Forum - View topicAnime Expo 2007 - Keynote: The Future of Anime
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Zalis116
Moderator
 Posts: 6867 Location: Kazune City |
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But the R1 market could use more mass-appeal shounen properties, and I've been a bit surprised that shows like Busou Renkin and D-Gray Man haven't been announced. I personally wouldn't buy them, but I never watched the fansubs, either. |
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HeeroTX
Posts: 2046 Location: Austin, TX |
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Everything goes in cycles. If the company execs have the choice between "unknown idea with 10% chance of mega profit, 10% chance of break-even and 80% chance of loss" vs. "100% chance of making profit on the same audience". You can see where the odds are. It's not specific to anime, lord knows we all need ANOTHER Final Fantasy (end sarcasm). But the FACT is that even with that, the anime industry still DOES put out a wide variety of stuff that touches on a wide variety of interests. If you are unable or unwilling to find something you like then go ahead and leave the "hobby".
Am I just dense, or did anyone else not understand that?
In the 90s (I know, I was there) companies like ADV sold anime at the NICHE market that it was. Anime was initially released sub only, AnimEigo even had the tag line "the best anime you'll ever READ". Then DIC got the wacky idea to localize this marketting machine from Japan called "Sailor Moon" and a bunch of girls thought "hey, I empathize with her" and in a very short time anime fandom went from 90% male to almost 50/50. From there it was just a matter of time before anime was "ok" (as opposed to being a "geek" niche like Star Trek). Then all the companies cashed in on the excitement and blammo, you have today's market. It had nothing to do with American companies taking a "risk" on the "vague" market, it had EVERYTHING to do with anime companies in Japan making whatever they wanted (since the US market was an afterthought) and certain companies just getting lucky with a "right place, right time" situation. There are PLENTY of titles that target various demographics and stretch over a wide range of genres and interests. And many of them fail BECAUSE they are of interest to a NICHE and that niche isn't big enough to be worthwhile. You're a reasonably attractive guy that wants to see himself and his interests reflected in anime? That's great, but guess what, you're the MINORITY of the market and don't represent a statistically significant market in America (altho you SHOULD still be able to find shows that fit the profile depending on how specific your requirements are). The "typical" cool, attractive ladies man doesn't watch "cartoons" when he's in his twenties in America (often not in Japan either from what I see/read/hear), the stammering geek who's not good with women does. There are still anime with cool guys, because women like them and guys DO like to look up to them, but depending on what specific details or story you want, it might be harder to find because it's not worth the time for Japanese companies to make, or if it is it's worth much LESS money for American companies to license. In the words of the immortal Phillip J Fry (of Futurama): Clever things make people feel stupid, and unexpected things make them feel scared. You see? TV audiences don't want anything original. They wanna see the same thing they've seen a thousand times before. |
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Tyrenol
Posts: 398 Location: Northern California |
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For the dense, I'll clarify. See, in the ghettos, there are people called prostitutes, drug dealers, thugs, and (wannabe) gangsters. And depending on where you live, they're either a minor annoyance as neighbors or the leading cause of death. Despite the success stories you might find about them; not everyone has this golden opportunity to leave this circle of violence. One would either become a drug addict, a part of a gang, whored out, or an unlucky recipiant of a stray bullet. I hope this clarifies whatever confusion I caused. If not, then I'm sorry.
And consider how much more shocked I would be if it weren't for the known fact that people are leaving the fabled "idiot box" in droves. The internet does that to folks, you know. 
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Swissman
Posts: 768 Location: Switzerland |
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[quote="Zalis116"]
There are still a lot of good shows from the 80s and 90s and OAVs which haven't got a dvd release or didn't make the transition from vhs hell to dvd heaven. I'm thinking of Dirty Pair TV for example, or the Rumik World Series (Laughing Target, Maris the Chôjo, the old Mermaid Forrest/Scar OAVs...), Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals (1994 OAV), Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou OAVs (1998 & 2003), and so on. I can't blame the US companies for not giving such anime the chance (although ..... Dirty Pair TV, c'mon ADV, what are you waiting for?) because, sadly, the chances are low they'd break even. |
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