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Answerman - Impenetrable Markets


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KeikakuKat



Joined: 30 Oct 2013
Posts: 3
PostPosted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 11:12 am Reply with quote
Your point about Drama CDs still completely stands. I'd just like to add that back when Bandai was still releasing anime, some of their Limited Edition sets included Drama CDs dubbed in English!
I thought that was pretty cool, but I'm sure it wasn't worth the money it took to release them here, hence what happened to them. Anyway, I still have all my Code Geass Drama CDs. I don't know of any other instance of getting the English dub cast to record a translated version of the CDs, but they might have existed. Anyone know?
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DmonHiro





PostPosted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 11:33 am Reply with quote
I too don't think Japan doesn't as much not care about American fans and their taste, but does not understand it. So they don't bother with it. They do sometimes hit it by pure accident, but in those situations, the series fails in Japan. So, they pretty much stopped trying. The luckiest of anime fans are the one who have the same tastes as the Japanese fans, cause the pampering rubs off on us too.

As for Drama CDs, they are amusing, but I doubt you could sell them in America. Maybe if you dubbed them, but I doubt it would be worth it. There will never be more sales just because you include a dubbed CD, and it will cost that much more.
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Utsuro no Hako



Joined: 18 May 2012
Posts: 1032
PostPosted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 11:36 am Reply with quote
DmonHiro wrote:
The luckiest of anime fans are the one who have the same tastes as the Japanese fans, cause the pampering rubs off on us too.


Unless you like sports series, in which case if Crunchyroll doesn't pick it up, there's a good chance it'll never even get a fansub.
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DmonHiro





PostPosted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 11:43 am Reply with quote
Yeah... pretty much only Japan, and a few hispanic countries like sports anime, from what I noticed.
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Juno016



Joined: 09 Jan 2012
Posts: 2377
PostPosted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 11:51 am Reply with quote
I love Drama CD's, so it's a shame we don't as much of them here. Especially the stuff that IS relevant to the story, including things that fans would most likely want to know about. Madoka's first and third Drama CD's explore the pasts of characters, allowing their characters to shine in places the anime never did. And then there are Drama CD's that are adaptions of novels, such as Bungaku Shoujo's Drama CD series and the 4 volumes of Fate/Zero's Drama CD series (which adapted the story much more accurately than the anime).

And though a ton of them are simply comedy skits (Angel Beats, Fruits Basket, 2nd and 4th Madoka ones, Horitsuba Gakuen, etc.), even those are tons of fun to listen to.
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Brand



Joined: 30 Jan 2006
Posts: 1028
PostPosted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 12:13 pm Reply with quote
I've been listening to a ton of the Doctor Who radio dramas (and a few others). I find them very enjoyable and help keep me amused while working.

But yeah watching a subtitled video of a audio drama, in a language I don't know, with not much happening, doesn't sound like a whole lot of fun.

While not like it is digging a huge market share I do think podcasts like "Welcome to Night Vale" and the "The Thrilling Adventure Hour" have worked out a place in the U.S. The problem here is you can't really sell the actual show as a product, so merchandising seems the only way to keep shows like this going.
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Nemui_Nezumi



Joined: 08 Jan 2014
Posts: 343
Location: Europe
PostPosted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 12:36 pm Reply with quote
I personally love Drama CD (and more than anything those Talk Drama)

but it's true almost anybody else is interested in them.... there's almost no one I can really have a good talk about it, it's a shame honestly, some are really good in my opinion .P
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Rederoin



Joined: 29 May 2013
Posts: 1427
Location: Europa
PostPosted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 12:40 pm Reply with quote
DmonHiro wrote:
Yeah... pretty much only Japan, and a few hispanic countries like sports anime, from what I noticed.

Depends on the sport, I would be surprised if a football(soccer) anime would not get subbed by the European fanbase.
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CorneredAngel



Joined: 17 Jun 2002
Posts: 854
Location: New York, NY
PostPosted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 12:41 pm Reply with quote
Anyway, that's pretty much it. Be an actor. Live where they make dubs. Have a reel. Be persistent. And above all, do not quit your day job.

