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Chicks On Anime - 2008-10-07


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zanarkand princess



Joined: 27 Oct 2007
Posts: 1484
PostPosted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 12:51 am Reply with quote
I thought that it was interesting to speak to someone who is in the industry but still a newcomer to the anime scene as a whole. I find it interesting that we don't get (want?) to hear from these people so often yet we more often hear from their japanese counterparts. I think that we should appreicate the people who work in the american industry more because they are the ones that make these shows accessible to us (legally anyway) and they do deserve some of the love that the people in the japanese get right?

Even though I do agree about fans wanting to be in the industry and not knowing what it entails I myself have been considering VA work and even producing as a career choice but that's more because I'm a person who has a passion for those things and just happens to be an anime fan not than the other way around. Anime hyper
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yojimboray



Joined: 18 Aug 2008
Posts: 108
PostPosted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 1:44 pm Reply with quote
Kyogissun wrote:
I agree on that whole factor of the delusion of fans wanting to work in the industry. You can't have a passion for a hobby and think you could work IN the industry surrounding the hobby.

They either A: actually have the passion for the job they'd be taking, be it something concerning marketing, production, translating or whatever or B: they lack understanding of what they'd be doing.

Much like how I don't think someone who likes jewelry/collects rocks for a hobby and thinks they could be a geologist...

Granted Earth Sciences and anime are... a fairly WIDE difference of career paths, I believe the point is made. Don't think you can you can do a job related to something you like, just because you like it.

EXCEPT for making casual games, any idiot with a couple of months experience with the right software can make the next Bejeweled.

Couldn't disagree agree with you more! I believe one of the problems with anime and manga in the U.S. is that a lot of the people working in the industry are like Bamboo's guest- they do not really have any affection or understanding of the product. I think this show up in things like the quality of American voice acting and dialogue (although both of these have vastly, vastly improved from 5+ years ago) and the glut of bad material clogging up shelf space that is partially responsible for the industry slump (we won't buy anything and everything just because it comes from Japan!).
My hope is that some of you guys who are true fans of anime and manga get jobs in the industry and improve things for us fans who have to work in the real world.
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Redbeard 101
Oscar the Grouch
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Joined: 14 Aug 2006
Posts: 16935
PostPosted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 3:37 pm Reply with quote
yojimboray wrote:

Couldn't disagree agree with you more! I believe one of the problems with anime and manga in the U.S. is that a lot of the people working in the industry are like Bamboo's guest- they do not really have any affection or understanding of the product. I think this show up in things like the quality of American voice acting and dialogue (although both of these have vastly, vastly improved from 5+ years ago) and the glut of bad material clogging up shelf space that is partially responsible for the industry slump (we won't buy anything and everything just because it comes from Japan!).
My hope is that some of you guys who are true fans of anime and manga get jobs in the industry and improve things for us fans who have to work in the real world.


Sorry to burst your little fantasy bubble here but welcome to the REAL WORLD, and not you're little version of it. Not everyone "loves" their job or the product their job creates. Plenty of people get a job to pay their bills, keep a roof over their head, and buy food and nothing more. Whether or not an employee personally likes/loves the product their company makes does not inherently mean the product is somehow inferior. As long as the employee knows how to do their job and works hard at it the product will still be of high quality. And I would also say understanding a product and liking it are two completely separate things. I can know all the ins and outs of a particular product, including how it's made, it's history, etc..., but still not personally like it. So I think you need to come back to the real world a bit.

If you wanna blame somebody for piss poor plots and mediocre titles trying blaming the Japanese companies who churn out carbon copy titles. Or, blame your precious true fans who buy said mediocre titles because without them the Japanese companies wouldn't keep making them. But I forgot, the Japanese companies are gods right and don't mess anything up. Wink
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zanarkand princess



Joined: 27 Oct 2007
Posts: 1484
PostPosted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 4:37 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
Couldn't disagree agree with you more! I believe one of the problems with anime and manga in the U.S. is that a lot of the people working in the industry are like Bamboo's guest- they do not really have any affection or understanding of the product. I think this show up in things like the quality of American voice acting and dialogue (although both of these have vastly, vastly improved from 5+ years ago) and the glut of bad material clogging up shelf space that is partially responsible for the industry slump (we won't buy anything and everything just because it comes from Japan!).
My hope is that some of you guys who are true fans of anime and manga get jobs in the industry and improve things for us fans who have to work in the real world



You don't seem to understand that you don't have to buy sucky
anime because the japanese industry doesn't care about us anyway Rolling Eyes

It's like if it goes to america fine but they don't really care so I also don't understand why we act like they are gods when the american anime companies are the only ones actually thinking about us in the first place. You cannot seriously think that it's funimations fault that 200 god awful dating sim adaptions and lame mecha musume type shows come out each month right? It's not. That's what they are making in japan and that's what japanese otaku like so that's what we get because once again we are not really anyones concern when anime is being made. By the way are japanese voice actors really so much better than american ones?


