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Is tokyopop going to release the GTO live action series?


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spikespiegel98



Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Posts: 93
PostPosted: Sat Feb 21, 2004 5:20 pm Reply with quote
Also are they planning to release the movie because i just started watching GTO and already i'm hooked!
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littlegreenwolf



Joined: 10 Aug 2002
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 21, 2004 5:21 pm Reply with quote
If they are they haven't announced it yet.
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lianncoop
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Joined: 28 Jul 2003
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 21, 2004 5:29 pm Reply with quote
I just don't see any of the live action series (GTO, Sailor Moon) coming to America. Their target audience is a Japanese one. Many of the situations/cultural references would probably make no sense to the general American public.
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MasterFuu



Joined: 27 May 2003
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Location: Phoenix, AZ
PostPosted: Sat Feb 21, 2004 5:35 pm Reply with quote
While many anime and live action titles wont make much sense to the average American audiences I think GTO would. Only thing that might be missunderstood would be the perverted teacher thing Anime smile. Otherwise I dont see anything wrong or different with GTO Live action.
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jmays
ANN Associate Editor


Joined: 29 Jul 2002
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Location: St. Louis, MO
PostPosted: Sat Feb 21, 2004 6:50 pm Reply with quote
lianncoop wrote:
I just don't see any of the live action series (GTO, Sailor Moon) coming to America. Their target audience is a Japanese one. Many of the situations/cultural references would probably make no sense to the general American public.

Nah, I disagree. Anime's done just fine over here, even with all the cultural elements intact. Live-action GTO is a great show, and I think it would have a decent chance of catching an audience in America.
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Godaistudios



Joined: 12 Jun 2003
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Location: Albuquerque, NM (the land of entrapment)
PostPosted: Sat Feb 21, 2004 10:11 pm Reply with quote
As much as I think it might be well recieved, I still find it to be unlikely for it to be picked up. Companies just aren't willing to take that risk. I'd love to be wrong on this one...
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spikespiegel98



Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Posts: 93
PostPosted: Sun Feb 22, 2004 11:29 pm Reply with quote
MasterFuu wrote:
While many anime and live action titles wont make much sense to the average American audiences I think GTO would. Only thing that might be missunderstood would be the perverted teacher thing Anime smile. Otherwise I don't see anything wrong or different with GTO Live action.


What do you mean by the perverted teacher thing? How will it be misunderstood? Did the show exaggerate the teachers or something?

I read somewhere that the last episode of the live action show was one of the most watched programs in japan, so it should be a good show.
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Godaistudios



Joined: 12 Jun 2003
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 23, 2004 3:29 am Reply with quote
Well... the problem with the commentary is that "average American audiences" aren't the type to watch foriegn entertainment. The problem is finding who to market the series to. Since there is a small amount of nudity which is used in the context of understanding some of Onizuka's character, it's not something that would be broadcast on T.V. There isn't much of a market in general for live action asian television and that's the main problem with it. As much as it is a wonderful series (and is my favorite incarnation of GTO) the biggest challenge it faces is that the only malleable audience it has to start off with is the very small market share of those who have already seen it. My basic take is like this... considering how hard it was for anime to make it into any kind of mainstream medium, live action GTO equally faces the challenge of convincing the anime fans that this is good stuff. It's like if 1% of the people in the U.S. liked anime and you only have 1% of that 1% who like this series here.

As far as the pervert teacher goes, Onizuka is probably as much of a pervert as the average male, he's just a bit less... tactful and more open to it. Smile
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jmays
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Joined: 29 Jul 2002
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 23, 2004 10:10 am Reply with quote
Hm, I guess I don't understand why anime fans would be so disinclined to try live-action GTO. There isn't a "market" for live-action Asian TV here because, well, it's very difficult to find any unless you're willing to blow $50 on an import.

Of course, it's all just speculation--anime's a proven success over here, while the live-action stuff hasn't really been tried before. But I think it has a lot more potential than you're willing to give it.
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Sword of Whedon



Joined: 17 Sep 2003
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 23, 2004 11:28 am Reply with quote
Given the fact that the series did so well in Japan, the licensing price on it is likely sky-high. I'm sure someone would love to pick up You're Under Arrest as well.

