No tedious commentary here, but it's already indispensable. Tolerance of expression. However bland and corporate-dominated mass communication is, there is far more weird and offensive stuff being distributed openly now than 40 years ago. The amazing thing is that radio is now a vaster wasteland than television. If something is going to be wildly popular, better bizarre.
Japan possesses some special national talent to make mass-merchandised junk really cool.
Good to the extent that it encourages appreciation of a broader spectrum of work, as opposed to being a marketing gimmick. Disposability is often considered a hallmark of contemporary culture. But decades ago the threads that make up popular culture were even thinner. Music made the hit parade and was forgotten. Toys were used and thrown out.