Forum - View topicThe Anime Economy - Part 2: Shiny Discs
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Wrangler
 Posts: 1346 |
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My feelings about anime industry is that I would rather buy from source than American distribture. I'm old school, i'm still bitter from my experiences of Funimation and other companies dub's of anime imported into kiddized or dumbed down dialog and editing for television.
I want industry to survive and continue, but if Otaku from Japan who i think many are giving impression their mentally ill like fan-service way too much. I see shows that are balanced coming out which is smart, not anime version of bad sitcom nose diving because J-Otaku have low attention span not seeing enough of predictable t & a or hopless love stories. Mini-Skirt Pirates (despite the name) is good example of great show, but likely going tank in Japan because of this trends/tastes in Japan. Later next year, with sampling this is year is Space Battle Ship Yamato: 2199, which really looks GOOD (despite re-imaging of older series) isn't going fly as well i think. Its good chance it will never come to United States due to its ties with Bandi. I hope someday, Japan's anime industry does get bit wiser or more educated about how oversea markets are. Full retail Rental prices for episodes are insane. |
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Blood-
 Bargain Hunter Posts: 23843 |
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@ ikc - I agree that if you widen the frame of reference by using the phrase "otaku appeal" versus "T&A" you are on firmer ground. But that's why I think the Usagi Drop versus Chihayafuru comparison is a valid one. Neither show panders to what we perceive as the standard otaku touchstones. Yet, Usagi the anime performed much better than Chihayafuru the anime is. Why? I think part of the answer is in the writing. Chihayafuru lays the bathos on with a trowel. I'm shocked they didn't give Transfer Student a harelip and a clubfoot to really drive the point home how wonderful Chihaya is for not sharing the prejudices of her oh-so less evolved classmates.
 I can't elaborate more on Chihayafuru's writing lapses because I threw in the towel after two and half episodes. But from what I've read and heard on the ANNCast, they kind of use Transfer Student in a really clumsy way - dropping him, then dragging him out intermittently. Doubtlessly, dtm42 will argue that this is actually a supah-daring writing technique that further proves what a masterpiece this snoozefest is.
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Chagen46
 Posts: 4377 |
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See, this is a good example of those "Stuck in the 90's" weeaboos Inwas talking about. |
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agila61
 Posts: 3213 Location: NE Ohio |
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That was the idea in the US too, back in the early 80's, when Video Rental Stores were popping up like mushrooms after a summer rainstorm ... but over time the US distributors discovered that there were things that could generate more money be selling at an end-consumer price point. Given that per item distribution costs in Japan were higher than in the US, so an equivalent price point would leave less for the original producers(1), and given the point noted in the article about the limited storage space in Japanese homes ~ for example, a preference in some homes for under-counter refrigerators sufficient to store perishables bought daily or every second day, because an American full sized refrigerator would take too much room ~ it seems quite plausible that the difference in the market opportunities drove the different evolutions of price points, with a far larger share of VHS releases price at end-consumer price points in the US well before DVD's started taking over the market. (1 That will not be obvious in the pie charts, since they are percentages based on substantially different price points.) |
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dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
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First of all, why are you picking a fight with me so soon after the last one? So much for your claim that I'm the one who always instigates these things. Secondly, you're ignoring how ANNCast liked Chihayafuru. Then there's The Stream, which has ranked the show in the #1 slot without fail for the past five months. Thirdly, the show's title; see it? It isn't called Aratafuru, it's called Chihayafuru. Arata is a vitally important character to the plot but he is not a main character. Or not as much of a main character as the other main characters. Even the junior members of the club get more screentime and development that him. That isn't a sign that the writing is bad, he was used to get the ball rolling and then has taken a step back. Think of Deus in Mirai Nikki. It isn't a daring writing technique, the story (at least in the Anime) simply is not about him and his arc. |
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 23843 |
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@dtm42 - it is not my intent to get off-topic with a detailed discussion of Chihayafuru. I'm sure it's a perfectly fine show; it just didn't connect with me. My initial impetus for commenting on it was that you lazily blamed Japanese otaku and their apparently endless appetite for T&A for this niche show's lack of success. I've already explained why I don't agree with that outlook.
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RyanSaotome
 Posts: 4210 Location: Towson, Maryland |
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People have different opinions. Just because some people will like a show doesn't mean everyone will. Personally, I didn't like it because it was too shoujo/josei for me. There are probably shows that a lot of people like that you don't like, so don't just expect everyone to have the same opinion. |
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ikillchicken
 Posts: 7272 Location: Vancouver |
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Ah, okay. I see what you're saying then. I'd be very curious to hear more on this as well. I'm generally inclined to think that rental would be pretty minor now though. Rental works a lot better for straight to video stuff. However, now one can watch most stuff on TV (or even streaming sometimes) if you don't care about actually owning it.
