It has been 16 years since I began doing anime work, and the impression I have gotten in that time is that the anime fan's taste in movies is - to be blunt - extremely conservative. If people don't like the label 'conservative' another way to put it would be to say that the range of demand is narrow, since fans only welcome movies of a certain narrow type.
Well, a case could also be made that it is precisely the existence of this hardcore fan layer (and its specialized outlook on anime) that has made it possible for anime to find its place within the movie industry, as it has today. But, in truth, the situation is really problematic. I would hope that people would not forget that there are many ways to enjoy a movie, and a much greater range of film styles than what we are currently seeing on the screen...
There is little freedom in anime because if your anime does not conform to a certain pattern, the inevitable reaction is "Well, what the hell is this?" But such a response isn't painful only for the production side. It also represents a major loss for the audience. Considering the great amount of time, effort, and money expended to make a movie and the high ticket prices paid to see it, I think the audience would get more out of their viewing experience if they adopted a "We're ready for anything!" kind of attitude.
Instead, they are peeking out at anime through a narrow slit - like the window of a tank. No matter how you look at it, that's a real waste. I think it would be better instead to open the hatch wide, stick your head out, and take a good look all around...
The reason I personally make anime and movies is because I want to enjoy myself. I don't have any sense of being 'avant-garde.' It happens that the things which I think are interesting, are not very well accepted by the majority - but there's nothing to be gained by feeling sorry for myself. If I started whining, "No matter what I do, they don't understand me." I'd just end up hating the work. Worse, the range of projects available to me would narrow, and my opportunities to actually make movies would evaporate.
What I need to do is to find a 'methodology' that I can enjoy, and that also makes things as interesting as possible for everyone else involved.