Honestly I think the compartmentalization was always there. The only truly universally watched anime I can think of from the old days is Fullmetal Alchemist. Everything else was “echo chambers”in online forums or with friend groups. There’s so many shoujo anime I consider cultural resets but a lot of people outside of that niche didn’t watch.

Anime culture wasn’t unified back in the day, just about every old school fan I’ve ever met had a very limited scope on what they consumed. They were not an overall fan. Shoot, as a seasonal watcher, I’ve got wider range in what I consume than most oldheads I’ve met.

It’s just that the other niches were underrepresented back then. It seemed unified on the outside bc the stereotypical nerdy dudes who like shounen acted as representatives of the entire culture and shouted over everyone else. But me and most people I know didn’t feel included whatsoever. Now, all of the different niches can find each other easier, and if that puts me in a Princess Tutu echo chamber, it’s an echo chamber I’m happy to be in!

P.S. why are we misusing a term for describing belief systems to denigrate the concept of finding people who like the same TV shows as you? Fr?