Well...it doesn't pander per say. But let us keep in mind that the manga is a story about an older man who adopts a cute little girl, raises her, and then later spoiler[she grows up and becomes his wife]. That's hitting some pretty blatant (and horrifying) otaku buttons. The anime may never actually continue that far and by all rights it is entirely innocent in its execution, but it still has a fairly apparent underlying otaku appeal. So like I said, if you want to argue that Chihayafuru is a bad show (or say whatever about Chihayafuru) then I have no comment (I've only seen 1 episode). I don't think you can sustain the claim that, solely by virtue of being good, shows will be successful though. Last edited by ikillchicken on Fri Mar 09, 2012 1:19 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Megiddo
 Posts: 8360 Location: IL |
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Much better timeslot for Usagi Drop. 1 cour vs 2 cour meaning only 4 volumes to buy for Usagi Drop compared to 8 or 9 for Chihayafuru. There are other factors of course, such as Chihayafuru being an on-going manga series and Usagi Drop having been finished among others. Usagi Drop had an average of about 4k copies per volume and Chihayafuru is at about 2.5k copies per volume. I enjoyed both shows immensely and wish that both shows had done better and that both could be licensed for release here in the West. Though, Siren Visual already licensed Usagi Drop so at least there will always be that AU release available. |
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superdry
 Posts: 1309 |
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Expansion of watching on TV - DVRs allow otaku to record and watch shows whenever they want, too. That also had to cut into rental market. Curious that Fate/Zero DVD is rental only in Japan. I wonder what is the cost of that to stores. How many stores will stock it? |
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Shiroi Hane
Encyclopedia Editor
 Posts: 7580 Location: Wales |
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Now I need to figure out where I read that and whether I have misremembered it completely... it is probably something more specific than my generalisation above, I think it was something about the history of Pioneer LDC. Perhaps it was more to do with why Pioneer got into animation. Unfortunately I can't track it down. Closest I can find is right here, animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-01-14/pioneer-stops-making-laserdisc-players-after-27-years
Not something I've been able to figure out unfortunately. I'm convinced his chat with an old director who complained about "the suits" going after his family "as if his surname was a brand" was with Miyazaki though, what with Goro and everything, and I'm pretty sure this is about KO Century Beast Warriors. I also like to think that interview with "Sam" from a few years ago about the foreign market being 50% of their business was with someone from Gonzo. |
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Ingraman
Posts: 1077 |
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Are there any more important plot points that you'd like to spoil for Usagi Drop? Do you think that everyone reads scanlations? Edit: Personal attack removed. It's actually not referenced in the anime at all, so it's not as bad a spoiler as it looks, so we can all chill out about this now, OK? -JS That was not at all appreciated. Show some courtesy. |
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BigOnAnime
Encyclopedia Editor
 Posts: 1232 Location: Minnesota, USA |
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While streams of Reborn! for example are a good thing in how there's a legal way to watch it, I really, really want DVD's here (Especially since I really like it.). My only option of owning the series is currently importing it for about $300 a box set from Amazon Japan or CDJapan, and with no subtitles. Collectors can't win with VIZ Media, whether it be for manga (Due to them failing to figure out how to reprint and finish a series that's a few volumes from completion.) or anime. |
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dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
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Surprisingly, there are quite a few shows that aired recently that did well despite not outright pandering to Otaku or Fujoshi. Please note that a few titles on the list do have a strong following (like how the Natsume Yuujinchou franchise is very popular with Fujoshi), and some titles not listed have wide appeal and high sales but were aimed at particular audiences (which is why I have not listed K-ON!! despite it being very popular with girls). This list merely reflects original intent, not what actually ended up happening. I have also only listed titles that - on average - sold more than ten thousand copies per volume. I only want to include titles that were unambiguously successful in terms of financial success. [Year] [Sales per volume averaged out] [Series name] 2008 - 34,601 - Kidou Senshi Gundam 00 S2 2011 - 31,523 - Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai 2011 - 27,948 - Tiger & Bunny 2009 - 24,494 - To Aru Kagaku no Railgun 2012 - 18,310 - Durarara!! 2008 - 15,282 - Gintama Season 3 2011 - 14,040 - Ao no Exorcist 2011 - 13,845 - Gintama' 2008 - 13,200 - Aria the Origination 2012 - 12,951 - Sengoku Basara 2 2009 - 12,720 - Gintama Season 4 2009 - 12,327 - Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood 2009 - 12,151 - Darker than Black -Ryuusei no Gemini- 2009 - 10,315 - Zoku Natsume Yuujin-chou 2011 - 10,223 - Natsume Yuujin-chou San All figures courtesy of the user something from [url=http://www.mania.com/aodvb/showthread.php?p=1972214#post1972214[/url] Last edited by dtm42 on Thu Mar 08, 2012 11:46 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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LordByron227
Posts: 158 |
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Seems like the RI license fees are a bit more than a drop in the bucket, but hardly significant (but its still something right?) Although, I prefer physical media as opposed to streaming, and as such, I would prefer to continue to buy from R1 (full disclosure:, I do like 40% of the dubs out here and yes it was FUNIs and some of the anime bubble adv dubs that shook me out of my sub only habit before). Also, I won't be able to afford R2 releases until I grad college and HOPEFULLY getting a position in a Public Acct. firm. But the next factor is the fact that R2 releases just isn't the best "bang" for the buck. I mean look at Fate/Zero (I wanted to get the release, even considered it) but 13 eps for $370....Thats almost $30 an episode. Hell, even if I didn't buy that Catherine Figure, Angel, and Subaru Figures, that still wouldn't have been enough.
If R1 dies, I lose out on quite a few good dubs and affordable releases. So hopefully, a semi-profitable status quo develops. 
Also, Chagen46, being as vitriolic as some of the more partisan sub fans is not gonna help your position. Grow tougher skin please. |
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