Forum - View topicWhy do anime tend to divide seasons/story arcs into separate "series"?
|
|
| Author | Message | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Samuknight
Posts: 35 |
|
||
|
I just started on Sailor Moon S and I am wondering. I know Sailor Moon was originally supposed to just be one season but the show got unexpectedly insane ratings that they renewed it a second season. The Sailor Moon manga just finished its first arc and the author wasn't expecting to continue the story from their but due to the TV adaptation's popularity, the anime studios begged her manga publication to continue the story.
So the next season of Sailor Moon was a separate (but sequel) series dubbed "R". From Sailor Moon R onwards, every new season of Sailor Moon was a new series with a new title (Sailor Moon S, Sailor Moon Stars,etc). I am wondering because R and the subsequent seasons were released just shortly after the original preceeding series. In fact I notice a tendency for anime series to dub the following seasons under a separate title such as "Vampire Knight Guilty" as soon as they start airing it a few months or a year after the original. Even long running series that lasted years under its original title suddenly get a new title just as the series gets too large or the major arcs are going to a close (even though the manga is still running with new chapters every week or month). An example of this is Dragon Ball gaining Z in its title despite the manga not going to a halt. U In Western TV series it will take at least several years,if not a decade or so, for a long running series to get a title redub. Renewal of existing TV shows for a season or two don't get a new season subtitle. No one expected Supernatural to be a mega smash hit but despite being renewed for new seasons unexpectedly, no one has suggested recent seasons to be given a new titles. It takes half a decade for a hit TV show to finally get a new subtitle such as "Scooby Doo Movies" or "Justice League Unlimited" in the West. Hell even shows thats been canceled and off air for several years to ten years DON'T GET NEW TITLES in the West and when the reair gets known to the public, they simply treat it like "the show has been uncanceled and a new season was decided to be broadcasted". In anime, airinga new season of a long dead canceled show or relaesing video episodes immediatley separates it from the main series (Saint Seiya TV VS the Hades Chapters). For Christ sakes most of the longest running shows that still airs new episodes on TV such as The Simpsons NEVER ever got a new series. Not even the fandom dubs season as "arcs" such as the "Shin Arc" that even anime series that lasted long without subtitles in its seasons gets from their fans (examples "Dark Tournament arc", Three Kings arc,etc of Yu Yu HAkusho). Why does anime do this? To the point fans even dub each season or major story arcs as though they were their own series (even if they don't get any official naming or timeline era from the producers or writers)? Westerners don't treat even overly long story arcs for their TV shows (not even American cartoons)! To use a recent western TV show example, Samurai Jack just aired its newest season after a nearly 15 years hiatus. Its so different from earlier seasons (with its much darker tone and very different art direction) it can easily qualify as a new TV series. Yet they simply aired it a "Samurai Jack" not even saying its a new series but simply continuing it as a new season. In anime they would of named it something like "Samurai Jack: The Final Act" (to shout out to Inuyasha) or Samurai Jack Revival, etc. |
|||
|
|||
louis6578
 Posts: 1861 |
|
||
|
I think it's more marketable. People are more likely to buy "The Walking Dead: All Out War" than they are to buy "The Walking Dead: Season 8." Buying something that's in the middle of a show could make you severely lost, but more often than not, if you buy something at the beginning of a story arc, no matter how far in that arc is, you should be able to follow just fine. It helps that anime is pretty good at recaps and flashbacks to jog your memory or explain things to newcomers. That's why my friend who LOVES One Piece has only seen the show starting from episode 228.
Basically, an audience is more likely to give Sailor Moon S a watch than Sailor Moon season 3, for the same reason people will watch the new Star Wars movies without seeing the old ones. It's the start of a new story, so you won't need to be intimately informed to follow. |
|||
|
|||
Alan45
 Village Elder Posts: 9839 Location: Virginia |
|
||
|
@Samuknight
What louis6578 said is probably mostly correct. I think there is also a strong element of "We have always done it this way" as well. Basically it is just because that is the way they do it. My question to you is just why would that bother you? Of all the differences between Japanese and US culture, why question this? |
|||
|
|||
|
louis6578
Posts: 1861 |
|
||
Now that I think about it... it's probably a popular business decision to make sure that season premieres are an easy place to jump in. 24, Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, Lost... I'm pretty sure you just need a brief summary of what's happened so far to follow those from whatever season you jump in at. The middle of a season though? It's a nightmare. The same goes for anime and arcs. If you start at the Arlong arc of One Piece, you'll be fine. If you start at the middle of Dressrosa, you'll be confused. |
|||
|
|||
 |
All times are GMT - 5 Hours |
|
|
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group