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NEWS: Funimation Starts Initiative for Co-Producing Anime

No!!! This is exactly what the industry doesn't need. The only way for the industry to ever take off is for the Japanese to release stuff here themselves. This will only entrench these unnecessary middlemen more. So now fans will have to deal with waiting for licensing negotiations and expensive dubbing costs added on. WAKE UP JAPAN! The last thing we need is more shitty American adaptations.

The only way for the industry to ever take off is for the Japanese to release stuff here themselves.

kikiyo2 wrote:

The only way for the industry to ever take off is for the Japanese to release stuff here themselves.

It's funny you say that since it's been done before and they failed miserably (Toei, Bandai Visual & Kadokawa says hi).

In any case, the R1 companies aren't "middlemen". They localize anime to the U.S. market, which is essential for broad appeal. A Japanese publisher that tried to localize anime to the U.S. without having a subsidiary here, staffed by locals, would almost certainly fail to please the market.

Then perhaps some fans should start supporting what you enjoy. The only reason that these "shitty American adaptations" get made is because that's what sells as shows like Witchblade and Afro Samurai appeal to a larger, casual demographic. If you want a voice then be a part of economic cycle, not just raving like a lunatic on a forum.

pparker wrote:

In any case, the R1 companies aren't "middlemen". They localize anime to the U.S. market, which is essential for broad appeal. A Japanese publisher that tried to localize anime to the U.S. without having a subsidiary here, staffed by locals, would almost certainly fail to please the market.

You may say that it requires localization for anime to be popular, but the fact that fansubs (who don't dumb it down) are far more popular than localized DVDs says otherwise. Nobody said they'd get it right on the first try, but the Japanese would have eventually learned what pricing schemes work. The only way to get rid of fansubs all lies in the hands of the Japanese companies, which is why the American companies are unnecessary. The longer that they rely on this stupid licensing scam that the American companies have fooled the Japanese into buying into, the longer it will take for the industry to rectify its problems.

krelyan wrote:

Then perhaps some fans should start supporting what you enjoy. The only reason that these "shitty American adaptations" get made is because that's what sells as shows like Witchblade and Afro Samurai appeal to a larger, casual demographic. If you want a voice then be a part of economic cycle, not just raving like a lunatic on a forum.

I see no reason to support the American side of the industry when they refuse to give me what I want and then go out of their way to demonize fans. If they don't offer what I want, then I'm sure as hell not going to give them my cash. Take an economics class sometime.

You may say that it requires localization for anime to be popular, but the fact that fansubs (who don't dumb it down) are far more popular than localized DVDs says otherwise.

...this stupid licensing scam that the American companies have fooled the Japanese into buying into, the longer it will take for the industry to rectify its problems.

I know they would haf to Fight Nintendo but making a Metroid Prime Anime would kick all kinds of asses.. I mean its has a Manga and a game for source material but Pleasing the Nintendo Community is nearly impossible we complain about everything (Even if its something we have been asking for) but Metroid Anime would kick the ass...

(Halo + Anime + games = Major SUCK!!)

vashfanatic wrote:

bayoab wrote: vashfanatic wrote: If so, then for the love of all things sacred I hope they do something better than the crap-fest that was Afro Samurai.... That crap fest was something like the #2 selling DVD for the past 2 years. It made FUNi a ton of money. I know, don't depress me about the lousy taste of the buying public. That said, if producing one Afro Samurai gives them the finances to do three other, better series, then I suppose even crap has its place. If there is one American title I want turned into an anime more than anything in the world, with the right directors and staff behind it, is the Sandman Chronicles. Satoshi Kon and Yuuasa Masaaki working on that would give me such bliss.

Afro Samurai was aired on Spike TV (Baywatch, CSI, Ren & Stimpy, Stripperella, Wrestling, etc...). Afro Samurai probably fit that North American adult male stereotype rather than anime fans. The high sales were probably a result of the series being bought my the mass majority of stereotypical males, but actually bought by relatively few actual anime fans.
Anime fans are a small subculture, compared to the mass majority that eats up MTV stuff and other North American programming that is usually criticized by the anime subculture. So it's not unexpected for something targeted towards our interests to sell quite well.

But second on that, if they can produce a few titles that anime fans will consider shit but will be eaten up by the typical person in today's society in order to generate revenue to produce more titles that the anime fans want, great plan.

Nobody said they'd get it right on the first try, but the Japanese would have eventually learned what pricing schemes work.

The only way to get rid of fansubs all lies in the hands of the Japanese companies, which is why the American companies are unnecessary. The longer that they rely on this stupid licensing scam that the American companies have fooled the Japanese into buying into, the longer it will take for the industry to rectify its problems.

I see no reason to support the American side of the industry when they refuse to give me what I want and then go out of their way to demonize fans.

NJ_ wrote:

kikiyo2 wrote: The only way for the industry to ever take off is for the Japanese to release stuff here themselves. It's funny you say that since it's been done before and they failed miserably (Toei, Bandai Visual & Kadokawa says hi).

No, they tried to release it like they do in Japan. That's where they failed.

NJ_ wrote:

kikiyo2 wrote: The only way for the industry to ever take off is for the Japanese to release stuff here themselves. It's funny you say that since it's been done before and they failed miserably (Toei, Bandai Visual & Kadokawa says hi).

No, they tried to release it like they do in Japan. That's where they failed.

Afro Samurai was actually based on a manga by Takashi Okazaki that came out years ago, and not an American property at all. I'm not sure why it would fit more with the so called "MTV viewer" rather than the average anime fan, i mean it had Music by The RZA in it. Most MTV fans today wouldn't even know who that is if you asked them. I'm willing to bet that most of the sales of Afro Samurai did in fact come from anime fans who maybe like myself are probably fans of the RZA, Samurai's and action in general.

While Afro Samurai is far from the best, it is also far from being a crap fest.( i think that term fits anime like K-ON more than AS to be honest) The fact that it wasn't as good as it could have been has more to do with the fact that they let Gonzo animate it instead of MADHOUSE. If this promo is any indication it would have been superior to the Gonzo version in every way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEJ4vDlFAPA

sunflower wrote:

Frankly, this fills me with dread. Have we ever seen any American anime company attempt to become original producers and it turned out well? Where are those companies today?

You're implying a causation that in fact does not exist. I really wouldn't say didn't turn out well. In fact, I'd say it turned out really freakin awesome