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INTEREST: Anime Characters for Tokyo Olympic Merchandise Revealed


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Freyanne



Joined: 06 Nov 2014
Posts: 216
PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 1:28 am Reply with quote
...Yeah, add me to the group of people not too keen about PreCure being an ambassador. Like mentioned earlier, I think if they were going to use PreCure, it should have either been the newest girls or the original ones. I guess Mahou was chosen for popularity reasons? This has me wondering: of all the PreCure series, which ones were the most popular?

Sailor Moon, Goku, Astro Boy, and Luffy makes total/obvious sense, though. Kinda iffy about Naruto getting in, and same goes to Shin-Chan (granted, I do know how popular he is in Japan).

peno wrote:
What shocked me most is the inclusion of Jibanyan. With all due respect, I don't think Yo-Kai Watch is more popular and worldwide known than Pokémon and Doraemon. So, the inclusion of Jibanyan over Pikachu or Doraemon is the least understandable choice for me. On the other hand, I am glad Astro made it. After all, it was Astro Boy who started the whole anime and manga business for what it is now. So, if there is anime character that deserves to be on this list, it's definitely Astro.

I adore Jibanyan like there's no tomorrow, and even I'm surprised that he got in over Doraemon and (especially) Pikachu. Hell, I would have thought Pikachu would have been a no-brainer for an Ambassador. Is Yokai Watch still a monster hit in Japan like it was a few years ago? I still remember reading a story about how Jibanyan replaced Pikachu for a McDonalds(?) calender.
I'm also happy about Astro Boy getting in. If not him, I wouldn't have minded if it was (Jungle Emperor) Leo that got in as well.
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AnimeLordLuis



Joined: 27 Jan 2015
Posts: 1626
Location: The Borderlands of Pandora
PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 1:34 am Reply with quote
Pretty much all of the characters who were chosen are the ones that I expect to be chosen since they popular worldwide though I am a little disappointed that Yugi Moto is not among them. Sad
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BodaciousSpacePirate
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Joined: 17 Apr 2015
Posts: 3019
PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 2:24 am Reply with quote
Freyanne wrote:
This has me wondering: of all the PreCure series, which ones were the most popular?


Heartcatch is usually considered the most popular among otaku. Mahou is pretty easy to explain to uninitiated foreigners, though ("they go to school for witches").

Freyanne wrote:
Kinda iffy about Naruto getting in, same goes to Shin-Chan (granted, I do know how popular he is in Japan).


Shin-Chan has been aired in a staggering number of non-English speaking countries.
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AkaRed



Joined: 13 Jan 2016
Posts: 411
PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 2:39 am Reply with quote
WANNFH wrote:
One Piece, Dragonball, Sailor Moon and Precure. Well, is it just me, or that merchandise totally sponsored by just Toei?


And 2020 can be also an excuse for a Sport Themed Sentai just wait
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Stuart Smith



Joined: 13 Jan 2013
Posts: 1298
PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 2:39 am Reply with quote
People seem to be assuming that cultural ambassadors have to be recognizable in America as opposed to the culture that they're representing. Just because some of those shows are not popular in America or even exist at all doesn't change the fact they are staples in Japanese culture and entertainment. People also need to remind themselves the world exists beyond America. Some of these shows have huge followings in other countries. America is not the be-all end-all of markets.

-Stuart Smith
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Hagaren Viper



Joined: 28 Apr 2011
Posts: 787
PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 3:50 am Reply with quote
Stuart Smith wrote:
People seem to be assuming that cultural ambassadors have to be recognizable in America as opposed to the culture that they're representing. Just because some of those shows are not popular in America or even exist at all doesn't change the fact they are staples in Japanese culture and entertainment. People also need to remind themselves the world exists beyond America. Some of these shows have huge followings in other countries. America is not the be-all end-all of markets.

-Stuart Smith


...Except nobody here is thinking strictly about America. Anyone who has even mentioned America at all has acknowledged worldwide popularity for whatever ambassador in one way or another.
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Shinuki



Joined: 23 Mar 2016
Posts: 122
PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 4:05 am Reply with quote
SWAnimefan wrote:
I agree, some of those characters are more out of recent popularity than status as Iconic. One being Naruto, he's only recognizable by a small community and was abandoned by Disney. I seriously doubt anyone will recognize him in the 2020 Olympics.


You really doesn't have any ideia of how huge is Naruto not only in Japan but mainly in the rest of the world right? Laughing
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Lactobacillus yogurti



Joined: 17 Aug 2011
Posts: 849
Location: Latin America
PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 4:08 am Reply with quote
I question why they didn't choose the most popular fictional sportspeople, and instead just chose some otaku favorites.

I think Tsubasa from Captain Tsubasa would've been a better choice.
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Hawkmonger



Joined: 30 May 2014
Posts: 440
PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 4:54 am Reply with quote
Lactobacillus yogurti wrote:
I question why they didn't choose the most popular fictional sportspeople, and instead just chose some otaku favorites.

I think Tsubasa from Captain Tsubasa would've been a better choice.

Also:
Prince of Tennis
Eyeshield 21
Slamdunk
Real (Better kept for the Paralympics?)
Haikyuu!!
That...one cycling manga that seems really popular...
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pauladls



Joined: 14 Jul 2014
Posts: 198
PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 5:08 am Reply with quote
This artículo is So 2016...
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ew121



Joined: 25 Nov 2014
Posts: 160
PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 5:25 am Reply with quote
SWAnimefan wrote:
I agree, some of those characters are more out of recent popularity than status as Iconic. One being Naruto, he's only recognizable by a small community and was abandoned by Disney. I seriously doubt anyone will recognize him in the 2020 Olympics.

Shinchan, he's just a crude character whose only known for showing his butt. Not excactly a positive rolemodel for the Olympics.
.


2/10 made me reply.
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NightRunner7



Joined: 29 Jul 2016
Posts: 14
PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 6:57 am Reply with quote
SWAnimefan wrote:
I agree, some of those characters are more out of recent popularity than status as Iconic. One being Naruto, he's only recognizable by a small community and was abandoned by Disney. I seriously doubt anyone will recognize him in the 2020 Olympics.


you're joking, right?
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BadNewsBlues



Joined: 21 Sep 2014
Posts: 6267
PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 8:00 am Reply with quote
SWAnimefan wrote:
I agree, some of those characters are more out of recent popularity than status as Iconic. One being Naruto, he's only recognizable by a small community and was abandoned by Disney.


One Piece was never very popular in the American market and got dumped by Fox and CN. But yet Naruto is only recognizable by a "small" community?

Last edited by BadNewsBlues on Wed Feb 08, 2017 9:10 am; edited 1 time in total
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Nonaka Machine Gun B



Joined: 03 Feb 2009
Posts: 825
PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 8:54 am Reply with quote
I think some folks severely underestimate Naruto's global reach. It's not my favorite series either, but it's staggering popularity cannot be denied. In terms of worldwide recognition, Naruto Uzumaki is totally in the ranks of Goku, Pikachu, and Astro.

I assume Pikachu will either eventually "join the team" here, or be the official mascot, if they don't decide to create a whole new character for that.
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NJ_



Joined: 31 Oct 2009
Posts: 3100
Location: Wallington, NJ
PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 9:51 am Reply with quote
Emma Iveli wrote:
Is anyone else amused by the fact they chose last year's Pretty Cure team for the 2020 ambassadors?


Not really, what made it funny was that they originally spelled their names wrong. Laughing

https://twitter.com/olympicchannel/status/822342462995857409

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