coincide with their Japanese premieres. Instead, otaku outside Japan have to wait months for films to reach their countries, especially in the West. some of these, namely Dragon Ball Productions receive theatrical runs in the US, although again, these take place long after their Japanese debuts. They are less widespread than Hollywood releases, making them difficult to catch. For those who don’t have theatrical runs in the US, fans have to wait months to a year before turning to streaming platforms like Crunchyroll or Funimation.
It’s a folly to avoid spoiling the events of the movie, and it’s even more problematic if the new season of the anime streams in the West before the movie. Likewise, some of these anime directly retell the stories of the films in their next seasons, making the film seem redundant and questioning what the point of their canonity is. it was the same with the initial arc of dragon ball super Anime, which only repeated what the movies had already said.
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Theatrical Canon Anime Movies Bring Audiences Together
Plus, there’s a reason fans might really like these dramatic undertones. For one thing, although they are tied to the anime they adapt, movies like battle of gods And Mugen Train are somewhat standalone. Thus, newcomers can watch movies with friends and break them into the franchise without feeling left out, while still having fans who already have something to enjoy. It is best served in theatres, with streaming at home not offering the same experience.
There is also a financial incentive for these anime production companies, as these movies generate instant cash at the major box office that streaming or TV scenes simply won’t. This is even more so in terms of declining sales of physical media in Japan, especially when streaming has taken off. It certainly isn’t the norm for some fans overseas, but since these movies offer more franchise storylines than ever before, who can really complain?
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