Akihabara district of Tokyo is the center of otaku subculture in Japan.
Anime has become commercially profitable in Western countries, as demonstrated by early commercially successful Western adaptations of anime, such as Astro Boy. Since the 19th century, many Westerners have expressed a particular interest towards Japan and anime has dramatically exposed more Westerners to the culture of Japan.
Fan response
Anime clubs gave rise to anime conventions in the 1990s with the "anime boom," a period marked by increased popularity of anime. These conventions are dedicated to anime and manga and include elements like cosplay contests and industry talk panels. Cosplay, a portmanteau for "costume play", is not unique to anime and has become popular in contests and masquerades at anime conventions. Japanese culture and words have entered English usage through the popularity of the medium, including otaku, a derogatory Japanese term commonly used in English to denote a fan of anime and manga.
Anime enthusiasts have produced fan fiction and fan art, including computer wallpaper and anime music videos.
"Anime style"
As a popular movement and unique art style, anime styling has been the subject of both satire and serious creative productions. South Park's " Chinpokomon" and "Good Times with Weapons" episodes, Adult Swim's Perfect Hair Forever, and Nickelodeon's Kappa Mikey are examples of satirical depictions of Japanese culture and anime. Some works have sparked debate for blurring the lines between satire and serious "anime style" productions, such as the American anime style production Avatar: The Last Airbender. These anime styled works have become defined as anime-influenced animation, in an attempt to classify all anime styled works of non-Japanese origin.
Some creators of these works cite anime as a source of inspiration and like the French production team for Ōban Star-Racers moved to Tokyo to collaborate with a Japanese production team.
When anime is defined as a "style" rather than as a national product it leaves open the possibility of anime being produced in other countries. A series dubbed as the "Middle East's First Anime Show" is currently in production. The web-based series RWBY is produced using an anime art style and has been declared to be anime.
Defining anime as style has been contentious amongst fans, with John Oppliger stating, "The insistence on referring to original American art as Japanese "anime" or "manga" robs the work of its cultural identity."
