Anime Movies and the Question of Canon
The vast majority of what exists in the anime world could be classified as standalone creations. In other words, you have tons of anime series and films that are completely isolated from everything else in the industry. They are not interrelated in any way. But now, we are starting to see glimpses of canon in anime films. This has led to some in the industry questioning whether anime needs canon-based movies.
Canon is a shortened form of the word ‘canonical’. Its original definition referred to religious dogma, law, and decree. The definition has since been expanded to include applications outside of religion.
In the TV and film world, canon is essentially material that is sanctioned or accepted as being part of an original work. In the Star Wars and Star Trek franchises, all new content has to be approved as canon in order to be considered a legitimate extension of the original story. Content not accepted as canon does not become an official part of the story.
Anime’s Arc Phenomenon
Just like sci-fi creators have a habit of creating story arcs from original stories, anime creators do the same thing. They create arcs for the purposes of extending storylines so that current series can run longer. They might create arcs in order to begin entirely new storylines from which new franchises can be developed.
Creating arcs makes good business sense. But is it necessary to combine arcs with the idea of canon? In other words, do all arcs have to contribute to the original content with officially accepted material? There is a certain segment of the anime creation community that thinks so. On the other hand, there is another segment that is perfectly happy to see new content stand on its own, even if created from an arc.
Canon Creates New Interest
Standalone anime is a good thing. True fans can never get enough of original new series. They also appreciate things like Umai anime hoodies and T-shirts despite the original artwork being completely unrelated to anything else. And still, canon is equally good for the anime culture. It is good because it creates new interest.
Setting aside anime as an art form for just one second, think about what some of the most successful film franchises in history have done. From Marvel to Star Wars and Friday the 13th, the most successful franchises create entire universes around an original story. Once you have a universe established, there is almost an unlimited number of stories you can tell. Each one adds to canon.
That canon creates new interest that ultimately brings new fans on board. The more canon you have, the more potential there is to bring new fans into the fold. That is because, as the universe grows, more people want to be part of it. More people want to know all the stories and the details behind them.
Plenty of Room for Both
This is not to say that anime will die without canon movies. That is certainly not the case. Plenty of standalone films make good money without having to go the canon route. The same holds true for every other form of media. It will remain true of anime as well.
In the end, there is plenty of room for both. Creators looking to come up with something unique and fresh will find audiences just waiting for their work. Others who choose to develop large universes and add to them with new canonical works will also find a ready fan base. As long as anime is good, fans will watch it.
