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NEWS: Bandai President Interview




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TranceLimit174



Joined: 21 Jul 2004
Posts: 958
PostPosted: Sun Nov 27, 2005 1:45 pm Reply with quote
Interesting interview, especially coming up after my "popularity of Gundam" topic. Anyway I thought the most notable thing that was said was that he was considering creating a Gundam series aimed at the US market. I believe it was mentioned in the forums before but now that the idea is swirling around in his head it might be interesting if the idea is ever developed.
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Starwind Amada



Joined: 26 Sep 2004
Posts: 981
Location: Easton, PA, USA
PostPosted: Sun Nov 27, 2005 3:13 pm Reply with quote
They already made a Gundam series for American audiences - SD Gundam Force, which went over like a lead balloon. I don't know what's worse, that or the crappy live-action movie made by that Canadian woman. They should just leave it to the Japanese; it's their franchise after all, and anyway, it'll probably just be another One Year War story. Mad
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Wyvern



Joined: 01 Sep 2004
Posts: 1545
PostPosted: Sun Nov 27, 2005 3:19 pm Reply with quote
SD strikes me as having been made for a different market than the other Gundam shows, though. They seem to have been trying to hook younger kids in with SD Gundam, which isn't the same group shows like Wing or Seed are made to appeal to. I think what he's saying is that he wants to try to do a more traditional Gundam show, aimed at the same demographics they aim it at in Japan, only for America. This might be really tricky to pull off (since, like he said, they'd have to do it without alienating Japanese fans,) but I'd like to see it happen.
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Beatdigga



Joined: 26 Oct 2003
Posts: 4352
Location: New York
PostPosted: Sun Nov 27, 2005 5:58 pm Reply with quote
It's perfectly possbile, but it would require a multi-faceted approach. Both Americans and Japanese like good stories, and we dislike dumbed-downed adaptations (See GI Joe Sigma Six) . What's required is the use of universal themes and the editing of little things (Stock footage, pacing) to make the show appealing.
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ac_dropout



Joined: 05 Oct 2004
Posts: 88
Location: Newark, NJ
PostPosted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 1:20 pm Reply with quote
There should be another G-gundam series targeted for the USA.
You could have East Coast Gundam vs. West Coast Gundam. Southern Gundam vs. Yankee Gundam. The number of demographic stereotypes in the USA would be endless. Very Happy
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Super Arrow



Joined: 03 Feb 2005
Posts: 334
Location: Australia
PostPosted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 6:30 pm Reply with quote
But here's the problem with a U.S. audience: what did they like? Since there is literally no chance of Wing getting a Sequel and SEED Destiny is the worst Series since...umm...oh. Right.

Maybe they should try airing the Original Series again. Rolling Eyes

Wyvern wrote:
They seem to have been trying to hook younger kids in with SD Gundam, which isn't the same group shows like Wing or Seed are made to appeal to.


*giggle*
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Nagisa
Moderator


Joined: 19 Aug 2003
Posts: 6128
Location: Atlanta-ish, Jawjuh
PostPosted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 6:41 pm Reply with quote
Super Arrow wrote:
Maybe they should try airing the Original Series again. Rolling Eyes


There was talk in the article of a vague interest in re-animating the original series. If they kept up the original's writing and thematic standards, albeit with the animation quality of a big budget TV series or OVA (just for kicks, let's say...Samurai Champloo level animation), it really just might bring in a newfound flock of fans within our generation and the one after it that'd be a lot more receptive to old school Gundam than Wing or SEED would (and has). If worst comes to worst, I'd say it'd be an excellent avenue to consider pursuing if I were in Bandai's shoes.
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W-General



Joined: 17 Jun 2004
Posts: 280
Location: Ithaca, NY, USA / Taichung, Taiwan
PostPosted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 6:45 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
Gundam SEED is a wonderful series. I don't deny SEED's success, but I would like others to know about the origin more. Doing First with today's technology could be one way. Personally, I would like to dig deeper and express that worldview. If we can do that, more Gunpla and merchandise will follow.


I totally agree with what he's saying there. More people needs to know about the original, and how much superior it is compared to Wing and the crap that is Seed Destiny. Understandly, there are blind fools who wouldn't watch UC Gundam because the graphics aren't that good, but Bandai has shown that they can produce UC with high quality graphics (e.g. the new scenes in the Zeta movies - those are very eye pleasing). If a 0079 remake is what it takes to get people to start watching UC, I don't see why not.

(actually I would rather if people just get off their butts and start watching Turn A, best Gundam series ever, but that's a different topic)[/quote]
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Tyrenol



Joined: 13 Sep 2005
Posts: 398
Location: Northern California
PostPosted: Tue Nov 29, 2005 12:31 am Reply with quote
Beatdigga wrote:
It's perfectly possbile, but it would require a multi-faceted approach. Both Americans and Japanese like good stories, and we dislike dumbed-downed adaptations (See GI Joe Sigma Six) . What's required is the use of universal themes and the editing of little things (Stock footage, pacing) to make the show appealing.


At the end of the day, everyone likes to be a witness to a good story.

Destiny was a mess of the bad direction and decision-making. Wing was good for the first Gundam series EVER to be popular outside Japan; but then it became cannon-fodder for anti-[insert name here] web shrines. "Superior Defender" was just a dumbed-down and blocky version of Gundam nearly everybody shot at.

The problem for me, when the Japanese create an American version of Anything, is that it ends up questioning our intelligence. Remember that some non-Japanese creations by the Japanese tend to be ill-informed; at its worst, border-line racist. Shows like Chrono Crusade and E's Otherwise ("Snicker...! Bet'cha can't buy just one." I CAN'T.) managed to escape the US's social radar successfully.

But there's still a lot of stuff left in their "Gundam Closet." So all they need to do is get their crap together first. And that includes getting a director who's more concerned with getting a good story told as oppose to becoming "the next Yoshiyuki Tomino." Worry about eye-candy afterwards. Razz
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jsyxx





PostPosted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 12:32 pm Reply with quote
Leave the original series alone. I don't think even Tomino would do it right. Its a bad idea. If some fans are too assinine to watch the original Gundam, screw them.
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