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NEWS: Target to Phase out Anime


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Isaaru



Joined: 03 Feb 2004
Posts: 375
Location: the oppressed colonies in outer space
PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2005 8:13 pm Reply with quote
I am a little bummed out on this too. It was a place to buy anime at a cheaper price. I always checked Target to see if they had anything on my wishlist.

But I kinda saw this coming. Oversaturation of the market is a problem. They could and pick and choose good stuff, but it's hard to sell what you can't understand. They really had a random selection often focusing on volume 1 of series. The Target in my area placed anime with the kids cartoons and stuff, so they probably had complainers too.

my question: what does this mean for the licensing companies? Are they hurt by this?
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keichi san



Joined: 27 Mar 2005
Posts: 161
Location: At any local bookstore that sells mangas
PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2005 8:19 pm Reply with quote
A friend of mine bought Spirited Away from Target. Wait, does this mean they'll be having a blowout sale on anime dvds?
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AuraShadow



Joined: 06 Jan 2004
Posts: 242
Location: Texas
PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2005 8:26 pm Reply with quote
biliano wrote:

I hope so too because anime is a medium that more people should be exposed to. The problem that I see with anime is that it will always play second fiddle to the giants that are sports and video games. Those media generate so much revenue that even if anime becomes mainstream, it will never generate the dollars that the aformentioned two generate on a yearly basis. I'm very thrilled that anime is growing on a global scale, however, and exposing more and more people to anime willl ensure its healthy growth in the entertainment world! Very Happy


Agreed. Anime, unfortuantly will never see the fame that video games and such have because of such early animes to the Amercian public as Pokemon, Digimon, Yu-gi-oh, etc that have gotten such over exposser that non-anime fans assosiate these titles and those like them as being what "anime" is. Those shows were a blessing in 1999/2000, because it put Japanese Animation into the spotlight, but now in it's later years it has become the general publics assumption of anime as a whole, which is very unjust. Fortunatly anime is trying to make a come back by showing anime movies in theaters, where once Pokemon only deared to go. With anime movies winning major awards, like Spirted Away winning best animated film at 2002's academy awards, which is the first time an anime has ever won such a grand award in hollywood. More and more animes on tv, which examples such as Adult Swim, Anime Network, and Anime Unleashed. And even animes trying to incorperate itself into todays culture. Like the mixtre or rap and samurai's in Samurai Champloo. Even none animes, but have a direct relation to anime is growing. More "fake" anmes on Nickloden, like Avatar: the Last Airbender, and Martin Mystery. The unpresidented sucess of Kill Bill. There are so many examples of how anime, regardless of how little or how much, has grown. I'm very happy to be living in a period of time where something I love is growning like anime is.
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slickwataris



Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 1334
Location: Carol Stream, Illinois
PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2005 8:30 pm Reply with quote
Now that I think about it, the last time I went they only had 1 shelf compared to the 2 they had before. That's a whole 50% decrease.
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conchobar



Joined: 11 Apr 2005
Posts: 3
PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2005 9:18 pm Reply with quote
biliano wrote:

Fortunatly anime is trying to make a come back by showing anime movies in theaters, where once Pokemon only deared to go. With anime movies winning major awards, like Spirted Away winning best animated film at 2002's academy awards, which is the first time an anime has ever won such a grand award in hollywood. More and more animes on tv, which examples such as Adult Swim, Anime Network, and Anime Unleashed.


But, though more anime is being released to theaters, every single one of them except for Spirted Away has completely bombed. Even then, after winning an academy award, it only grossed around ten million dollars. I couldn't find a list of academy award winners with box office stats included, but I'd imagine that's an unusually low take. Steamboy and Appleseed, as reported by ANN, were complete failures.

Ah, I hate to sound like such a naysayer, it's just that lately most US anime companies have been posting rather bleak financial reports. In any case, hopefully the only effect will be less utter crap being licensed and heavily promoted. But, it's more likely that some highly rated but esoteric shows will also be left behind in favor of sure hits like the next Super Dragonballz Ninja Surprise.
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Angel Of Death



Joined: 12 Aug 2004
Posts: 176
Location: Harper Woods, MI
PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2005 10:06 pm Reply with quote
Well I'm pretty disappointed. I bought Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and Grave of the Fireflies there at very relatively cheap prices. Good deals too.
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Methid Man



Joined: 09 Jun 2003
Posts: 12
Location: Hackensack, New Jersey, USA
PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2005 10:19 pm Reply with quote
Well this sure sucks. Target has always been my main anime source and to see it go away will be a real loss for me. Plus it was all cheap even though their selection was limited.

Of course I could always go to Best Buy but it'll never be as convenient a location as Target was (it's right next to my building).

I hope they liquidate whatever anime they'll have left so that I can buy whatever I can.

-- Sam the Methid Man


Last edited by Methid Man on Tue May 17, 2005 10:20 pm; edited 1 time in total
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ginzugirl



Joined: 14 Oct 2003
Posts: 30
Location: Detroit, Michigan
PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2005 10:19 pm Reply with quote
It doesnt' break my heart to see Target get out of the anime market. I've been spending my $ with TRSI, Amazon.jp & Amazon.com and Media Play: Better selection, discount programs, companion merchandise and NO screaming babies in the checkout line.

