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Anime from the 1990sjust hits different.
And theres a reason for that.
This national mood seeped into pop cultureespecially anime.
The heroes of these stories werent flawless or inspirationalthey were confused, vulnerable, and painfully human.
And thats exactly what made them so relatable and why these series continue to resonate even decades later.
The country fell into a deep recession.
Amid all this, creators began diving deeper into darker and more philosophical territory.
That shift marked a turning point in anime storytellingand left a lasting impact on the medium.
But the Japan he came of age in was far more complicated.
There was a sense of emptiness, both economically and spiritually.
But for many,diving into hobbies wasnt just funit was a form of escape.
Anno once said: Otaku culture has become a means of escaping reality.
As he put it: Evangelion is a work that directly reflects the anxieties and confusion of the 1990s.
I wanted to express the loneliness and sense of powerlessness that people felt.
Despite its heavy themesor maybe because of themEvangelionstruck a chord.
While darker, introspective stories didnt disappear, the tone across the industry began to lighten and diversify.
The rise of moe culture andslice-of-life genresreflected a changing audience and a growing appetite for comfort and connection.
Theyre still iconic because they spoke to something realand stories like that tend to stick around.