Last edited by zanarkand princess on Fri Oct 10, 2008 5:37 pm; edited 1 time in total
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doctordoom85



Joined: 12 Jun 2008
Posts: 2091
PostPosted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 5:01 pm Reply with quote
zanarkand princess wrote:
By the way are japanese voice actors really so much better than american ones?


On average, I'd say they're slightly better, BUT I think recently the dub's are getting better cast than the subs. Most seiyus are still well-picked, but sometimes the casting is just wrong for a certain character's age/gender/etc.

However, I give the edge to the dub usually, because hearing it in my own language gives me a better reaction to emotional moments and humor.
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yojimboray



Joined: 18 Aug 2008
Posts: 108
PostPosted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 5:28 pm Reply with quote
Psycho 101 wrote:
yojimboray wrote:

Couldn't disagree agree with you more! I believe one of the problems with anime and manga in the U.S. is that a lot of the people working in the industry are like Bamboo's guest- they do not really have any affection or understanding of the product. I think this show up in things like the quality of American voice acting and dialogue (although both of these have vastly, vastly improved from 5+ years ago) and the glut of bad material clogging up shelf space that is partially responsible for the industry slump (we won't buy anything and everything just because it comes from Japan!).
My hope is that some of you guys who are true fans of anime and manga get jobs in the industry and improve things for us fans who have to work in the real world.


Sorry to burst your little fantasy bubble here but welcome to the REAL WORLD, and not you're little version of it. Not everyone "loves" their job or the product their job creates. Plenty of people get a job to pay their bills, keep a roof over their head, and buy food and nothing more. Whether or not an employee personally likes/loves the product their company makes does not inherently mean the product is somehow inferior. As long as the employee knows how to do their job and works hard at it the product will still be of high quality. And I would also say understanding a product and liking it are two completely separate things. I can know all the ins and outs of a particular product, including how it's made, it's history, etc..., but still not personally like it. So I think you need to come back to the real world a bit.

If you wanna blame somebody for piss poor plots and mediocre titles trying blaming the Japanese companies who churn out carbon copy titles. Or, blame your precious true fans who buy said mediocre titles because without them the Japanese companies wouldn't keep making them. But I forgot, the Japanese companies are gods right and don't mess anything up. Wink


"But I forgot, the Japanese companies are gods right and don't mess anything up."
USA! USA! Does that reassure you a little?
Now, try to understand what I'm saying. There is some awesome anime and manga out there, but I think we can agree that there are a ton of bad ones. A person who appreciated these forms of entertainment would be a little more selective in what came over here as opposed to a person who just wants to "pay the bills" or put a "roof over their heads." In addition, a fan would be more careful in the production of the product for the US market (although, like I said before, things have improved quite a bit).

Quote:
"Or, blame your precious true fans who buy said mediocre titles because without them the Japanese companies wouldn't keep making them."
The problem with the American anime/manga market, precious, is precisely that- there are too many mediocre titles and no one's buying, especially in this economy.


Last edited by yojimboray on Thu Oct 09, 2008 6:20 pm; edited 2 times in total
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yojimboray



Joined: 18 Aug 2008
Posts: 108
PostPosted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 6:14 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
You don't seem to understand that you don't have to buy sucky
anime because the japanese industry doesn't care about us anyway Rolling Eyes


The problem is, I live in the US and the anime/manga industry here is in poor shape right now, at least partially due to the fact that so much mediocre stuff got licensed. The weaker the industry, the less stuff that comes out. The less stuff that comes out, the less chance I'll find the kind of stuff that makes me a fan. I'd say of all the anime and manga I've seen over the years, less than 10% were worthwhile. But that 10% is what keeps me a fan.

Quote:
It's like if it goes to america fine but they don't really care so I d=alos don't understand why we act like they are gods when the american anime companies are the only ones actually thinking about us in the first place. You cannot seriously think that it's funimations fault that 200 god awful dating sim adaptions and lame mecha musume type shows come out each month right? It's not.
That's what they are making in japan and that's what japanese otaku like so that's what we get because once again we are not really anyones concern when anime is being made.

That's why I'd like people who are themselves fans working in the industry- so that they can filter out some of the crap that gets imported into the US. Most of my friends here pretty much equate anime with porn and Pokemon, period.

Quote:
By the way are japanese voice actors really so much better than american ones?


Generally, yes. Although recently, things have improved, e.g. Hell Girl. I believe the difference in quality comes down to one thing:

$$$- Unlike the U.S., anime is an important industry in Japan so production studios over there will spend more to get just the right voice talent for a character. Here, with much smaller production budgets, the primary concern is that the audience understand the words coming out of a character's mouth. Going by this this logic, I also believe that's why the voice acting in Disney and Pixar films are also superior to the standard American anime dubbing. It's just the difference between professionals and semi-pros.
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Top Gun



Joined: 28 Sep 2007
Posts: 4566
PostPosted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 7:34 pm Reply with quote
You don't hire "fans" to fulfill a certain position in a company; you hire people that you know are competent and will perform their tasks well. I'd rather have someone who had next to no interest in watching anime yet was a top-notch marketer working for FUNi than someone who has been watching series since 1980 yet can't promote anything to save his life.
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ANN_Bamboo
ANN Contributor


Joined: 05 Jan 2002
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 7:40 pm Reply with quote
yojimboray wrote:

Couldn't disagree agree with you more! I believe one of the problems with anime and manga in the U.S. is that a lot of the people working in the industry are like Bamboo's guest- they do not really have any affection or understanding of the product.


