Anime Peaked in the 2000s | Trash Taste #304

Which decade reigns supreme in pop culture? The conversation evaluates the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s across anime, gaming, and film, using community-voted lists as benchmarks. The 1990s stand out for their distinct aesthetic and foundational influence, particularly in sci-fi anime and classic mascot-driven gaming. The 2000s represent a transitional period marked by the rise of moe-blob anime and the emergence of modern gaming staples like *Call of Duty*. Meanwhile, the 2010s solidify the dominance of massive IPs and the rise of indie gaming, though the decade’s film output is viewed as the weakest compared to the 1990s' "generational run" of cinema. Ultimately, the participants struggle to crown a single winner, as each era offers unique contributions to media history, from the "spaghetti space westerns" of the 90s to the superhero-dominated landscape of the 2010s.