News Clip - Anime eyeing overseas markets

KiLlEr · Post by **KiLlEr** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 2:10 pm

http://www.omnilinkavstudios.com/Videos ... ME_700.asf

Watch and discuss

I'd start the discussion, but I have no audio at work (;_;)

Post by **Taurec** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 6:49 pm

Here in The Netherlands it still has the: huh? cartoons!!?? stigma and its very hard to get rid of it.

I hear manga sales works out for the French pretty well.

KiLlEr · Post by **KiLlEr** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 3:47 am

hah! Finally watched it with Audio

Here's my take:

American entertainment companies still view cartoons as something aimed at children. Although we have South Park, et. al., (and earlier, we had Heavy Metal) more adult flavor shows are a nitch market.

Of course risque humor does not offend the Japanese, however even the fact that a girl "of age" wearing a skirt in a video game, has the graphics edited so that she's wearing shorts underneath, just incase you get a panty shot (I'm talking about Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds) is required because the US has such a stigmata against it (but blowing someones head off with a head shot in Halo is perfectly acceptable). I get the argument that it can be demeaning to women, but explain that to poor Keitaro Urashima as Naru hives him another what-for. Girls get panty shots, guys look like fools and get used as a punching bag. There's some give and take there. LOL

I don't suggest showing say Rosario Vampire after Bambi to the kids (although Bambi isn't exactly "safe" really), age appropriateness is key. But unfortunately its a nitch market here in the US, although it is larger than before, but its still nitch.

Pygmi · Post by **Pygmi** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 12:27 am

Also what is age appropriate doesn't always translate. What we find not suitable people overseas don't mind and what they can't handle we think in perfectly okay. It's a culture difference of morality.

Anonz · Post by **Anonz** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 1:51 am

Anime in the west gets most attention from the same sort of people who are fans of science fiction, fantasy, and video games, which is not everybody. On the other hand, lotr: return of the king was the second highest grossing film of all time, and nobody can forget the cultural impact of star wars in the U.S. so to say there isn't strong support for those genres is deffinately not true.

There is also the matrix trilogy, massively popular in the U.S. and had many anime-esque elements.

Finally, if stuff derived from comics is so looked down upon, then why are comic book/cartoon adaptations, from spiderman to transformers, the latest rage in american film?

So i don't think it's impossible for anime companies to reach out to the west, the biggest obstacle is that western audiences look down on cartoons. If you took an anime series and made it live action, i think it could be just as popular in the U.S. as any western made series.

FMP is a prime example. If FMP were turned into a live action show for the scifi channel, i don't think anyone would draw a distinction between it and a show like heroes or battlestar galactica. Of course, one could say that FMP is overly ideal because Gatou had more western influence in making it than most anime creators, but i'm sure you could find other examples that fit the bill.

HELLFIRE · Post by **HELLFIRE** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 5:43 am

...could help but cringe at the 90ish view of "cartoons" by the reporter, ie "cartoons," "Pokemon," and that D-word that must NEVER be mentioned in the same sentence...

Just HOW old is this report?!

Anonz wrote:If you took an anime series and made it live action, i think it could be just as popular in the U.S. as any western made series.

...as that immortal villans line went, "Many have tried, all have failed..." And don't get me started about the Japaneses' own attempts to turn anime to live action.
Call me cynical in my old age, but the rule to make a good adaption usually ends up at the bottom of the "to procrastinate on" somewhere between pitching it to
the studios to final cutting

Regards