The Significance of the Internet

Hobbying as it is today would not exist without the internet. Because distances in Finland are long and hobbyists were initially less organized, the internet, its discussion forums, and other sites became important communities for many. Online communities, in turn, led to the creation of many conventions. The rise of social media reduced the popularity of forums and similar discussion channels, and many previous online communities no longer exist. Today, hobbyists mainly organize themselves on Discord servers dedicated to different topics as well as in WhatsApp groups.

Content could also be distributed and downloaded in unprecedented ways, and peer-to-peer networks and BitTorrent have been important channels for fans to download anime, manga, and music both legally and illegally. Before streaming services became mainstream, unofficial translations of manga and anime were also made in significant quantities, from fans to fans. Without resorting to piracy, illegal material, and fan translations, Japanese popular culture would probably not have spread as early and as widely as it did. Or at least it would not have achieved its popularity through the same avenues: commercial actors such as publishers and importers would have had more control in determining what kind of content hobbyists should consume. Fans’ own productions such as fan fiction, fan art, and anime music videos also spread effectively on the internet, and sharing them has been an important communal activity.