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In a recent discussion Indian podcaster duo, Ani-Lyst, I and my fellow co-founder Dewang had the opportunity to delve into the mindset of the anime fans in India and how piracy is thriving off this mentality. Scroll down to the end to check the full video!
Some myths were busted, sure, but we also tried to highlight how a certain openness is needed if piracy really needs to be culled in the country.
The discourse was initiated by Sahil from Ani-Lyst, and we had a decent chunk of info to give out regarding it.
There is a general belief among everyone that people in the country, and not just anime fans in particular, look for cheaper and free options if it suits their needs. And makes them gravitate towards illegal platforms that provide anime and manga for free.
No second thoughts are put into how this piracy might affect the larger scheme of events. Instant gratification seems to be the mantra when it comes to fans in general in the country. This is not limited to consuming anime and manga content, but also extends to the merchandise associated with them.
Instead of purchasing from official sources, a lot of fans would buy the said merchandise, be it anime figurines or dresses from sellers who are not legally authorized to do so, or lack copyright on the said content.
While all of this was attributed to a lack of official platforms and sources in the country earlier, even now, the trend still continues.
However, there is another aspect here that people tend to miss out. While the lookout for free and cheaper options is rampant in the fanbase, there is also the question of this audience’s purchasing capacity.
A major chunk of the population that consumes anime and manga are between the age group of 13-20. And unlike countries like Japan, the concept of part-time jobs, which would let the people in this age group earn and be independent to a certain extent, are not popular.
The people in this age-group are mostly students, and they, by large, tend to be dependent on their parents or guardians for money. And hence comes the uphill task of convincing your providers that a manga volume, or a monthly subscription to a legal anime streaming platform like Crunchyroll will add value to their lives.
The differing cultural outlooks, and mature content in popular animanga series don’t help either.
What guardians fail to realize is that, the love and passion for this content should not, and will not be limited to just being a hobby for some. Some can even build a career out of it. Because by restricting their options of accessing it legally, they themselves are complicit in encouraging piracy.
Love for a series won’t die out, instead, fans would look for illegal options to consume it free of cost!
This thought process needs to gain more traction here.
Though fans are ready and enthusiastic about legal sources to consume anime and manga, they simply are not able to afford it. We could ask them to spend their pocket money wisely, however, that won’t solve the issue at hand entirely!
To add to it, there is also the problem of awareness. Trust me, not every anime fan in the country might be aware that Crunchyroll slashed their subscription prices for India, or that they have a decent enough library for fans here.
But then, it’s not an entirely bleak scenario. Changes are afoot, and judging by the atmosphere at the recent Comic Con in Mumbai, anime and manga culture is on the rise. This would prompt people to look at it in a different light.
Sure, its surprising that a country which is home to a large number of anime fans, saw it as a stigma not very long ago. It is only recently that the culture came out of the closet, a thought that is agreed upon by people who have worked closely with the fans and fan clubs in the country!
In the end, its not just a matter of opting for cheaper goods, a certain openness needs to be there when it comes to consuming content from Japan. Cultures differ, content differs, and that is a part and parcel of it. The reason why it is so famous here is because it captures the audiences! And that is something that should be respected on all sides.
We were able to focus on a broad spectrum of topics related to anime and manga industry in India in this podcast, you can check it out below and let us know your thoughts below!
P.S. I am the meme face on the right! Also, scroll down to know more about Ani-Lyst!
The Ani-lyst Podcast is a YouTube channel dedicated to exploring and analyzing various aspects of anime, manga, and Japanese pop culture. The podcast is hosted by two brothers – Sahilaryan and Aryansahil Innamdar, who are passionate anime fans.
What drives us is our passion for Anime. From escapism to picking us up when we’re feeling down to face the real world, anime has always been that one constant in our lives. We wanted to share this passion with the world and thus the birth of The Ani-Lyst Podcast.
Comment from Ani-Lyst hosts!
The Ani-lyst Podcast is currently Youtube’s Number 1 Ranked ‘Indian Anime Podcast’ with over 100,000 channel views. We aim to be the premium anime podcast that weebs can always expect topnotch quality from!!
The podcast covers a range of topics, including reviews of popular anime series and movies, discussions on the latest trends in the anime industry. They had previously interviewed AnimeTm Talks, Nagpur Anime Club and Mayo Japan.
Their team currently consists of 5 members.