Actually, Funimation and ADV have a decent number of staff members who are anime fans. Marketing guru Lance Heiskell is one of the biggest anime fans I know, and he's incredibly dedicated to his work.

However, there are other companies (won't name names) who have made it a policy not to hire anime fans, largely because that can sometimes interfere with their jobs. It's one thing to love your job-- it's another to love your end product so much that it distracts from your work, and that's what they want to be aware of.

But I disagree that having non-fan employees lowers the quality of work. As an employer, you want to hire the best person for the task, regardless of that person's hobbies.
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Servant of the Path



Joined: 15 Jun 2008
Posts: 90
Location: United States
PostPosted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 9:15 pm Reply with quote
SakechanBD wrote:
yojimboray wrote:

Couldn't disagree agree with you more! I believe one of the problems with anime and manga in the U.S. is that a lot of the people working in the industry are like Bamboo's guest- they do not really have any affection or understanding of the product.


Actually, Funimation and ADV have a decent number of staff members who are anime fans. Marketing guru Lance Heiskell is one of the biggest anime fans I know, and he's incredibly dedicated to his work.

However, there are other companies (won't name names) who have made it a policy not to hire anime fans, largely because that can sometimes interfere with their jobs. It's one thing to love your job-- it's another to love your end product so much that it distracts from your work, and that's what they want to be aware of.

But I disagree that having non-fan employees lowers the quality of work. As an employer, you want to hire the best person for the task, regardless of that person's hobbies.


I'm really glad someone brought up this point. When I read the column I really wanted Margot to say yes when Casey asked her if she thought she'd continue to watch anime after leaving the industry. It would be really nice for me to know, as a fan, that someone else in the industry loves what we here do but I can see how that might present potential liabilities for a company. Not to throw a dog turd in anyone's direction but it's pretty well known that there are more than a few overly-obsessive fans out there who would jump at the chance to enter the industry but when they have such a position they have to be objective enough to take a step back and do a professional job. I can't help but be reminded of a certain Steven Foster who was lambasted for his "adaptations" of the original scripts of some dub translations despite his being an anime enthusiast.
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yojimboray



Joined: 18 Aug 2008
Posts: 108
PostPosted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 10:09 pm Reply with quote
Top Gun wrote:
You don't hire "fans" to fulfill a certain position in a company; you hire people that you know are competent and will perform their tasks well.


The terms, "fan" and "competent"are not mutually exclusive. Also the word, "fan," does not translate as "raving maniac," i.e. otaku.

Quote:
I'd rather have someone who had next to no interest in watching anime yet was a top-notch marketer working for FUNi than someone who has been watching series since 1980 yet can't promote anything to save his life.
[/quote]

Hey, I agree with you. Perhaps if the manga/anime industry had done as you wish, the situation would not be as bad as it is now (at least here in the U.S.).
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yojimboray



Joined: 18 Aug 2008
Posts: 108
PostPosted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 10:47 pm Reply with quote
[quote="yojimboray"]
SakechanBD wrote:
yojimboray wrote:

Couldn't disagree agree with you more! I believe one of the problems with anime and manga in the U.S. is that a lot of the people working in the industry are like Bamboo's guest- they do not really have any affection or understanding of the product.


Actually, Funimation and ADV have a decent number of staff members who are anime fans. Marketing guru Lance Heiskell is one of the biggest anime fans I know, and he's incredibly dedicated to his work.

However, there are other companies (won't name names) who have made it a policy not to hire anime fans, largely because that can sometimes interfere with their jobs. It's one thing to love your job-- it's another to love your end product so much that it distracts from your work, and that's what they want to be aware of.

But I disagree that having non-fan employees lowers the quality of work. As an employer, you want to hire the best person for the task, regardless of that person's hobbies.


Unlike some previous replies [ahem]: Thank you for not telling me that I cannot differentiate between fantasy and reality. Thank you for not implying that I worship at the altar of the god, Japan. Thank you for not accusing me of believing that America is incompetent and Japan is all-wonderful. In short, thank you for disagreeing with me in an informative and rational manner.

I still disagree with you, but I feel that debating/arguing any further will push me into the dreaded "otaku" territory Smile.
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enurtsol



Joined: 01 May 2007
Posts: 14746
PostPosted: Fri Oct 10, 2008 10:51 pm Reply with quote
SakechanBD wrote:

However, there are other companies (won't name names) who have made it a policy not to hire anime fans, largely because that can sometimes interfere with their jobs. It's one thing to love your job-- it's another to love your end product so much that it distracts from your work, and that's what they want to be aware of.


It used to be (still is?) studios would avoid hiring seiyuu who are deep fans because they would have their own preconceptions about how their characters should sound like, instead of following the director's directions. Laughing
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