Forum - View topicAbout Kadokawa's Investment in ANN
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Kadmos1
 Posts: 13583 Location: In Phoenix but has an 85308 ZIP |
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I don't get why Chris sold ANN to Kadokawa when Chris was the head of ANN for so long, outside of money. Being invested with a property for 20+ years, one would think Chris would have turned down such offers each time. For those that respond to my post here, I am fine with speculative answers here.
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Greed1914
 Posts: 4490 |
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At least going from the quotes in earlier posts, some of it is to free himself up to do other things for ANN aside from handling the financial side since Kadokawa will do that. More ambitious projects tend to languish when the behind the scenes stuff takes up most of your time. |
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Hiroki not Takuya
 Posts: 2560 |
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I decided to wait for the yelling to subside but maybe too long. For posterity then, and to those who worry about ANN becoming "corporate", I hate to say that that happened long ago. When I first became aware of the site in 2006 the contributions were frequently (30%+?) from individuals in Japan or in touch with those close to anime in Japan as well as the fandoms in the US and internationally, so it was truly a news network. Staff were largely volunteer then as well.
In the last decade or so, that has dwindled and I'd say a good 90%+ of recent articles are through Comic Natalie, Mantan Web and other "corporate" industry sources with ANN being manned mostly by paid staff. And lots of ads and other incentives to increase revenue from readers to support them. So now ANN is truly "corporate" but for more than itself, being part of an actual large corporation, so the only change one might expect is more Kadokawa IP related articles, more ads and/or Mr. MacDonald to retire. RIP ANN, Hello Anime News Service (Kadokawa ANS?), time to check out r/anime... 
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Gem-Bug
 Posts: 1252 |
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Bye! Don't let the door hit you! 
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Thesarum
Posts: 428 |
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I'm not sure I follow why paying your staff is a bad thing? Running a site takes a lot of work. Writing articles and reviews is a lot of work. The people doing that work deserve to be renumerated for it. |
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ANN_Lynzee
ANN Executive Editor
 Posts: 2968 Location: Email for assistance only |
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If we're paid journalists were not "real fans." This stereotype exists across all kinds of industries. See also: bands that "sell out" when they get major record deals.
It's really amusing to me that the accusation is that we're more corporate because our sources are... companies announcing new anime who talk to us directly? Variety, Hollywood Reporter, etc operate the exact same way. |
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nyaa
Posts: 119 |
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I wrote this so called anime site off years ago-too much bs, too much hyperbole. I've since moved on to other more satisfing places and endeavors. ANN stopped being relavent at least 5 or 6 years ago so let it be purchased by shittyroll for all I care.
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Gem-Bug
Posts: 1252 |
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Wrote this site off years ago yet made an account last week just to tell people? Get a life. |
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Tempest
 I Run this place.ANN Publisher  Posts: 10441 Location: Do not message me for support. |
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Back in 2006 when you became aware of ANN, the news was written almost entirely by Johnathan Mays and myself. Neither of us had decent Japanese knowledge at the time, so we relied a lot on second hand information when it came to news from Japan. What you refer to as "fan contributions." This was a limitation, not a positive. We still work a lot with Japanese and American industry sources for news. I'd say we have significantly more access than we did back in 2006. In case you've never noticed, we post detailed articles at the exact same time as press releases come out. These articles often include more information that there was in the press release. That's obviously the result of "being in touch with those close to the anime." It's worth mentioning that in 2006 many of our contributors were paid, although now virtually all of them are paid. Again, while you see ANN not paying some of it's contributors back in 2006 as a positive, I see it as more of a negative. People should be compensated for what they do for ANN. After all, as the owner of the site, I was making a pretty decent living off of it, of course I should be compensating the people who were helping. Thank you for reading ANN these past 16 years! |
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Cardcaptor Takato
 Posts: 4955 |
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all-tsun-and-no-dere
ANN Reviewer
Posts: 615 |
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Some people have a thing where they think ANN should be doing investigative journalism regularly instead of translating and reporting on trade news, conducting interviews, and covering conventions, with the occasional foray into deeper investigations when they come up. But then also they get mad at ANN for paying their writers/doing things to fund their activities like running ads? |
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Redbeard 101
Oscar the Grouch
Forums Superstar  Posts: 16941 |
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Don't forget they also then complain in discussions about how ANN should stay in its lane and "we come here for anime news not this investigative bullshit!" I'm convinced unless a site is run by stereotypical otaku in a basement many are simply going to complain and say that site/people aren't true fans, don't care, blah blah blah. And yea, heaven forbid people get paid for the actual work they do. Which is also ironic given the amount of complaints (and rightfully so) in regards to wages for animators. I guess that goes back to the "they actually care abut anime" argument and how the staff here, or elsewhere, doesn't. This seems like a good move that will hopefully provide ANN and the staff more resources and flexibility. Especially as mentioned with web development. I know how long that has been on the to do list but it's not easy. This acquisition provides resources more readily to hopefully foster that, and other avenues of growth. I think it's a great fact they put on paper you guys stay independent when it comes to editorial matters. No having to look over your shoulder with every article posted. |
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nobahn
 Subscriber Posts: 5124 |
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I couldn't have replied better myself..... |
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Blood-
 Bargain Hunter Posts: 23910 |
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When I'm happy with a service, as I am with ANN, I always get nervous about the prospect of new ownership because it raises the spectre that the new owners may do something I don't like. However, my experience with anime related takeovers (of which there have been many since I became a fan in 2009) tends to be that these changes remain invisible to me as a consumer. I expect the same will prove true for ANN. At least, I certainly hope so.
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Tempest
I Run this place. ANN Publisher Posts: 10441 Location: Do not message me for support. |
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It's also worth noting that while we were both "volunteers" prior to this, we were both being paid in 2006. On the news side, volunteerism basically ended in 2003. -t |
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