2004 Year in Review

Anime on TV

At the end of each year, it seems necessary to pause and reflect on the huge strides that anime has made on television. Considering the continual growth over these past several years, it's almost a custom now to draw attention to the new landmarks that were made. Like all the previous years, 2004 was no exception. From broadcast television to video on demand, anime has been making its strong presence known in every cable box across America.

when the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. With this menu of delectable anime series, could the anime broadcasting scene get any better?

Yes. Of course.

The invasion of anime onto American stations had no intention of limiting its growth to one channel. There were plenty of other networks that stocked themselves with new shows, though they didn't have quite the wide demographic appeal of the Cartoon Network. The Tokyo Mew Mew. However, the reaction wasn't all favorable, as fans balked at name changes and potential edits. What transpires won't be known until later this year, when it finally airs.

Then there's Gungrave. And why not? A few years ago, anime was finally beginning to be seen as acceptable and interesting. Now it was seen as profitable. Anime was popping up everywhere as everyone stepped in to grab a hold of the new market trend. And yet, anime on TV was to get one more huge boost in 2004.

At the end of June, what North American anime fans had been fantasizing about for years finally came true—a 24/7 anime channel on cable TV. After being on Evangelion... The full list could easily fill up a whole sheet. From action to mecha, from comedy to drama, The Anime Network was like a dream for some fans. The only question is, will it be the only one of its ilk forever? Not likely.

Other companies made comments about starting their own Anime Network too. Figure 17, and others.

Now that the anime cash cow has gotten fat, other companies are investing in it too. “Anime-inspired” cartoons are being thrown onto television screens, featuring big eyes and colorful hair. Shows like Totally Spies and Code LYOKO on the Cartoon Network, or MTV's Kappa Mikey are seizing the popularity of anime. After all, if that's what hot right now, why not in the buzz?

Like the past few years, 2004 has been nothing but growth, growth, growth in of the North American anime industry. Reaching more viewers than ever before, the industry has found a comfortable balance between keeping current fans happy, all while ensnaring in more potential anime fans every day. What will happen in 2005 is still a mystery, but with the way things have been going so far, it will be surprising if it's anything short of amazing.