Forum - View topicHey, Answerman! [2008-01-18]
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minakichan
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Yes, thank you for actually being reasonable on the fansub/trailer issue. I NEVER decide to buy anime based on a trailer; either seeing a few eps on TV, watching some fansubs, or Netflixing the first volume is the absolute ONLY way. At any rate, I feel like anime trailers have to be some of the worst; I mean, have you SEEN ADV's terribly scripted, terribly narrated crap? That's more likely to dissuade me from even touching the series than to convince me to plop down hundreds of bucks.
Which sort of raises the question: Why ARE anime trailers (and some anime advertisements regardless, like many terrible internet banner ads) so much worse than advertisements for other media? |
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samuelp
Industry Insider
Posts: 2231 Location: San Antonio, USA |
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Oh, that's easy: Because they are made by the R1 licensing companies... Companies whose job is generally NOT to write or create any new content, only adapt it. Trailers and advertisements for other media are made by the people who create the show or media themselves, and are generally done at least partly after some real production is finished. R1 trailers are often completed before any serious work has been done on dubbing/adapting the series at all! That means you probably have some script writer with a series synopsis provided by the Japanese company and so narrator guy who's never even seen the show, combined with an editor who's also probably not watched more than the first few episodes trying to come up with a preview in short notice so they can get it on their next dvd release/website as soon as possible. Frankly I think they'd be better off just translating the japanese television promos (assuming they exist), but that often would require the dubbing cast before they could do that. Well, that's my theory anyway. |
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radda
Posts: 25 |
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What? 4chan doesn't give a rat's left foot about Paul. They just use him to troll. Lurk much? |
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Meccanica
 Posts: 101 Location: Brookline, MA |
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I feel as though some negative sentiment has been lobbed my way, forgive me for feeling mildly offended. I was just copy/pasting from wikipedia, and bolded the text that seemed to be, *cough* relevant. I'm not trying to push 'manga just means comics in Japanese'... it just does. My whole point was really about how the meaning of the terms change in different contexts. dormcat: thanks for being more specific about it, but I don't exactly feel compelled to use (or have others use) those terms in conversation. I wasn't trying to be official and definitive (it's wikipedia, after all), just make the point that it's silly to be uptight about the word 'comics'. Jeez... I think this is why I've never really been a forum person. Eventually the conversation winds up being about itself, and I can't help but get caught up in it. |
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Chrno2
 Posts: 6171 Location: USA |
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Oh gawd this column had me laughing. I wouldn't mind having that pic put up on every column for those just acting like they know it all. Or ask some dumb stuff. Todays anime fans seem to ask for too much. They want their cake and be able to eat it too. For "free".
Sheesh man, what is with anime fans today? That they have to act like they know everything? Goddamn! I grew up with 'Speed Racer', 'Battle of the Planets' and tried a little 'Starblazers', but I was too immature for it because it just wasn't as cool as 'BOTP'. And like those before and around my age bracket were all exposed to anime. But at that time it wasn't anime. It was another cartoon show just like everything else out there. Only difference was you knew "something" about these shows set them apart from everything else you ever watched. From 'Tex Avery' to 'Hanna-Barbara'. When I was in HS (back in 85), that's where I really began to be exposed to the "scene". Oh those darn "Gundam Geeks". Everyone began calling it "anime". Like a bunch of "geeky", "giddy" school-boy that found a shiny new nickel. And they were all too happy to educate those who didn't know what it was. Those were fun times. I don't know where the term came from. Eventually I figured it out. I called it anime and I also called it Japanese animation. Because it certainly wasn't American animation. Not the stuff I grew up on! And of course back then to all the way up until today, the term is defined to relate ONLY to cartoons from Japan. Just like comics in