Forum - View topicAnswerman - Why Are Compilation Films Made?
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EmperorBrandon
Encyclopedia Editor
Posts: 2214 Location: Springfield, MO |
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Selector Destructed Wixoss is kind of like the Anohana movie in that it has some recapped material, but I wouldn't really call it a "compilation movie" as it is not at all meant to stand on its own. You have to watch the entire TV series before you can appreciate what it's doing. |
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Gina Szanboti
Posts: 11543 |
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I think it has to do with who pays to put it on the air. As I understand it, in Japan it's the production companies who pay the tv stations to have their product aired (and who in turn are partly paid by advertisers who get credited in the eyecatch). If few people are going to watch the reruns, or if reruns don't generate significant new sales, they're not worth paying for. In the US at least, the networks paid for the original production costs of x number of episodes ordered (historically 24-26, but sometimes as many as 30), and recouped that through advertising. In the past, when choices were limited, reruns were shown around holidays and over the summer when there were fewer viewers anyway, but they could still get new advertising revenue without new expenditures. With cable and Netflix, that's changed a little, but that's why it was set up that way to begin with. The studios that produce tv series really don't see much money until they go into syndication, at which time they can rake it in with separate deals for every market. |
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epicwizard
Posts: 420 Location: Ashburn, VA |
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I used to wonder about this quite often. In this day and age with Internet streaming, I think that compilation anime films don't really have much of a purpose anymore. Yeah they're cash grabbers and very easy and cheap to make, but Japanese folks are better off watching a particular anime series on Yahoo GYAO! (or another streaming service like U-NEXT) if they missed the TV airings and don't want to spend a ton of cash on the expensive Blu-rays or DVDs.
Each volume of an anime series would sometimes cost ¥11,000? That's pretty ridiculous if you ask me. |
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crosswithyou
Posts: 2895 Location: California |
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Regarding re-runs in Japan, while still not as common as syndicated shows in the U.S., they are happening with a little more frequency, though usually coupled with an upcoming series sequel or movie. They may not re-run the entire series however, only a selection of episodes.
For example, with Kuroshitsuji's Book of the Atlantic coming up, TV Tokyo has been re-running a selection of episodes from the TV series each week. Natsume Yuujinchou also got the same treatment before the fifth season started. As mentioned in the article, it's used as marketing to hype up new upcoming material. Sometimes you may find re-runs of older series like DBZ. I think there's a timeslot on one of the channels dedicated to anime classics. You'll mostly find full re-runs of older series on cable channels like Animax and AT-X, but those are pretty expensive to subscribe to (about $20 a month per channel, I think). That said, probably why you don't find re-runs on regular TV as much is just because airtime comes at a premium and there aren't as many free channels compared to the U.S. There's maybe 12 or so regular channels on chi-digi (DTV), and perhaps another 5-8 or so free channels on BS (broadcast satellite). Anything else you have to pay extra to subscribe to. OT but while cable is more expensive in Japan than in the U.S. considering the number of channels you get for the same price, one advantage Japan has is that everything, including free channels, is in HD and you don't have to pay extra for HD service. |
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walw6pK4Alo
Posts: 9322 |
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Do You Remember Love isn't a compilation, it's just an entirely new film that sort of follows the same storyline as the series. It's a re-imagining or remake or what have you, same with Escaflowne: A Girl in Gaea. They're summarized theatrical versions that differ, but they never just lift footage, which is what the compilations so easy and desirable, because most of the tough work is already finished. Their purpose doesn't carry over to the West, their purpose is to get money from a wider audience who maybe missed an initial broadcast, and to just see the thing you like on the big screen in a movie theater. Even for shit you've already seen recut in an incomprehensible mess, that can be exciting. I just wish I could get an edited version of all these new compilations that remove all of the old content and play like a deleted scenes bonus feature of just the newly animated stuff. It's one thing to cut the chaff like the Gundam Trilogy did, but those are probably the only compilations worth anyone's time. |
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#861208
Posts: 423 |
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I've heard a saying, "A British person thinks a hundred miles is a long way, and an American thinks a hundred years is a long time". Something similar, possibly?
