<p>Media is a reflection of the Zeitgeist.<br />
Take 1995 for example.</p>
<p>Feb 25, <strong>Armitage III</strong> asks what it means to be human from the perspective of an android<br />
Oct 04, <strong>Shin Seiki Evangelion</strong> asks what it means to be human from the perspective of a human<br />
Nov 18, <strong>Ghost in the Shell</strong> asks what it means to be human from the perspective of a cyborg</p>
<p>This isn't exclusive to anime. The same thing happens to Hollywood.<br />
Let's look at 1999.</p>
<p>Jan 23, <strong>The Blair Witch Project</strong> asks what if what you see is real<br />
Mar 24, <strong>The Matrix</strong> asks what if what you see is not real<br />
Aug 02, <strong>The Sixth Sense</strong> asks whether it even matters if things are real</p>
<p>Creators don't have to collude with each other for this to happen. They just have to live at the same time.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-13T08:57:29.040Z
Tezuka Metropolis, Tetsuwan Atom,  Video Girl AI and Lain to some degree, Wonder Project J and its sequel J2, Alita, the "what is an human" trope goes back and fort again and again... Do you remember V.I.C.I in Small Wonder (85)? Or since you mention 99 as the "what you see is real"... didn't the Bicentennial Man (again, what is an human) get released in 99 too, 4 years late for the 95 era? It is true time does influence medias  but most of the time more of cultural period basis I see a "I want my snout in the trough too" pack mentality.
SPArcheon - on strike
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-17T16:18:06.407Z
@SPArcheon-onstrike Zeitgeist doesn't only last one year. I limited it to one year since you can't be a copycat if you release around the same time. The book Frankenstein (1818) also asked what it means to be human, but it did so under a different Zeitgeist.
Ocean
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-07T17:38:35.093Z
2024-09-07T17:38:35.093Z
Ocean
<p>Since I've been reading manga for almost 20 years now and watching anime just as long, I've noticed that anime/manga tend to come out in batches where there is a very similar concept, and all the manga compete to see who can best implement this concept. Is this a completely organic development? Is it because people in the manga industry are in close communication with each other, and share ideas? Here are some examples:</p>
<p><strong>Megalomania</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Death Note</li>
<li>Code Geass</li>
</ul>
<p>This is the first instance of the trend-setting that I noticed in my life. Everyone was disappointed with the ending of Death Note, and Code Geass was almost a breath of fresh air for people who wanted to root for their favorite megalomaniac.</p>
<p>My memories from 2010-2016 aren't as crisp to provide more concrete examples in this timeframe.</p>
<p><strong>Demons and Devils (2016-2018)</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Demon Slayer</li>
<li>The Promised Neverland</li>
<li>Chainsaw Man</li>
<li>Jujutsu Kaisen</li>
</ul>
<p>I know that the concept of taming demons and devils has always existed in anime/manga, but with the exception of Demon Slayer, these series invoked the concept of &quot;no Good energy&quot; in the universe. The Promised Neverland has no &quot;divine&quot; deities, only the demons, Chainsaw Man has an &quot;Angel Devil&quot; however that works, and Jujutsu Kaisen has &quot;Reversed Cursed Technique&quot; (not &quot;divine&quot; energy).</p>
<p><strong>Super-powered Mangas (2019-2020)</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Spy x Family</li>
<li>Sakamoto Days</li>
<li>Mission: Yozakura</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Plant-Based Mangas (2023-2024)</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Wild Strawberry</li>
<li>Dear Anemone</li>
</ul>
<p>Unlike spy/thief mangas of the past, like Lupin the Third and others, these spies all have superpowers.</p>
<p><strong>Weekly Themes</strong>
