Optimism In The Animation Fandom

[MorgueOccupant]

From all the drama and controversies, IP-driven content becoming dominant once more, shows getting cancelled or cut short like it's an 80's slasher movie, companies turning into internal warzones and wrongheaded -- if not outright offensive -- statements, and anything else I might've left out to keep this from immediately becoming too depressing... well, we're certainly in a much different place than in the early 2010's, huh?

But I didn't make this thread for us to dwell on all that. Yes, it's easy to feel tired and defeated after everything that's happened; I'd be a bold-faced liar if I said these past few months haven't left me exactly like that. However, while thinking long and hard yesterday, I was suddenly reminded of a video relating to the Sonic franchise (this'll tie into my overall point, just bear with me) that took a look at where the series was currently standing at that point in time, with a question at the very beginning that really struck a chord with me: "What does it mean to be a happy fan of something?"

With that in mind, I feel as if now would be a better time than ever to ask a similar query to be made: in an era where it feels as if everything's falling apart at the seams, what does it mean to be an optimistic animation fan?

For me... well, to say that's a tough nut to crack would be an understatement. When it comes to animation, I would say that optimism can be defined in three specific ways:

• In some instances, you may watch a show or a movie that isn't like anything you've seen before it, sparking a sense of hope that somehow, someday, more stuff like it can get made, spreading the word of it any way you can in the meanwhile.
• In others, you might show your support to the creators/directors and their crews, thanking them for creating something that means something to you.
• The boldest, though at this point in time riskiest route, is simply going your own way and making what you want to see when it seems like no network is willing to do so. Indie animation has been facing its own set of challenges lately, though not to an extent where it's not impossible or unfeasible if you've got the time and dedication. Frankly, any reward is more than worth the risk if you ask me. And even if it doesn't work out, it's better to try and make a change and fail than to not attempt to make a change at all. Because at least in that case, there's the strong likelihood you'll end up inspiring someone to try and make that change themselves.

So, yeah. While things may be on a bad path (we haven't even formally entered that recession people keep talking about, and lord knows what may await us when we get to that), it's important to remember that even in the darkest of times, there's at least a little light to be found. And who knows, sooner or later perhaps that light may turn into something bigger.