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NEWS: Warner Entertainment Japan Makes Foray Into TV Anime

Sounds like an attempt to cash-in on the current moe craze in Japan.

Sounds like an attempt to cash-in on the current moe craze in Japan.

Sounds like an attempt to cash-in on the current moe craze in Japan.

Although cashing in on a fad can be profitable at times, it can also close to bankruptcy and or cause you to sell off your business.

For bankruptcy, I am referencing to Borders. Although I personally enjoyed buying manga there when I still could (all the ones close by or somewhat with in reasonable distance have now all shut down) it was a great place to buy manga at a reasonable price. However, I think they might have relied to much on manga, even though for a while I remember it some series being so popular it was hard to keep some in stock.

But in this case with Warner, it's wait and see at this point. Although Moe is the newest craze in Japan now, I wonder how long it will be as popular now as it will be in several years. I'll admit, moe does bring in a big demographic now and some money to go with it, but it's hard to tell how long a fad will remain as strong as it was once it first started out.

Either way, Warner Entertainment is trying to cash in on the moe craze now and if it makes them money, all the better for them.

For bankruptcy, I am referencing to Borders. Although I personally enjoyed buying manga there when I still could (all the ones close by or somewhat with in reasonable distance have now all shut down) it was a great place to buy manga at a reasonable price. However, I think they might have relied to much on manga, even though for a while I remember it some series being so popular it was hard to keep some in stock.

clipeuh wrote:

Sounds like an attempt to cash-in on the current moe craze in Japan.

What? Like all those american idols clones and reality TV shows? Theres a lot of anime but not as many as all those reality TV shows and stuff like here.

I've already gone through this a few times already with sales figures, but moe does not bring the cash anymore than any other genre. Like enurtsol just mentioned, there's a ton of new anime shows, a fair amount of typical moe, and quite a lot (more actually) without too. Yet how many actually make it big? Take for example a recent Funi license: Shukufuku no Campanella, based on an eroge - by all accounts and by every measure people would use, you would assume, "Aha another moe + fanservice cash cow!" But you'd be entirely wrong: Absolutely terrible sales with less than 1k per vol (so low, the stats are unaccounted for most vols). I have a feeling Oretsuba (We Without Wings) will also suffer a similar fate in Japan. On the other hand Media Blasters hit the jackpot with Squid Girl among the moe shows.

So moe doesn't make money. SF/Fantasy doesn't make money. Drama doesn't make money, and so on. What makes money are shows people like enough to spend lots of money on, which could be 1 out of 100 for any given genre.

Besides, this article mentions that Warner Japan is producing two new shows. The other one being a "NEET detective" story... if anyone noticed. Even they know not to put all their eggs in one basket.

Problem: Campanella is an uninspired "moe meets fanservice" adaptation. Madoka is moe, has the storyline has strong impact, it sells. K-On! is moe, but at the same time it is SoL done right. Haruhi Suzumiya is moe, but has such an interesting premise.

Relying on moe will not guarantee success, but moe done right will create massive success. Prove me wrong if needed.

Ermat_46 wrote:

Problem: Campanella is an uninspired "moe meets fanservice" adaptation. Madoka is moe, has the storyline has strong impact, it sells. K-On! is moe, but at the same time it is SoL done right. Haruhi Suzumiya is moe, but has such an interesting premise. Relying on moe will not guarantee success, but moe done right will create massive success. Prove me wrong if needed.

Well I would argue that Madoka isn't moe in the way most define it, more like deconstructionist, dark fantasy, meta-trope-inverting-moe. In any case, sure, I agree moe can make money, which is no different from any other genre in that respect. However my point is that the idea of cashing in on moe bandwagon is totally silly when you consider how many shows out there that are not successful (the ones you mentioned are but a tiny fraction)

However my point is that the idea of cashing in on moe bandwagon is totally silly when you consider how many shows out there that are not successful