Lastly, this is probably unrelated to the last batch of examples, but there's a certain &quot;emotional weight&quot; that sometimes an entire issue of Shonen Jump happens to hit on. It can't be intentional because these authors write the plots very early on, so maybe this is just synchronicity. Here's my example. In this week for Shonen Jump:</p>
<ul>
<li>Jujutsu Kaisen: Your Jungian shadow is a part of you that cannot be denied. You should treat your Shadow with compassion and accept it into your life, integrating it as part of your being. Also, the purpose of life is that it is meant to be enjoyed with others.</li>
<li>Undead Unluck: As miserable or poor as your life is, there's no point in giving into nihilism. The purpose of life is to enjoy it, and your mindset determines whether you will or not.</li>
<li>Twin Star Exorcists (one of the best manga of all time in my opinion): The future is created by loving parents who do everything in their power for their child. Also, even if you are faced with imminent and utter destruction, you should enjoy the present, and all life has to offer.</li>
</ul>
<p>This last bit is synchronicity, though I've been meaning to post this question on this website for years and I haven't felt the need to until now, which is also synchronicity.</p>
<p>Can you think of other examples that I forgot? Does anyone have inside information on the industry to confirm or deny whether they discuss these concepts before publishing their first chapters around the same time?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-04T00:28:02.337Z
Possibly related: [How did "other world" or "isekai" stories gain so much popularity and where do they have their roots?](https://anime.stackexchange.com/q/47849/2516), [Why all the "Re" in titles?](https://anime.stackexchange.com/q/40556/2516)
Aki Tanaka
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-04T04:07:30.833Z
Perhaps [How far ahead is planning done before a manga is released?](https://anime.stackexchange.com/q/3552/2516) might also be related, in that a mangaka might see the existing trending work, then follow the trend without discussing/planning them in the first place. (I guess a question about the whole process for a manga to be serialized in a magazine starting from story draft, submission, and published might worth)
Aki Tanaka
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-04T18:28:31.633Z
@AkiTanaka YES!!! Right after posting this question, I told my friend yesterday night that I forgot to mention isekais and the "True Final Boss" trope in StarCraft II, Sonic Adventure 2, and now I swear every anime is "all the protagonists and antagonists will come together to fight the true enemy!"
NobleUplift
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-13T08:39:51.373Z
I don't think there is any "by year" pattern to be found. I just think that there is a "jump on the bandwagon, there is money to be got" mentality. Some manga are just to weird (Shimeji Simulation for example), too nightmare fuel (Made in Abyss) or too niche  (The Girl from the Other Side) to get many copies. But as soon as someone design a new popular trope or even rediscovers an existing one and goes "viral" everyone will want a share of the money. Just think how Nagatoro sprouted a new batch of "sadodere", shifting the "kawaii yandere" troope (MHA - Toga) in a new direction.
SPArcheon - on strike
<anime-production><manga-production><anime-industry>
Are shared themes in each generation of manga/anime intentional in the industry?
# Are shared themes in each generation of manga/anime intentional in the industry?
Posted by: username_0 on 2024-09-03
Since I've been reading manga for almost 20 years now and watching anime just as long, I've noticed that anime/manga tend to come out in batches where there is a very similar concept, and all the manga compete to see who can best implement this concept. Is this a completely organic development? Is it because people in the manga industry are in close communication with each other, and share ideas? Here are some examples:

**Megalomania**

* Death Note
* Code Geass

This is the first instance of the trend-setting that I noticed in my life. Everyone was disappointed with the ending of Death Note, and Code Geass was almost a breath of fresh air for people who wanted to root for their favorite megalomaniac.

My memories from 2010-2016 aren't as crisp to provide more concrete examples in this timeframe.

**Demons and Devils (2016-2018)**

* Demon Slayer
* The Promised Neverland
* Chainsaw Man
* Jujutsu Kaisen

I know that the concept of taming demons and devils has always existed in anime/manga, but with the exception of Demon Slayer, these series invoked the concept of "no Good energy" in the universe. The Promised Neverland has no "divine" deities, only the demons, Chainsaw Man has an "Angel Devil" however that works, and Jujutsu Kaisen has "Reversed Cursed Technique" (not "divine" energy).

**Super-powered Mangas (2019-2020)**

* Spy x Family
* Sakamoto Days
* Mission: Yozakura

**Plant-Based Mangas (2023-2024)**

* Wild Strawberry
* Dear Anemone

Unlike spy/thief mangas of the past, like Lupin the Third and others, these spies all have superpowers.

**Weekly Themes**
Lastly, this is probably unrelated to the last batch of examples, but there's a certain "emotional weight" that sometimes an entire issue of Shonen Jump happens to hit on. It can't be intentional because these authors write the plots very early on, so maybe this is just synchronicity. Here's my example. In this week for Shonen Jump:

* Jujutsu Kaisen: Your Jungian shadow is a part of you that cannot be denied. You should treat your Shadow with compassion and accept it into your life, integrating it as part of your being. Also, the purpose of life is that it is meant to be enjoyed with others.
* Undead Unluck: As miserable or poor as your life is, there's no point in giving into nihilism. The purpose of life is to enjoy it, and your mindset determines whether you will or not.
* Twin Star Exorcists (one of the best manga of all time in my opinion): The future is created by loving parents who do everything in their power for their child. Also, even if you are faced with imminent and utter destruction, you should enjoy the present, and all life has to offer.

This last bit is synchronicity, though I've been meaning to post this question on this website for years and I haven't felt the need to until now, which is also synchronicity.

Can you think of other examples that I forgot? Does anyone have inside information on the industry to confirm or deny whether they discuss these concepts before publishing their first chapters around the same time?
**Tags:** anime-production manga-production anime-industry
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Possibly related: [How did "other world" or "isekai" stories gain so much popularity and where do they have their roots?](https://anime.stackexchange.com/q/47849/2516), [Why all the "Re" in titles?](https://anime.stackexchange.com/q/40556/2516)  
> **username_1**: Perhaps [How far ahead is planning done before a manga is released?](https://anime.stackexchange.com/q/3552/2516) might also be related, in that a mangaka might see the existing trending work, then follow the trend without discussing/planning them in the first place. (I guess a question about the whole process for a manga to be serialized in a magazine starting from story draft, submission, and published might worth)  
> **username_0**: @AkiTanaka YES!!! Right after posting this question, I told my friend yesterday night that I forgot to mention isekais and the "True Final Boss" trope in StarCraft II, Sonic Adventure 2, and now I swear every anime is "all the protagonists and antagonists will come together to fight the true enemy!"  
> **username_2**: I don't think there is any "by year" pattern to be found. I just think that there is a "jump on the bandwagon, there is money to be got" mentality. Some manga are just to weird (Shimeji Simulation for example), too nightmare fuel (Made in Abyss) or too niche  (The Girl from the Other Side) to get many copies. But as soon as someone design a new popular trope or even rediscovers an existing one and goes "viral" everyone will want a share of the money. Just think how Nagatoro sprouted a new batch of "sadodere", shifting the "kawaii yandere" troope (MHA - Toga) in a new direction.  
---
## 1 answers
### Answer by username_3 on 2024-09-07. Score: 3 | Accepted answer
Media is a reflection of the Zeitgeist.  
Take 1995 for example.

Feb 25, **Armitage III** asks what it means to be human from the perspective of an android  
Oct 04, **Shin Seiki Evangelion** asks what it means to be human from the perspective of a human  
Nov 18, **Ghost in the Shell** asks what it means to be human from the perspective of a cyborg

This isn't exclusive to anime. The same thing happens to Hollywood.  
Let's look at 1999.

Jan 23, **The Blair Witch Project** asks what if what you see is real  
Mar 24, **The Matrix** asks what if what you see is not real  
Aug 02, **The Sixth Sense** asks whether it even matters if things are real

Creators don't have to collude with each other for this to happen. They just have to live at the same time.
> **Comments:**
> **username_2** (2024-09-13): Tezuka Metropolis, Tetsuwan Atom,  Video Girl AI and Lain to some degree, Wonder Project J and its sequel J2, Alita, the "what is an human" trope goes back and fort again and again... Do you remember V.I.C.I in Small Wonder (85)? Or since you mention 99 as the "what you see is real"... didn't the Bicentennial Man (again, what is an human) get released in 99 too, 4 years late for the 95 era? It is true time does influence medias  but most of the time more of cultural period basis I see a "I want my snout in the trough too" pack mentality.  
> **username_3** (2024-09-17): @SPArcheon-onstrike Zeitgeist doesn't only last one year. I limited it to one year since you can't be a copycat if you release around the same time. The book Frankenstein (1818) also asked what it means to be human, but it did so under a different Zeitgeist.  
---
