Practically every major act in the last decade or so has been driven by ego. The military occupation of Iraq, the rise and fall of Enron, the dire state of the Real Estate market in the United States, the outlandish controversies of many celebrities, and the trend of reality shows such as Cribs, The Apprentice, and the newly announced Fandom Rising from the producers of Jeresy Shore, are the results of egotistical decision making as well as a sanctimonious sense of morality . According to the Dictionary, Ego is defined as the self especially as contrasted with another self or the world (Egotism is defined as sense of self-importance or conceit).
As it relates to anime and manga, this age of egotism began when the region one market expanded tremendously after the initial boom period of the 1990s. New companies in the second mainstream boom (2000-2005) such as Tokyopop (Formerly Mixx), that thrived off the charisma of its founder (pictured above), became a paragon of egotism when several manga titles (most that were cash cows at the time) were left unfinished by choice and its anime line was tossed aside in order to focus solely on pop culture projects until its closure. However, even in mild limbo, the company feels it has such a hold over its fanbase (as detailed in a twitter post a few months ago) that it can tease a possible return to business with a clean slate in every sense of the word. In truth, the few Tokyopop has to please in the end, like any viable business, is its creditors and the IRS.
Fans are part of the business because they are the reason why a company thrives, but they can also break companies and create ripples that change industries.
One prime example of this is Geneon Entertainment. Cardcaptor Sakura was a popular anime in late 90s/early 2000s, riding the wave Sailor Moon and Revolutionary Girl Utena made earlier in the decade. Multitude of anime fans stateside were thrilled when the show aired on the WB (now known as the CW), but some rebuked it the moment the show made it to video through its original licensing company, Nelvana. The show was edited for TV, which angered longtime fans who followed the series through articles in Animerica and the tape trading circles. Once this information spread across the spectrum and the TV deal eventually expired, profitability was affected. Although Pioneer later licensed and released the original Cardcaptor Sakura--which enjoyed a hellish run of success--and its counterpart, Cardcaptors, the company suffered a lag in profits due to fan grievances (e.g., omitted material from Cardcaptor Sakura) that spread like wildfire and alternatives presented by early fansubs (Source: ANNcast episode: Life and Kime of Geneon).
ADV took on major risks in releasing titles like Science Ninja Team Gatchaman and Macross (One of the three series used to create Robotech) to a fanbase too young to remember or care about the trend-sitting styles of 70s and 80s anime (due to the anime scene in the U.S. trending younger) and remnants of that fandom either watching it via bitorrent or leaving the medium for other things. Funimation's S.A.V.E. line, where titles such as Aquarion and Tsubasa Chronicles are available under thirty dollars, is known colloquially by insiders of the business as the line where titles go for their "last round up" (especially with introduction of the Anime Classics line). Most of the titles on the S.A.V.E. line are those who did not gain major numbers or gained major numbers and lasted for quite some time, but cannot maintain the fanfare (or profits) like in previous years.
Fandom has radically changed from passionate jubilation and mere supply and demand mechanisms. The majority of anime fans in particular demand to have the smallest detail met such as region 2 box designs for their dollar. However, even if a company shells out to make that happen, portions of the fanbase will create an asinine reason not to support the product they claim love.
But anime fandom isn't alone in this tide of things. Somewhat similar to the anime con trend, Comic and Sci-fi conventions have garnered tremendous press and record-setting attendance across the board, but actual sales and support of the goods that inspired these cons have slumped (with some notable exceptions such as motion pictures). For instance, Christopher Priest, a former comic book writer, cites numerous reasons for his departure from the industry such as religious conversion (since the changes in the times conflicted with his beliefs) and the negative response from fans when it came to new ideas like his comic book series under Marvel The Crew, deemed the "Black Avengers" by detractors. Another example is Angelina Jolie who had a panel at Comic-Con in 2010 for her new film at the time, Salt. However, unlike Push in 2009 ( a decent film that was critically panned and barely made bank), which marketed itself as a sci-fi thriller title with a comic book byproduct, and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, an actual comic based movie (that bombed at the box office), Salt (a very successful film) was an espionage thriller with no sci-fi or comic book elements. Compared to the other films, Salt got major press because of Hollywood's presence at San Diego Comic-Con, which translated into high attendance for the con.
As a result of this, and various other incidents, fandom (anime, comics, etc.) has become a center for satisfying the most hedonistic of desires. Most fans feel as long as a movie or new series translates into attractive young ladies in little to no clothing at con booths and "hot" guys, that's what matters. In addition, the extolment of celebrities, either in the niche genres or high-tier (Hollywood) creates an atmosphere that can only be described in one phrase: A smoldering heap of Starfuckers.
The business world has always had this ego since the era of corporate wolves in the 80s. Ever since that time, others have come with the same notions. Micheal Milkens aka "The Junk Bond King," and Bernie Madoff made the news because of their willingness to connive shareholders with their intricate and damaging tactics. Ronald Perelman, former head of Marvel back in the 90s, felt like talent defections and lackluster gimmicks were okay as long as business from the stock ratio wasn't affected (this method of thinking led to Marvel's bankruptcy). Vince McMahon of WWE and Dana White of UFC boldly purchased their major competitors, creating grief for employees and fans alike because of a dearth of unique viewing experiences, and becoming the boastful centers of their respective businesses. But the most arrogant from the corporate perspective was Jeffrey Skilling of Enron infamy. From his days of telling a Harvard official, "I'm fucking smart," to his condescending tone in a Senate Sub-Committee showed his cunning and the fierce bravado of Enron.
However, ego sometimes can be perceived as confidence. Thinking of oneself in a higher degree isn't a bad thing, especially if it's a false front or an act (e.g., entertainers use alter-egos to hide their faults). But when it affects personal relationships and business in a negative fashion, that's when ego has completely overtaken a person or entity. To quote a popular movie from the 90s, "Make the money; don't let it make you." Cultures in fandom as well as business have changed, but people don't have to partake in the negative aspects or any of the changes that conflict with their personal beliefs.
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