All due respect, that still doesn't really answer the underlying question. Not that I have any interest in breaking into the world of anime dubbing, but if I did, just some of the things I would want to know could be:

- How would I find out who exactly to send my reels to?
- What specifically would I put on my reels? How long should the reel be? With how many different voices/roles?
- Are there places to look for actual solicitations/openings
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Sylpher3



Joined: 27 Jul 2013
Posts: 85
PostPosted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 12:49 pm Reply with quote
Answerman wrote:
Producers in Japan don't understand American tastes, and don't try to predict them. The few times they've tried in the past, they've mostly ended up with very expensive failures.

Interesting. Are there any well-known names of these commercially failed anime aimed at a Western audience?
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SnaphappyFMA



Joined: 14 Jan 2009
Posts: 216
Location: California
PostPosted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 12:50 pm Reply with quote
Juno016 wrote:
I love Drama CD's, so it's a shame we don't as much of them here. Especially the stuff that IS relevant to the story, including things that fans would most likely want to know about. Madoka's first and third Drama CD's explore the pasts of characters, allowing their characters to shine in places the anime never did. And then there are Drama CD's that are adaptions of novels, such as Bungaku Shoujo's Drama CD series and the 4 volumes of Fate/Zero's Drama CD series (which adapted the story much more accurately than the anime).

And though a ton of them are simply comedy skits (Angel Beats, Fruits Basket, 2nd and 4th Madoka ones, Horitsuba Gakuen, etc.), even those are tons of fun to listen to.


I agree about anime drama CDs - I love watching/listening to them on You Tube with the fansubs. A lot of them really do give you more background on the characters and the side stories are a delight, once you've watched the anime for a while and know the characters and general storyline. Though yeah, there's probably no effective way to market them in the U.S.

Unfortunately, I think I agree with Justin on sports anime releases here in the U.S., particularly if the anime series goes on for too many episodes. For example, with The Prince of Tennis, it aired in Japan for about 160 episodes and had too many filler episodes toward the end (as the mangaka frantically worked to try to finish the manga) so the anime series actually got cancelled at that point. The manga storyline eventually was finished in anime form in a number of OVAs.

I think the The Prince of Tennis was released on DVD in the U.S. for the first few seasons, and then the producers stopped. I enjoy sports anime like The Prince of Tennis, Hikaru no Go and now Kuroko's Basketball, but I recognize that U.S. producers are taking the risk that they won't sell too well here if they license them. I only watch subs myself, but I know others watch dubs so the producers have to consider everyone who might buy the DVDs.

I have to say though that Kuroko's Basketball might be an exception and I hope someone here picks it up. The reason I say this is not just because the series is phenomenally successful in Japan but also because the series is short (26 episodes for season 1, and 26 episodes for season 2 which is now airing). The pacing of the anime is great - it adheres strictly to the storyline with little to no filler-type material - so it probably won't go on for season after season with meandering filler arcs. I'd be happy with a sub-only release. I'd buy both seasons and pre-order any future seasons. Very Happy
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DmonHiro





PostPosted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 12:52 pm Reply with quote
Sylpher3 wrote:
Interesting. Are there any well-known names of these commercially failed anime aimed at a Western audience?

Cowboy Bebop, Trigun and The Big O did pretty bad in Japan. So did Redline.
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TheAncientOne



Joined: 06 Oct 2010
Posts: 1868
Location: USA (mid-south)
PostPosted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 1:15 pm Reply with quote
Utsuro no Hako wrote:

Unless you like sports series, in which case if Crunchyroll doesn't pick it up, there's a good chance it'll never even get a fansub.

That's where CR's "obtain all anime possible" stance benefits fans of more marginalized genres.

Speaking of sport seires, despite Funimation's well known avoidance in modern times of sports anime, I assume either that didn't apply yet in early 2009 when they licensed Bamboo Blade, or they don't consider it a sports anime.
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Rederoin



Joined: 29 May 2013
Posts: 1427
Location: Europa
PostPosted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 1:20 pm Reply with quote
DmonHiro wrote:
Sylpher3 wrote:
Interesting. Are there any well-known names of these commercially failed anime aimed at a Western audience?

Cowboy Bebop, Trigun and The Big O did pretty bad in Japan. So did Redline.

The latter 2 did, Cowboy bebop however did not do badly in Japan. Atleast with the info I could find about it.
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DmonHiro





PostPosted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 1:25 pm Reply with quote
From what I understood, though it could be wrong, Cowboy Bebop didn't sell that bad, but lost money in Japan.
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