Japan are called "manga". Like a damn SEPARATE label!! DBZ? It's anime. Nausicaa? It's manga. Batman? That's a comic. Scooby Doo? That's a cartoon, and American cartoons suck when compared to "anime". What about 'Avatar? Is that anime? NO! What about if a cartoon was made in Korea? And it looks like anime, is it anime? Or how about if an American comic like 'Batman' was drawn by a "Japanese" manga artist? Would it still be considered manga, because it was drawn by a Japanese manga artist? Geeze Louise people!!! When did these so called "new fangled" fans get so "stupidly" knowledgeable? If not annoyingly snotty? I ran across a site that had some translations about the whole what's manga and anime. It was from a BBS, as they were probably discussing how the hell American fans come up with these terms. One person broke it down the easiest. Anime (Japan) - Short for "animation". Relates to all forms of animation, WORLDWIDE. Manga (Japan) - Meaning comics - an already household meaning. Relates to all forms of comics, WORLDWIDE. Anime (US - wherever else) What cartoons from Japan are called. Manga (US - wherever else) What comics from Japan are called. Of course some felt that maybe it was better this way. Less confusion. Hell, it's not like languages haven't been screwed up before. One of my co-workers refers to it as manga. Compared to me he really doesn't understand the medium. But because he has a degree in Fine Arts, and is familiar with many GNs. So he reads to understand the buzz even though it's of no interest to him personally. It's new to us and trying to build a collection for future requires some knowledge. So I help out as much as I can when reference librarians get requests from instructors and students. Compared to the countless graphic novels we have it does come off like it's own separate medium. But it really isn't. Hell, calling 'Nausicaa' a graphic novel isn't wrong either. If people knew anything. Graphic novels are comics too. Not a fancier term but a title given to such published works. To be honest all "manga" or "mahwa" would be considered graphic novels if it were possible. Because they are *ahem* "graphic" "novels". Oh well, I had to sort of get that off my chest. But again it's not totally wrong if you "know" the truth. It drives me slightly nuts when fans come off criticising others about the 2 mediums when they themselves don't understand it themselves. Next time try picking up a book explaining the history. It'll enlighten you or it will make you the most dislikeable know-it-all. I'll admit I was a bit like that. But my so called "expertise" came in the form of trying to make people understand that all Japanese cartoons (anime) were not the same because of the way characters looked were drawn. Like the "big eyes". Or that all their cartoons were either violent or perverted because of "nudity". GAWD FORBID!!! Man I never thought reading some of these columns could be so funny. I never bothered but every now an again some interest me. Don't let this bother you. This is just my own personal gripe and I had to get it out. Carry on. |
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Aromatic Grass
 Posts: 2424 Location: Raleigh, NC |
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Re: Comics/Cartoons:
Newspapers have a comics section, right, but those are also called "cartoons." Is that also wrong because it's not American/other animation? Would I be wrong in saying that I think the term "cartoon" needs to be redefined? To quote the first line on Wikipedia (because that's what our generation uses to prove a point):
Therefore, it's impossible to claim that anime is not a cartoon. The same can be applied to comics, except that term is limited to printed images and/or text only. Manga are comics, and to the Japanese, comics are manga; anime are cartoons, and to the Japanese, cartoons are anime. Personally, I don't really care what you call them. I like to label "Japanese cartoons" as anime and "Japanese comics" as manga because it's a whole 'nother culture.
Yay! I just recently got into the POLYSICS. Their performances really blow me away. It seems like they really love what they do. I had heard of them a long time ago and now I wish that I had bought one of their CDs, as I hear they didn't sell too well over here originally. Never heard of Melt Banana, but they sound just as fun. |
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Samurai-with-glasses
 Posts: 628 |
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My post was a bigger generalization of the two opposing viewpoints; for sure I did not throw the insult your way. If you feel offended, my apologies. 
I was completely disgusted when otaku apparently threw their support behind him just because he liked manga or whatever. The bane of Francis Fukuyama's grand treatise of liberal optimism? A conversation with the average voter. Or a flake.