This. Also, I'd imagine the new scenes will tell us a lot about what direction the sequel will take. I'd imagine that if they're getting all the materials back out to do the new scenes and sequel, they might reanimate in a few places where they think it needs it. I wonder if the last one will give any indication of how he's spoiler[alive. Did he die and come back (as "resurrection" implies) or did he never die?] . . . . . . . if they confirm that ridiculous "cart driver" thing, I'll be pretty annoyed. I'll accept it, but... it's not something he'd do. |
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explosionforgov
Posts: 80 Location: United States of America |
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The only compilation films I've seen are the first two Madoka Magicka films. I've never really seen the series itself. But I don't feel like I'm missing any information by not watching the series itself. I may go back and watch it anyways at some point, though. So I view them like "greatest hits" albums. Watch them to get a taste of a series, go back and watch it in full if it's something you like.
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MarshalBanana
Posts: 5481 |
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@walw6pK4Alo I know that Escaflowne: A Girl in Gaea is a alternative retelling that's why I didn't mention it. I've never seen Do You Remember Love?, but what people said about it, made it sound like a compilation film. In its place I will leave Plus instead.
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KH91
Posts: 6176 |
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To this day, I still get pissed off about that because I love SD so much. Biggest F U to fans I will never forget. |
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Kalessin
Posts: 931 |
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I confess that compilation films tend to piss me off. They just seem like a total cash grab. They offer pretty much nothing new of value. And when they do have new content, you have to wade through hours of poor versions of stuff you've already seen to get the new stuff. And you usually don't even know if the new stuff is worth anything or even where it is in the film without watching it - and probably watching the whole film just to get at the small scraps of new material. And sometimes, you don't even know ahead of time whether there's new material or not.
Justin's explanation makes it so that they make more sense, but I still hate the fact that they're made. It wouldn't be quite as bad if they never had new material, but they often do, and at least sometimes, it's not something that you'd want to miss. So, you're torn between buying them in the hopes of getting some new tidbits for a show that you really liked and avoiding paying a bunch of money for something that is clearly 99% a waste of money even in the best case. So, the whole situation is a mess IMHO. But then again, Japan's whole home video market is arguably a bit of a mess when you consider the prices and how unreliable it is to be able to buy stuff if you don't snatch it up right when it first comes out. |
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walw6pK4Alo
Posts: 9322 |
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Yeah, DYRL is exactly the same as the Escaflowne movie, where it's more or less the same basic story retold with entirely new animation. DYRL tends to be seen as a masterpiece that improves on the TV series, or replaces it entirely (as it sort of has in-universe in various ways), while the opinion isn't overwhelming positive toward Escaflowne. There was also that Eureka Seven movie a few years back that was also an alternative retelling. Big point is, even if you're just re-imagining the series again, doing it with entirely new animation is always better than just a shoddily thrown together compilation. |
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HeeroTX
Posts: 2046 Location: Austin, TX |
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I don't know if this is entirely true, especially in cases like Madoka Magica where you're trying to sell a new movie. Reason being, much like sub purists can't understand why anyone would WANT to watch a dub, there are people that don't WANT to watch a TV series but will watch a movie (possibly even if they're the (practically) the same length in terms of time). There are definitely people that will balk at watching something if they need to watch a full season (or more) of material to be "up to speed", but will watch one or two movies to watch (what would be) a completed trilogy. I don't know if there's any people that would watch, say a "recap movie" of big chunks of One Piece in order to watch later One Piece or a film, mainly because I don't think you can compellingly claim that 1 or 2 movies accurately distills the "essence" of the previous 700 eps. But you could probably convince people it is worthwhile for something like Sword Art Online, or Attack on Titan. For that matter, I could see people buying a Death Note compilation movie just to pitch to friends that don't want to watch the full series but would watch a movie. |
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mrsatan
Posts: 912 |
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I can see why people hate these, and I don't really see the point in licensing them and releasing them in the USA.
However, I've sampled so many shows this way that I would have never had the time/interest to watch. For example, I don't think I would have ever watched 79 episodes of Ashita no Joe. But 152 minutes I can do. |
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walw6pK4Alo
Posts: 9322 |
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Same goes for something like the 1982 Queen Millennia film, which just distills the horribly slow TV series into something watchable and more interesting. Almost the same applies to Galaxy Express 999's films, you don't necessarily have to sit through 113 episodes unless you want the full experience of visiting 100 worlds and Maetel nuking half of them.
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