This Thanksgiving, Here’s What One Anime Fan Is Thankful For

Whether or not you observe Thanksgiving (or alternately, if your country’s already had yours), it never hurts to stop and think about the things you’re thankful for. This is especially true when it feels like times are tough, or things could be better. Those little good things in life can help you keep going.

We can’t speak for all anime fans, of course, but we know at least one of us has a strong list of positives in the world of anim and manga fandom. What about you?

 

Access to Classic Series

Vintage anime may not be on your Thanksgiving Day watchlist, but we’re grateful for the increased access all year round. A lot of us got our start watching older shows… which, in the earlier days of the anime industry, had an extremely low chance of getting licensed.

Nowadays, there are entire home video companies and streaming services devoted to preserving these classics and making sure modern viewers can enjoy them. We love the opportunity to watch, of course; but we’re also grateful these influential series won’t be lost to time.

 

Manga on Tap

On Thanksgiving, or any day of the year, it’s easier than ever to grab the latest manga. And now, in many cases, you can get it as it comes out! As more and more fans have become conscious of (and interested in) anime source material over the years, the demand for prompt manga translations has skyrocketed.

We’re grateful for this frankly unbelievable access to these titles, so we can explore our favorite series in their many forms. And—both in this case and the last—we’re especially grateful for the people working hard to make them accessible to us!

 

The Internet (sometimes)

We’ll be logging off for Thanksgiving soon, but we have to tip our hat to the Internet. Sometimes it’s a mess. But without it, we wouldn’t have the ease of access to simulcasts and digital manga. More than that, though: we wouldn’t have each other.

Even before streaming started taking over the media landscape, anime fans used the Internet to find each other and connect. We have fond memories of Geocities sites, Anime Web Turnpike, and messageboards where we could meet each other and learn more about our favorite shows. Now, it’s a place to watch, read, chat, congregate, and stay in touch no matter what happens in the world. And that’s a big deal.

Need a little more brightness in your day? Try these happy fall series.