Anime fans are flocking to new shows and leaving the classics in the dust.

Are streaming services making it easier for us to forget about older anime that have been deemed ‘old news’?

Those who have been avid anime fans since childhood, no matter the age group, have noticed the dramatic increase in new shows coming out within the last 10 years. Before 2020, there was a common issue with bullying from people outside of the community just for indulging in Japanese animated content. Viewers typically watched it themselves and found communities in either the outside world or on internet forums such as Animo, Wattpad, Quotev, and A03. 

After 2020, the rise of streaming service usage and people being locked inside brought on new anime viewers, which blew up these fandom spaces. Something that was once treated as annoying or for weirdos was now being thrust out in the forefront of public attention and deemed cool.

Not by everyone for sure, but there is certainly a new wave of viewers starting off on current content and looking for more instead of turning back to the classics. This is not a one-size-fits-all issue with the entire new side of the anime-lover community, but it certainly seems like a majority no matter where you turn. 

Production Quality and Animation

After 2020, there came an influx of shows that regained popularity and were being pushed to the front such as “Jujutsu Kaisen”, “BNA: Brand New Animal”, “Haikyuu”, and several other fantastic choices. As these new shows come out, people cannot help but compare the newer quality of shows to the older ones like “Sailor Moon” or other early 2000’s options. 

Animation was being held to a higher standard as more people began to actually watch anime, and the studios were gradually making higher quality content. 

“The increase in quality is alluring with newer anime, but you can’t deny the classics,” said Toni Collins, a University of Tennessee at Martin student from Memphis, Tennessee. “It’s a lot easier to get a hold of newer manga as well instead of finding older stuff. It’s hard to find what you’re looking for anymore if you decide that you even want to find and own any of the classics.”

Social Media

Another major factor that contributed to the growth in newer anime is the major pushes on social media platforms. During the lockdown, no one had anything better to do other than be on social media. 

The studios, voice actors, and manga artists all represent their work so heavily on social media, and if you follow even one of them, you gain many updates of not only whatever anime you are currently following, but whatever other shows they are either producing or involved with. 

TikTok was a heavy player in boosting interest in anime from skit makers, headcanons people liked to share, clips from the anime or videos from previous panels and conventions. Cosplayers additionally rose up as a hobby during the lockdown and boosted engagement with both the anime community and conventions once they opened back up after quarantine. 

Social media is not often shown uplifting older anime unless something major is happening with them, such as an anniversary or something happening with beloved voice actors. Platforms are always pushing the new content to the surface and viewers are trying to keep up – it does not give them the time to check out older projects. 

Streaming and Accessibility

Streaming jumped up in power during the pandemic and now is a heavy hitter in the film industry. Services such as Crunchyroll jumped to major popularity and is now one of the most used anime streaming platforms after merging with Funimation, Wakanim, and VRV.

When you go onto their streaming site, the newer content is constantly being shoved down your throat. You have the option to go through and dig for the older content, but the chance of what you’re looking for being there still isn’t 100%. 

Pacing and the New Attention Span

It is no secret that attention spans are decreasing as of the year 2026. We have been told in person and in writing on numerous sources that with the newer development in phones and apps like TikTok, we are losing our ability to focus for longer periods of time. 

Newer shows have less long-winded pacing and are straight to the point. Just because they are not as drawn out as the classics does not make them inherently bad, just shorter. 

Storylines are made shorter and more direct, which some anime fans prefer. It brings us to our final point that pacing absolutely makes a difference in watching. If it does not feel like immediate gratification, or if it doesn’t keep you engaged, you are much less likely to watch it until the good part comes. 

Older shows like “Bleach” have much longer pacing. Fight scenes feel like they take five episodes before you get into the lore segments, which can make it feel like a waste of time. 

Streaming services and anime studios are keeping new fans hounded with new content and lengthening watch lists. It is no wonder that no one has time to watch the classics anymore, especially with all of this good, new content coming out one after the other. 

If you feel slammed and guilty for not being able to take the time to watch the classics, we all feel that way. Streaming services want you to pick the newer option so that they can make more space for only the new stuff. Keep the classics alive and watch them – the newer stuff will be there when you get back.