When does Rule 1 and 2 ever give a rat's arse about anything...? [More OT] hentai4me, SalarymanJoe did a great job of explaining pretty much all of it, but I'll give my response anyway. How does, say Obama, make his policies for change come into effect if he is elected? Assuming we are talking only about the office of the President (since Senators, (House) Representatives, Governors, and various other functions of government are obviously different), there are a variety of factors to aid him: - the President is de-facto the leader of his party. As such party loyalty gravitates towards him; this helps the President implement his plans through the legislature, where members of his party are likely to support his ideas...or for that matter, officially propose them in Congress, since he can't do so directly himself. Separation of powers stuff. We have yet to have a President from a minor party so the potential "problem" of him having no support at all in Congress has not happened yet. There are times, however, when the President's party is a minority in Congress (Bill Clinton 1994 on), a deadlock situation preferred by libertarians everywhere since it makes the Federal government less active than usual. There are also times when a President simply enraged Congress bad enough that they stood against him on everything and even tried to impeach him (Andrew Johnson vs. the Republicans), also tends to put the business of Washington to a halt. - The President is the leader of the executive. As head of that office he holds tremendous powers on his own. And an entire federal government bureaucracy to implement his plans. One of the more famous (notorious?) and fundamental of Presidential powers include the power to issue an executive order, a controversial, ambiguous, and altogether powerful tool that is comparable to decrees or edicts if one is to find a historical equivalent. Just how powerful it is can be recognized in how Roosevelt imprisoned Japanese-Americans en mass through an executive order. Also, as the head executive, he appoints people to various jobs, from a minister, a head of a commission, etc. Appointing people implies actual power, obviously enough. - Lastly, he can directly appeal to the People for support, so they could create grass-roots pressure on the Legislative and all. That isn't done very often though. Or much at all. Basically when they make these promises of policy can they actually guarantee (or at least give a good grounding for assurance) that they can implement it? Like all politics, nothing is absolutely certain. Some Presidents are better at implementing their ideas than others, and all are affected by the circumstances during their tenure, some more than others. Roosevelt put through the New Deal, Reagan his...whatever he was doing, and even Bush, who had to go through the 9/11 crisis, managed to implement some of his campaign promises, for example the No Child Left Behind Act. Also, I read that New Hampshire has a large ≈43%? independent population...does that mean that the non-independents are registered for a single party and can only vote for that parties candidates? Why are independants allowed to vote for the candidates of other parties? Is this whole Democrat/Republican/Independant/Other imposed by the people rather than by law? Laws and party rules differ by State, and the system is a combination of both. Not all states do primaries either; remember that Iowa, the first State to get to select a Presidential candidate, has a caucus. New Hampshire is the first primary, and SalarymanJoe said all I need to I think. It's a state where independents are allowed to vote in party primaries, so people are more inclined to stay "with options." If you think it's idiosyncratic, undemocratic, or whatever; you are sharing the opinion with a sizable group of Americans. [/OT] |
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MokonaModoki
 Posts: 437 Location: Austin, Texas |
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I laughed when I read this, because I often feel just the opposite. Songs in other languages (anything from j-pop/rock to opera) are often more palatable to me precisely because I don't have to understand the lyrics to the songs. Crappy lyrics can ruin a perfectly well-crafted catchy tune for me. Which is not to say that I don't find a well-written song in English just as enjoyable (or far more so), just that they are far too rare. Then again, I'm not a sing-along sort of guy (my singing paralyzes small animals), and I tend to consider the singing voice as just another musical instrument.
I'm not a "fervent Internet supporter" (not even a fan, per se), and the flake was very flaky, but the assessment of Ron Paul as a racist (if Nelson Linder says he isn't that carries weight with me) or lunatic (as a guess I would suspect this has something to do with his position on abortion?) just seems a bit off. And the use of libertarian as a pejorative in line with racist and lunatic is just offensive.