Good riddance to bad nachos.
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Dannyhibiki



Joined: 18 May 2005
Posts: 11
PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2005 1:17 am Reply with quote
I work at a Target in the electronics and entertainment section. I'm honestly not surprised that the anime section is getting scrapped. No one ever buys anything from it except for me. (The price on Fruits Basket kicked ass) The reduction from 2 shelves to 1 didn't really do anything though, because with the 2 shelves each title had multiple facings on the shelf...there really wasn't a reduction in the titles we sold.

Target simply just does not change out the dvd wall selections to catch up with the titles that come out. At places like Best Buy where there are no shelf labels, it's not a problem.

Oh, and don't expect any savings deals. All DVDs that are discontinued simply are sent back to the distributor. There are never DVDs on clearance at Target (except for weird Target exclusive ones).

Miyazaki movies and Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, etc will probably still be carried. Just stuff considered mainstream/appeals to kids.
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darkinusgurl



Joined: 17 May 2005
Posts: 23
Location: I live in Florida City,Florida
PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2005 12:37 pm Reply with quote
Target had anime????? (sarcastic)I never saw anime at that damn store!! I guess that's because it sucks ass. LOL, Target has never had any good anime from what I've heard. I suggest they go out of bussiness for having anime stuff that's only Yu-Gi-Oh! or DBZ or Pokemon.They are EVERYWHERE!!
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The Ramblin' Wreck



Joined: 07 Apr 2003
Posts: 924
Location: Teaching Robot Women How To Love
PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2005 3:27 pm Reply with quote
conchobar wrote:
Even if you don't shop for anime at Target, you have to wonder what the implications are for the US anime industry. Anime in the US went from a small niche to a big niche, but is that it? Is the industry merely going through a slump or is it just impossible for anime to truly reach the mainstream here?


I think it'll will continue being a big niche, but tell that to my local Waldenbooks. They are up to four shelf/rows of manga. They just started carrying DVD's and now wallscrolls and posters. They have a huge FullMetal Alchemist display out in the front window.

Target just wasn't selling enough Yu-Gi-OH!, I guess. Thats all the local Target here in Atlanta ever carried.
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MeggieMay



Joined: 08 Jun 2004
Posts: 607
PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2005 10:52 pm Reply with quote
Well the only Anime that ever made it out to my Target was "Full Metal Alchemist 1," which I was shocked to actually find to be honest . While I had been told by anime fans I met at conventions that Target was a good place to buy anime, I hadn't actually seen any in a Target until that release (and I'd checked a few Targets while on trips, as well). On the other hand, the DVD section at the local Target is a complete mess and a lot of live action releases never seem to show up there, either, so I had just figured the anime releases were going to the large market stores.

As for Best Buy - the closest one to me is 300 miles away (two states away, while the closest one in State is 450 miles (that's one way for both)), so I always find it ironic, and a bit annoying, when people say go to Best Buy. I do have a Target a hour away, and two Wal-Marts (I live between the towns that have the Walmarts).

Anyway, I hope Wal-Mart doesn't follow suit because with their recent addition of more anime titles, I've actually been able to find a few titles that I wouldn't have bought because of the lack of titles available to buy off the shelf in my area (BTW, I'm wondering if Targets getting out of anime because of Wal-Mart getting into it?)
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Kagemusha



Joined: 20 Feb 2004
Posts: 2783
Location: Boston
PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2005 11:25 pm Reply with quote
The Target in Boston had a rather poor DVD selection to begin with (only mainstream films), and the anime section was always pretty small. I never really shopped there, as Best Buy was just as cheap and had a far larger selection in both live-action and anime. In any case, I don't think it's too big a deal. I can't imagine most people going to a huge store like Target or Walmart specifically to buy anime.
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Shiki MSHTS



Joined: 10 Jul 2003
Posts: 738
Location: NoVA
PostPosted: Thu May 19, 2005 6:55 am Reply with quote
Target... while still remaining my favorite store for about anything else, well... it's kinda slightly sad that they're eliminating their stock of Anime from their stores. I live near more than one... so I'm well aware that some never really stocked it to begin with. The one that did have anime... while it had a pretty small collection... whatever they did have was usually pretty cheap. The only thing I'll miss probably is the low prices. But other than that, they never really did have a very extensive selection.

Bleh.
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Aaron White
Old Regular


Joined: 23 Aug 2002
Posts: 1365
Location: Birmingham, Alabama
PostPosted: Thu May 19, 2005 1:21 pm Reply with quote
I read somewhere that the reason video stores have entire sections of anime is that while there's still fewer buyers for anime than for more general mainstream films, anime fans tend to be completists. Lots of customers for general movie fare are casual buyers; If I want a particular Will Ferrell movie it doesn't follow that I gotta buy all his movies. But someone who's gonna buy a gundam DVD is probably gonna want the whole series, then the next series, and so on, so a handful of hardcore anime fans can provide as much revenue as a hundred casual customers.
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