Actually decent video looking at the changes in mecha genre itself and how at least western fans think of and categorize the mecha genre.

I like that he actually shows a graph that more mecha series (not necessarily episodes or notable shows) were made in the 2000s.

There’s also this good article that talks about the phenomenon of people claiming mecha is dead, etc. Mostly analyzes that it’s from AniTuber and social media types who need to create fake problems so they can make videos and discourse on what they claim the solutions should be.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/olliebarder/2020/10/21/the-global-resurgence-of-the-mecha-genre-and-the-futile-battle-to-control-it/

The Democratization Of The ‘Mainstream’

There is a strange battle looming though and one that is becoming more apparent on social media.

Previously, when aspects of pop-culture were deemed “mainstream” this was down to the journalist and critic class determining what was acceptable for their audience. If they chose something they personally liked over what was representative of the real world, there wasn’t really anything the audience could say or do about it.

These days though, social media allows the audience to not only counter what is deemed acceptable but also to suggest their own alternatives. It goes without saying that some parts of the press aren’t best pleased with this setup, often claiming that fans are now somehow “entitled”, which ignores the blindingly obvious fact that the press is responsible to its readership and not the other way around.

While all of this may sound familiar, as the recent and altogether tedious culture war has shown that the above is now becoming more of an issue for the mecha genre. It’s recent global resurgence and growth has clearly caught the attention of those that would very much like to capitalize on its success, but they neither understand the cultural legacy at play here nor that it is a futile battle to begin with.

Creating A Fake Problem That Only You Can Fix

This is where we get to a strange meme that has been popping up intermittently over the past year or so, that somehow “mecha is dead”.

In the face of the various evidence available, this is a bizarre claim at the very least, but in the context of the actual increased popularity of mecha, begins to make more sense.

Specifically, many of these claims originate from quite specific sources, sources that work for a new agency that is trying to position itself as some new kind of creative consultancy.

So why not pick the most successful and lucrative genre out there, claim it’s dying and then get called in to fix the fake problem you brought up in the first place.

This is by no means a new approach to take and in a less social media-oriented era, it tended to work out pretty well. However, these days this kind of thing is met with obvious and understandably critical resistance online.

What makes this whole thing so odd though, is that it is also a very parochial strategy. A strategy that will have no impact in Japan, which is arguably the cultural origin and home of the mecha genre.

So if this is such a non-event and already a lost battle, why bring it up at all?