Hmm... he would indeed favor abolishing many of them, but the reasons for doing are rooted in sound libertarian and constitutionalist principles, not lunacy. A significantly large part of most federal agency bureaucracies are completely unnecessary and primarily exist only to sustain their own existence. They also provde the executive of the executive branch himself with far more power than a president should ever have. |
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Roy9076
 Posts: 286 Location: California |
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I'm not whole nitpicky on hearing the "offspring" of anime and manga. Saying anime and manga gets straight to the point but in the English langugage, there are more ways of saying one specific meaning. Besides, I thought anime were cartoon and manga were comic book, but I just see them as JAPAN cartoon and cartoon. Really, elitism is something only hardcore fans/otaku would really care. ¬.¬ *
Is it me or watching anime trailers is pointless? I watch it only once that comes in the DVD preview and then I just later ignore it. If I still remember the trailer then I'll look into the show. I used to be hardcore into the whole J-music section and then I simply stop. Now I just listen to music of any kind of any language and enjoy. Heh, it's understandable that people listen to music for lyrics, but I rather have the beats and the music. Lyrics are nice, but in the end, to me, they are all about the same. However, what I find annoying is that otaku think they are J-music lovers simply because they like the OP and ED of an anime. I would bitch about it, but then the whole "division" has been mixed and so would be pointless on even trying. It'll be too long and I don't feel to explain. Blah, Ron Paul. What's up with the anime community is that they are defensive about the medium and willing to support anyone who are with them. Dirty trick on politicians who wants support from the young crowd and this isn't different from trying to appeal to gamers and rock/metal lovers in previous candidate support. * Best part about those crowd is that I can mess with them. In cons, I go up to people and simply ask questions like "Man, I love this Japanese cartoon" to "(insert manga) is an awesome comic!" Man, when you get those elite otaku, they actually make you have it! Further messing with them is actually talking to otaku who uses "Wapanese" talk in actual Japanese and using popular sayings and mixing them into a different saying which confuses otakus and willing to take a stab on what I meant, but of course a lot of them go "Eeetooo..." and once in a while I get a "Watashi wa wakarinai desu." |
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samuelp
Industry Insider
Posts: 2231 Location: San Antonio, USA |
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I hope that's a [sic] on the last part, there... |
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Leebo
 Posts: 660 Location: Somerville, MA |
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Zac put his opinion bluntly, but Ron Paul did publish a racist newsletter, and there are parts of it that read as though he was the one writing certain racist segments (despite the authors being unclear). Whether or not he wrote it is irrelevant though, his name was on it.
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18200 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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Thankfully that's not true, as I've always disliked copycats. 
I will not disagree that some anime trailers are total crap or shoddily made; the ones that just provide the opener, or no translation whatsoever, irk me because it shows no effort was put into it, and occasionally I have run across trailers after the fact that were misleading about representing the series. I will also not disagree that, on average, anime trailers don't stand up well against trailers for American TV series or movies, but you're also talking about vastly different advertising funding levels there so that's to be expected. ADV isn't the only dog in the anime industry on trailers, however, nor would it be fair to say that all or even most of their trailers are crap; I consider their very first trailer for Le Chevalier d'Eon (the one they had on late 2006/early 2007 volumes) to be one of the best anime trailers I've ever seen, for instance. To give people an idea of what truly good anime trailers look like, ones that are edited expertly and represent their series extremely well, I've included links below to the ones I've mentioned before for Ai Yori Aoshi and Le Chevalier. Most people should be able to determine quite well from those trailers alone whether or not the series will suit them. (Notably, they are both approx. 1:30 length trailers.) Ai Yori Aoshi trailer Le Chevalier d'Eon first trailer |
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mike.motaku
 Posts: 160 Location: Indiana |
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Wow. I can certainly see why most anime forums forbid certain topics and in this one we've already had Mao, Stalin, and Hitler invoked. Isn't that some kind of trifecta? And now we can all just breathe... and release... breathe... and release...
