The anime industry has some of the poorest conditions on the planet.
Whether we’re talking about:
- Salaries (if you’re an employee). This is more true in Japan.
- How animators are paid and treated.
- The difficulty of breaking into the industry.
- Profitability in terms of starting and running a business.
- Succeeding to a high enough level that it makes financial sense.
- The complications with licensing and piracy.
It’s one of the first industries you’d be considered insane to enter. Or even attempt to get into it.
In fact – prominent anime veterans have implied this as It’s tough, brutal, ruthless and hard.
Source: Should I Get Into The Anime Industry?
So why did I decide to get into the anime industry, knowing all that?
I’m a rebel, let’s start off by saying that. I have an insane determination to build assets with the things I’m committed to.
So the “struggle” and the work required aren’t an issue for me.
With that said, there are some main reasons why I decided to get into the anime industry.
1. It all started with a problem.
Personally, I love anime quotes and taking inspiration from all kinds of different shows and movies.
But guess what?
There are almost NO websites dedicated to it as I found out when I did a Google search in 2015.
The sites that had some relevance look ancient, have been abandoned, and aren’t convenient to use.
And so… I put the two ideas together: Anime + Motivation. That’s how it started off. And that’s the main focus of the site.
Fast forward to today, and anime motivation has countless fans coming here every day for this type of content (millions).
2. I’ve always loved anime, for well over 10+ years.
Secretly (despite points #1 and #2) I’ve always wanted to get into the anime industry. You could say it’s a part of my “bucket” list.
Plus I enjoy Japanese culture.
I’m not one to wait around for someone to give me permission, and so that’s what drove me to get involved.
It wasn’t until 2014 – 2015 that I started getting into anime again. I hadn’t watched it for years beforehand.
BLEACH is the anime that set it off for me, and I’ve watched 100’s ever since.
3. I feel I can make an impact
I’m ambitious and unconventional by nature.
The anime industry in a lot of ways is ancient, conventional and traditional. It still focuses on selling and marketing CDs which is stupid in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 & beyond.
CDs have been declining for years (they lose money relentlessly). And a lot of the industry is stuck in the past (that’s not to say everybody is, obviously).
At my core, I’m driven to build, create, and make a difference. Legacy matters to me.
That’s what I want to do in the anime industry. I want to “give back” to the thing I love. And shake things up while I’m at it.
This is only the beginning. I’m optimistic about what the next 5-10+ years will bring. And how I’ll go about making an impact.
4. Everybody’s doing the same shit
One thing I’m proud of doing is building an anime website that ultimately:
- Stands out.
- Is different by design.
- Has unique views, opinions, and angles.
- Does things differently.
- And refuses to be a copy n paste.
The last point is where I’m going with this. Many anime websites are doing the same shit as everyone else.
They’re either trying to publish news like everyone, do reviews like everyone, and basically mimic each other unconsciously or consciously (Anime Motivation has its copycats).
When I see this before diving into an industry, sector, etc, it makes me wanna fill the gaps and add something new, fresh, and useful that wasn’t there before.
That was also part of my drive for starting Anime Motivation, which the name in itself is different and I make sure the content follows that.
Related: This Is Why You Love Anime So Much
5. I’m doing the things I want to
And there’s nothing better than doing the things you wanna do and finding ways to get PAID from doing it in a way that’s not unethical, immoral, downright shady, or otherwise.
I love anime, so why not get paid AND contribute something useful and helpful while I’m at it?
The way I see it, if you wanna do something and you love that thing you want to do, then nothing should hold you back from making it happen.
Anime is that thing for me, or at least one of many things.
6. To lead by example
It’s that simple. Inspiration is part of the equation. Leading by example means you end up inspiring, motivating, and pushing others just like you to do bigger and better things in life.
Or to simply take inspiration from what you do, and spread that for the betterment.
There aren’t many black creators in the space in the first place, just like many industries where black people are underrepresented. And this element is also why I wanted to lead by example other than in general terms.
And now Anime Motivation is the biggest black-owned anime website by traffic in the world. And the first biggest UK anime website since 2016.
So there you have it
Those are my main reasons for getting into the anime industry.
It’s something I’ve loved for a long time.
As the saying goes:
“If you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, its yours forever. If it doesn’t, then it was never meant to be.” – Unknown
That’s my anime journey in a nutshell and how it began.
Expect another post like this sometime in the future.
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