Forum - View topicNEWS: "Hollowing Out" of Japan's Anime Industry
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jaybug39
 Posts: 552 Location: Oregon, Is it FOOTBALL yet? |
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Ok, so what? It just means that Japan is about 20 years behind America. When we had to start importing all the hard work, instead of being able to afford to do this ourselves. I mean the Simpson's have always been animated in Korea, not here.
This could be why Tim Burton began to direct live-action movies, instead of making Disney animations. It'll be pretty tough for a few years, but something will work out. As long as people actually buy what is produced. Have a little faith. |
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Rakushun
 Posts: 116 Location: Hawaii |
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This may worry the animation industry in Japan, but on the flipside the animation industries in China and Korea are getting a big boost. They get to draw technical expertise from Japan and build their own pool of talented animators. The non-Japanese "anime" I've seen so far is pretty bad, but if the current trend continues they may catch up to Japan in quality.
This may be bad in the short term for Japan, but good in the long term for the "East Asian Anime Sphere". |
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Fronzel
Posts: 1906 |
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What's going to happen when the world runs out of poor countries to do all the work?
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Samurai-with-glasses
 Posts: 628 |
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"East Asian Anime Sphere?" That name is sooo funny. It reminds me of, erm, a certain other East Asian Sphere : P
Interesting article. But I doubt it's going to be that big of a problem in the long run. Most anime weren't really that well animated anyway; it was always more of a budget issue for each series than a talent shortage. |
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mistress_reebi
Posts: 735 Location: Canada |
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I heard that Japanese voice actors don't get paid very well. 1 million yen a year for a poor country is not bad. It may be considered welfare in North America, but for developing nations it's the opposite. 250 hours a month is horrible, but then again if it isn't for outsourcing more people would be starving. Sweat shops are actually helping out the developing countries economy. They may be treated as slaves, but without one million yen a year a family could starve to death.
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nailz
 Posts: 30 Location: USA |
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Remember the first 20 or so episodes of Naruto? The detail, the crispness...all lost. Now it's a show where the characters look weirdly different in each frame. It's horrible. How much do you think they make on Naruto merchandise alone? I bet it's enough to hire better animators. *snort*
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Sydney2K
Posts: 219 Location: Australia |
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This is the US animation industry's state redux in Japan.
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Iritscen
 Subscriber Posts: 799 |
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Yes it is, and that's not good. Of course, I think we as anime fans have been aware of this trend for a while; you don't have to be a genius to notice Korean studios popping up in anime credits.
As has been pointed out, all our cartoons on TV (barring the really independent productions, like that Courage the Cowardly Dog cartoon, that are done in tiny studios domestically) are animated in Asia. The really interesting thing is watching the Batman animated series that started in '92, and cross-referencing quality of animation with the studio in the credits afterwards. I got to the point where I could name the studio while watching the episode. It wasn't even hard. Dong Yang (the primary Korean studio they used) did a competent job with most of their assignments, but even Sunrise generally outdid them, and Sunrise was the poorest Japanese animator on Batman. The best were Tokyo Movie Shinsha and another whose name I don't recall now (Edit: Spectrum, I believe). Anyway, it's clear that the Japanese have the most skilled animators right now, so that's why I don't like seeing outsourcing of anime, not because I'm just pro-Japan in general. But if Korea (and even China) can catch up to Japan in skill, then things might work out. The problem of separation between creators and animators is still not good, though. The producers of Batman:TAS had various tribulations to deal with in trying to communicate their intent to the Asian animators, such as explaining why Batman can't fly even though he wears a cape. So the cultural/linguistic divide would still be a problem in this East Asian Anime Sphere. |
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Keonyn
 Subscriber Posts: 5567 Location: Coon Rapids, MN |
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I don't quite buy in to that statement that Japan has the most skilled animators. They have more, obviously, since the market is larger in Japan. The market elsewhere doesn't exist to truly demonstrate or exhibit the capabilities of animators in those locations. However, as is evident in animated theatrical features domestically that are not produced overseas there are still a number of domestic animators that are certainly as skilled, the market here just doesn't exist. Don't make the mistake of assuming a lack of marketability and product is equivalent to a lack of skilled labor however, common misconception but it is an error regardless. Not to mention the domestic market has turned down a different route in that most US animation is now CG and is done in pictures in conjunction with live action, it's just a different type of evolution of the same medium.
As for Japan outsourcing, it was bound to happen and it's bound to happen more. It's not an incredibly profitable industry, even in Japan, and of course anyone who might be complaining who views specifically through fansubs really has no right to complain as they are part of the problem. When it becomes cheaper to outsource and the profits are low the decision becomes obvious. Korean animation won't grow without material to grow with, so it might work out, but there's a possibility the standards will just remain lower and the quality will remain low as well. It's unfortunate, but honestly not all that surprising. |
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Mohawk52
 Posts: 8202 Location: England, UK |
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I saw an article at the Anime News Service that said that even North Korea is a big contributor to animation, and that it's mad leader even has a large collection of animes.
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Mindless Watcher
Posts: 68 |
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So does that make Pocahontas a US-North Korean co-production?
 I'd like to see Kim Jong Il's anime list. Maybe somebody could convince him to enter it here.
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Tyrenol
Posts: 398 Location: Northern California |
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Huh? What are you saying? "Sweatshops are good overall?" I thought the point of developed contries were to stop the use of sweatshops by underdeveloped countries. Don't you know that, every time a major company "outsources" jobs, our own end up jobless and at the welfare lines? Plus: Cost-cutting by companies DO NOT a sleeker product MAKE. How many anime titles this fall's 2006 season? Why is it that companies do a lot of "correcting" for DVD? Where's "Get the job done right the first time" at? Remember the "six fingers" of some anime characters here and there? The "moe look" on male characters? And finally? Why does the US not have an animation studio that we know of besides Disney? Would these rich crybabies worry about going broke? 
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Vicserr
 Posts: 480 Location: Carolina, Puerto Rico USA |
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Well guys, you're seeing what happened in the US 20 years back now in Japan, basically as animation is now being done in China, Korea and India, the home market talent pool is drying out. only experimental, small house anime studios and Ghibli will be production in country. the only good thing that will happen is that the works in China, Korea and India will get better quality-wise, but when animation get too expensive to produce even then, probably companies will find somewhere else to do it for less
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Iritscen
Subscriber Posts: 799 |
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Yeah, probably the Phillippines. No, really.
As far as Kim Jong-Il having "animes" in his collection, where does the article say that? It says he's a film connoisseur, not an animation connoisseur. |
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Pierce
Posts: 2 |
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There seems to be a bit of confusion as to which country produces the highest quality animation.
-As a suggestion, I think we should take a moment and organize a global list that shorts the quality of each country's 2-D animation ability, that begins with the most proficient country at the top, and the least talented, lowest quality animation producing country, at the bottom. Studios corresponding to their respective countries could also be included if you would like. Here's my sample list: 1. America (Disney Feature Animation/Fox Animation Studios) 2. Ireland-England/ France (Sullivan Bluth Studios/Marathon Animation ) 3. Japan 4. South Korea (Dong Woo/ Young Woo/ Sun Woo) 5.Taiwan (Wang Film Productions) 6. Philippines (Pacific Animation) 7. India (Toonz Studio) 8.China |
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