Re: Trailers. Useful for letting me know something about the story, characters, and animation. Which, coupled with other research online that does not include fansubs, is usually enough for me to reach a decision. TV has reached a barely tolerable point with me, with all the pop-up ads DURING the frieakin' shows, so that's out. Heck, 5 minutes of Le Chevalier D'Eon's 1st episode, streamed legally online, was enough for me to decide I needed to get it. This rationalization people contort themselves with? "I need to see the whole thing for free first before I can decide if I want to pay for it." I am honestly surprised any American companies even bother looking at fansub sites anymore to see what's popular. It would seem to be more an indicator of what's NOT going to sell, because "Hey, I've already seen it." "I already got the whole thing for free." (insert excuse here) After all, what is the very first thing that happens whenever a new license is announced? Bucketloads of fans, many of them the same people who BEGGED for the show in the first place, listing all the reasons they absolutely refuse to buy it. Any surprise the industry is in the state it is in now went out the window years ago. See, the way this works is you get a taste for free. That taste lets you make a choice to get more or not. More, however, is gonna cost you. And each level of "more" after that costs even more. You watch the trailer for, say, Cloverfield. That's your taste. You decide from that to plunk down your ten bucks to see the whole thing or not. You decide from that whether or not to get a dvd when it comes out or wait for the director's cut. Every step of the way there is a return to the creators of that material that supplies the impetus for them to keep creating that product. Stealing it takes away that impetus. Should the anime companies take advantage of the new distribution streams open online? Yes. The sooner the better. Should they get paid for doing so? Absolutely. Companies can go broke pretty dang quick if they give their product away for free. And most of us don't want that. As to the "Answerfan" questions lately? They put me in mind of those lovely souls out there who, upon seeing anything they don't like, claim to be able to do better themselves or to be related to the most awesomely cool grandmother in the world who can do whatever it is better than that. To them I say 2 things: Put up or shut up. And, for those who whine about not having the financial wherewhithal to do it, : Makoto Shinkai. Get grandma crackin'! |
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Zac
ANN Executive Editor
 Posts: 7912 Location: Anime News Network Technodrome |
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http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=74978161-f730-43a2-91c3-de262573a129 I'm sorry I offended you, but I find Libertarianism to be pretty offensive all by itself. |
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GregZor
 Posts: 25 Location: Northeast Ohio |
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The idea that Libertarianism is offensive and racist is a sign that you DO NOT understand Libertarianism at all. The basis is that EVERYONE is created equal no matter skin color or social status and that everyone has the right to do whatever they please with their own bodies without the government stepping in and telling them what they can or cannot do. Calling Dr. Paul a "lunatic"? Way to be a pawn to the mainstream media and simply go with the flow of listening to them throw out sound clips insinuating he's racist without even backing up their lie. NAACP President Nelson Linder, who has known Ron Paul for 20 years, unequivocally dismissed charges that the Congressman was a racist in light of recent smear attempts. You CANNOT be a racist Libertarian, and on top of a racist, people believe him to be a lunatic for the reason that he's not some smooth-talking politician throwing out generic sugar-coated feel-good lies. What does this say about America today? It's a damn shame that you allow your next president to be chosen by the media and the corporations. Ron DID NOT write those newsletters. On CNN he defending himself and spoke about how he is NOT a racist and how he will in fact do MORE for minorities than any other candidate. But I guess you didn't care to look into his rebuttal did you? You were satisfied believing snippets such as "Ron is racist" since it's easier than investigating the real issue. http://youtube.com/watch?v=A6rxts0-f9w I also find it VERY offensive that you decided to post a "Flake of the Week" that happened to be a Ron Paul supporter. Would you have done the same if it was an Obama or Huckabee supporter? You should have ignored the letter and moved on. You got trolled...HARD. This is a site about anime and there should NOT be any sort of campaigning being done in any of the articles on this website. Way to use your status as "Answerman" to try to push your slanted political views on the young and impressionable. |
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