Sub-only, as even dublovers for the most part can't stand live-action dubs, and the only TV outlets you have is MAYBE the International channel and various Asian TV stations in 10 markets or less around the country. Probably all depends on the final numbers on the anime, and what they can get it for.
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Godaistudios



Joined: 12 Jun 2003
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 23, 2004 12:23 pm Reply with quote
Miagi wrote:
Hm, I guess I don't understand why anime fans would be so disinclined to try live-action GTO. There isn't a "market" for live-action Asian TV here because, well, it's very difficult to find any unless you're willing to blow $50 on an import.

Of course, it's all just speculation--anime's a proven success over here, while the live-action stuff hasn't really been tried before. But I think it has a lot more potential than you're willing to give it.


Well, as I said earlier, I'd love to be wrong about this one. I think if the companies did take the risks and marketed them correctly, it would do very well in the long run. But I think the companies' current views over here would have a very hard time moving past the concept that the initial audience is too small to start off with. Because Live action Asian TV hasn't been done over here before, how many companies do you currently think would be willing to drop the money to do such a project for such a niche market? In the days of fansubs and raws 20 some odd years ago, I think it was easier to get hard numbers to set expectations of sales. With the advent of the internet, when an idea is discussed in detail, everybody and their brother is willing to share their opinion, but not everybody is willing to take action on it. Perhaps I'm a little cynical here, but I honestly believe that a company will not take the risks involved unless they can set expectations, and it's no longer as easy to do as it once was.

As far as anime fans being disinclined to try live action GTO, we need to consider their current tastes. I don't expect the casual fan to pick up a live action series because it's foreign to the stuff they can watch on TV. Many of the elitist and hardcore fans avoid live action at all and only watch anime itself. My general experiences when talking about how good the live action GTO is usually met with heavy skepticism, or lack of interest among those who have not seen it yet. I think gradually, with enough exposure, it would pick up here. Miagi, I agree with you that it DOES have the potential. But potential doesn't mean anything if you can't get past the barriers that would mean for success. And right now, I don't think any company who would consider it can see past those barriers.
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Tony K.
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 23, 2004 12:28 pm Reply with quote
I thought the live action incarnation of GTO was just a movie. You mean, there's also a TV series? Cool! I'd like to see it. But I suppose the only way would be fansubs or bootlegs right?
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jmays
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 23, 2004 12:33 pm Reply with quote
I wonder what proportion of anime sales comes from the "hardcore" you described--the ones who gulp up anime and shun everything else. On one hand, I think it's pretty futile to try to convince them to expand their horizons. (In that way, ironically, they're more closed-minded than the average TV viewer.) But if the vast majority of anime sales comes from the more casual fan, I think we can discount that extreme "hardcore" bunch when we talk about sales potential.

I wish I knew a bit more about the makeup of anime fandom, though...convincing anime fans would probably be the key, but I'm not too sure who's driving the market these days.
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lianncoop
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 23, 2004 1:27 pm Reply with quote
Miagi wrote:
But if the vast majority of anime sales comes from the more casual fan, I think we can discount that extreme "hardcore" bunch when we talk about sales potential.

Even if the majority of anime sales comes from the "more casual fan," compared to any other "genre" of media out there, anime still has a small niche in the market. I think a majority of anime sales comes from a more "hardcore" fan, personally...

I understand that LA GTO is an excellent series, but I don't think the casual anime fan would be willing to devote the time and money to the series...well, at least the whole series. I probably wouldn't. I'd be willing to try it out, or rent it, but buying it would probably be a no. (Now...live action Sailor Moon...that's a different story ^_~) I think if there was a live action japanese kids series...that would be a better market to cater to. Branch out from there.
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Godaistudios



Joined: 12 Jun 2003
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Location: Albuquerque, NM (the land of entrapment)
PostPosted: Mon Feb 23, 2004 3:06 pm Reply with quote
Thing is, with all the anime being shown now with the anime network, tech tv, and of course, the cartoon network, I suspect that "casual" fans are far more likely to overcome the hardcore fans in spades.

But again, you have the issue brought up by Sword of Wheldon which speaks to the fact that even many dub enthusiasts don't care for live action dubs because there is such a mismatch on sound and mouth movements that it just doesn't work well. This is another reason why I don't see the casual fan picking it up, since the casual fan is more likely to like dubs.

The last think I didn't think to mention is the Saban factor. Because of the attempt to "americanize" certain sentai shows for the U.S. kids market, I think a stigma has become attatched to live action Japanese shows in general. (Power Rangers, Masked Rider, Beetleborgs, and the like.)
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