Although Blade Runner: Black Lotus had many factors in its favor, such as its connection to the popular Blade Runner movie franchise and the literary classic Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick, as well as the involvement of renowned creative producer Shinichiro Watanabe, it has not achieved significant mainstream success. The anime series is set in the Blade Runner universe and centers around an amnesiac character’s quest to regain her memories and seek retribution against those responsible for her challenging circumstances.
However, after its debut in Fall of 2021, it became clear that Black Lotus was not widely known or particularly adored by the audience. Since the show was a collaboration between Adult Swim and Crunchyroll, there are several plausible reasons that could account for its lack of popularity.
The Reputation of Blade Runner: Black Lotus Was Affected by Several Factors
In all fairness, Blade Runner: Black Lotus is not inherently flawed or deficient in any way. Its lack of a substantial audience or enduring popularity is not attributed to any aspect of its storyline or production quality. Additionally, the use of CG animation does not seem to impede its success as evidenced by the triumph of other shows such as Chainsaw Man which heavily incorporate CG in their action scenes. While Black Lotus may not be an outstanding or flawless anime, it is still enjoyable to watch. Both the visuals and music score are superbly crafted and its greatest attribute is its ability to expand and enrich the Blade Runner universe. Although the story features impressive action, it does not particularly distinguish itself from other sci-fi anime series.
The absence of a devoted fan following is a significant factor that contributes to the lack of success for this series. Despite receiving good reviews, Black Lotus fails to stand out among the many anime that are released each year. Building a strong and vocal fan base is often a key factor in the success of anime, but this show failed to generate such a following.
Similarly, the Crunchyroll original co-production status of Black Lotus might have hindered its potential for widespread success. In the anime community, Crunchyroll originals are typically viewed unfavorably due to their perceived rushed or inadequately managed production methods, as seen in High Guardian Spice and Ex-Arm. Since Black Lotus was released after those poorly-received shows, it’s possible that the remaining fan skepticism resulted in a decreased level of excitement surrounding Blade Runner: Black Lotus.
Black Runner Might Have Been Doomed by a Little Word of Mouth: Black Lotus
The insufficient existence of a genuine and enthusiastic fanbase for Blade Runner: Black Lotus adversely affected its success. The anime community is renowned for being a closely-knit group where aficionados of specific genres or conventions share suggestions with each other on a grand scale. The buzz surrounding an anime largely depends upon the transmission of exceptional content to friends and acquaintances, but it appears that Blade Runner: Black Lotus wasn’t discussed and shared through word of mouth very often. Unless it attains a cult-like following in the times to come, it appears improbable that the series will make significant progress.
Black Lotus is a satisfactory addition to the Blade Runner world, and there are no reasons to completely reject it from being accepted by fans. However, it’s noticeable that the anime community either lacks knowledge about the series or doesn’t have a specific fascination with it.
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