I too feel this sense of regret, that something is missing - teh spirit and teh specialness of teh media. Age might be a factor, but for certain, anime is mainstream today. Sadly AI is killing creativity more and more. As there are less reason to learn and create something which AI is already better than you are. There's also teh side of big corporation only wants your money...

Only solution as I see it, is to create a community based in real world - which wasn't uncommon before either. To either set a goal to create something together, or to drawn cute 2D girls with pen and paper. Anything you can touch today is real, made by humans. I too been wanting to try clay modeling and maek my own figures. While I only blame for my own laziness for now.

I also do believe that teh newer generations are less keen to make things on your own, as everything is so much available to us than it was 20 years before. Teh internet made everything less separated, which is both good and bad. Anime isn't niche, thus there's no need to do it on your own. Japan might still haev strong doujinshi communities, but thats been build over decades. Just as I think any small live band in teh west would be happy to play for 20 people.

I... don't know. I too feel sad that it has changed to say teh least. But it's not gone. Also, if you stick in teh past, its all good!