| ~Bunbunmaru News~ > Ask a *Blank* Archive |
| Ask a Staffer Ep. 2 - Vic Viper |
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| Rin Kagamine:
Yeah, way to wait until you have two days left Vic you moron. --- Quote from: Tengukami on February 23, 2011, 11:12:15 AM ---Will anime ever "mainstream" enough in the west to be regarded as a medium on par with film or music, and if so, how? --- End quote --- I dislike this question for one main reason: that it treats anime as its own genre, as opposed to a medium. Many of the problems that anime faces is because it is treated as its own genre of "Anime" instead of just being animated shows. To expand on this, anime deals with much different subject matter than normal TV shows (American for this, because that's what I'm used to). Like I mentioned before, anime focuses around high schoolers, which allows for large majority of people to relate - since they too went to high school - the American general populace doesn't want to watch high schoolers unless they're having a crazy teen sex comedy. Beyond that, anime is very cliched. American TV is as well, but cliched in a different way, a way that the populace will refuse to try and accept. What is probably the major reason comes down the money. Anime may be cheaper to produce on an episode basis, but trying to air a brand new show in the untested waters of prime-time TV will likely give a network exec the willies. A drop in viewership may lead to possible advertising partners pulling out, which results in lack of funding to further the series. Additionally, I imagine that anime would face a high chance of getting the ax if viewership plummets even slightly. In Japan, a large portion of anime airs very late at night, with is prime infomercial time back in the states. Why would a network exec pay to put a show on at 2 AM and only receive less than 10 minutes of advertising income instead of paying nothing for an infomercial and getting a full 30 minutes of advertising income? In addition, look at the anime that gets released in the mainstream currently. Almost without exception, it's movies by Academy Award winner Hayao Miyazaki and released by Disney with pockets deep enough to score A-list actors to voice the characters and can be released on the strength of both Miyazaki and hollywood talent. Even the big animated shows currently on TV have big names attached, and that name is Seth MacFarlane more often than not. Short of throwing money at A-list talent to attach their voices to anime and sell on that strength, anime as a whole has very little selling strength to the average family. There may be some things I'm forgetting, but it should be remembered that even in Japan anime is still pretty niche. |
| Tengukami:
--- Quote from: Vic Viper on February 28, 2011, 10:24:36 AM ---I dislike this question for one main reason: that it treats anime as its own genre, as opposed to a medium. Many of the problems that anime faces is because it is treated as its own genre of "Anime" instead of just being animated shows. --- End quote --- Hence why I called it a medium and not a genre. In fact, I also have a beef with people treating anime as a genre. But the fact remains that even entire mediums are relegated to the outskirts of the mainstream, or underground. Sadly, it seems anime as a medium will remain outside the mainstream, with all the misconceptions that it carries, due to the very reasons you named. |
| Letty Whiterock:
--- Quote from: Vic Viper on February 28, 2011, 10:24:36 AM ---Like I mentioned before, anime focuses around high schoolers, which allows for large majority of people to relate - since they too went to high school - the American general populace doesn't want to watch high schoolers unless they're having a crazy teen sex comedy. --- End quote --- This is easily the worst truth to ever come out of your mouth, right behind yukkuris being terrible. Reminds me of this: --- Quote ---Vampires Suck received almost universally negative reviews from critics and an approval rating of 4% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus being "Witlessly broad and utterly devoid of laughs, Vampires Suck represents a slight step forward for the Friedberg-Seltzer team." And on the Rotten Tomatoes Show, comedian Ron Babcock said that it's "scary that this movie made two million dollars more in it's opening weekend than Scott Pilgrim vs the World." He then proceeded to say "America, can you guys get your shit together?" --- End quote --- The American public has no taste AT ALL. |
| Rin Kagamine:
I adore animation as a medium, and that's really what drives me crazy. I can't really say it's anime's fault, it faces animation as a whole. Shows like Family Guy may not be targeted at children, but the maturity level for many of the jokes is quite juvenile. Occasionally you have a film like Persepolis or Waltz with Bashir that really defy the animation mold, but they are extremely rare. Even Pixar films are affected. Though there is plenty in the films for adults to enjoy, they are primarily aimed at children first - which was part of my chief complaint with Ratatouille. I agree with you. Anime has it even harder because it has to overcome both the animation issue and the foreign issue. EDIT: --- Quote from: Twilight Sparkle on February 28, 2011, 11:37:12 AM ---This is easily the worst truth to ever come out of your mouth, right behind yukkuris being terrible. Reminds me of this: The American public has no taste AT ALL. --- End quote --- I'm confused. I should have that that not all anime focuses on high schoolers, but I'll be goddamned if I don't think the American public is vastly closed-minded and tasteless. |
| Kilgamayan:
In this cartoon vein, what did you think of King of the Hill? |
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