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INTEREST: Milky Holmes Cast to Voice My Little Pony in Japan

DomonX2 wrote:

Spongebob and it's 1.9 million Japanese households would like a word with you. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16789412/ns/business-world_business/t/spongebob-winning-fans-cute-loving-japan/ Granted it's a bit dated, but it doesn't change the fact that Spongebob has enjoyed considerable success in Japan.

I have never seen Spongebob on the weekly Japanese ratings ANN.com posts. I think that article is misinformed or lying.

I have never seen Spongebob on the weekly Japanese ratings ANN.com posts. I think that article is misinformed or lying.

Isn't Nickelodeon a satellite-only channel in Japan? It can't get the numbers TV Tokyo does.

My one little quibble with Brony fandom is that unlike anime and games (of which there are many titles created for a plethora of personality types and life stages), My Little Pony was specifically created for preschool to elementary school aged girls, and it feels like adults, and men in particular, co-opted the show. It's as if a bunch of adults got into Dora the Explorer or Sesame Street and demanded that the merchandising and even the shows writing changed to suit them. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, but as there are so few shows specifically created for little girls to begin with I have a hard time getting over that aspect of the fandom.

That and the nasty allegations of sexual harassment against underage girls by self described "bronys" at a MLP con *couph*. (Yes, they should give up that title).

But the Japanese Mcdonald ads for Spongebob toy is enough proof for me. If Spongebob wasn't popular in Japan, then McDonald in Japan wouldn't have made Spongebob Happy Meal toy.

My one little quibble with Brony fandom is that unlike anime and games (of which there are many titles created for a plethora of personality types and life stages), My Little Pony was specifically created for preschool to elementary school aged girls, and it feels like adults, and men in particular, co-opted the show. It's as if a bunch of adults got into Dora the Explorer or Sesame Street and demanded that the merchandising and even the shows writing changed to suit them. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, but as there are so few shows specifically created for little girls to begin with I have a hard time getting over that aspect of the fandom.

Not so, adults and males got into it because of how Faust & Co wrote the show, they have stated multiple times they write a cartoon they would want to sit down & watch with their own children. Good animation, good story telling is something anyone can enjoy, people like to lump things into demographics, age groups, genders, etc. And IMO the new MLP is helping break down those walls. Theres no reason a parent or older sibling can't enjoy what their children or little brothers/ sisters are watching just as much as they do.

Also past generations were mostly harmful to little girls, Generation 3 especially spewed the girly stereotypes out the wazoo. The problem with media aimed at females in general in the U.S. is that its treated little girls like their fragile & stupid. MLP:FIM treats little girls and kids in general with respect, thus treating the audience with respect. Thats why adults like it, because its a cartoon that doesn't speak down to its audience. Like the Don Bluth Films of old *Although not anywhere near as dark* the show realizes little girls, and kids in general aren't and don't have to be idiots.

And that my friends is something special.

Soundmonkey44 wrote:

Also past generations were mostly harmful to little girls, Generation 3 especially spewed the girly stereotypes out the wazoo. The problem with media aimed at females in general in the U.S. is that its treated little girls like their fragile & stupid. MLP:FIM treats little girls and kids in general with respect, thus treating the audience with respect.

>_> You guys seriously need to stop making the show into something it's not. It is just as girly and stereotypical as any others. Each of the main girls are specially tailored to appeal to every stereotype of girl. You can find them in every girl show because of how cliche those archetypes are. It's not brilliantly animated, it's cheap and made in Adobe Flash with so much copy pasting and reusing models. Its not for adult men, it's for little girls. It's writing is as basic as can be and relies on the same E/I moral of the day shoehorning a lot of kids shows have to go through.

There is plenty of good animation, storytelling, characterization and writing in domestic children's television, and there always has been. Even shows aimed at girls. (hey, Gem and the Holograms has a small fandom!) Very few of those shows get the attention MLP has gotten, but that doesn't mean they are lower quality. I used to watch "Arthur" (the show about the Aardvark and his anthromorphized family and friends) regularly in its heyday. It's a great show made with care and a sense of humor obviously aimed at an all-ages, family audience. It never caught on with adults, though. *shrugs*

All fandoms have creeps, but when those creeps hang around 6-year-old girls and/or their stuff they start looking predatory. Parents freak out (a parent I know did. Don't know if his girls are allowed to watch MLP anymore, which is just sad). Adult MLP fans gotta have a no tolerance policy for that stuff, or they really will co-opt the fandom from its intended audience.

As for a zero tolerance policy on creeps at cons, I agree, thats something NO one of any age for any fan base should have to put up with, specially kids. Sadly some creeps are pretty good at hiding. What I can say though is the Brony conventions do take security very seriously, so hopefully future cons will be as family friendly as some of their organizers want them to be. *Well as family friendly as a room full of nerds and antisocialites can be that is *

That and the nasty allegations of sexual harassment against underage girls by self described "bronys" at a MLP con *couph*. (Yes, they should give up that title).

Isn't Nickelodeon a satellite-only channel in Japan? It can't get the numbers TV Tokyo does.

My one little quibble with Brony fandom is that unlike anime and games (of which there are many titles created for a plethora of personality types and life stages), My Little Pony was specifically created for preschool to elementary school aged girls, and it feels like adults, and men in particular, co-opted the show.

It's as if a bunch of adults got into Dora the Explorer or Sesame Street and demanded that the merchandising and even the shows writing changed to suit them. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, but as there are so few shows specifically created for little girls to begin with I have a hard time getting over that aspect of the fandom.

I dislike how they insist they're the true demographic for the show and launch hate campaigns against Hasbro because they only make toys for kids. For kids shows appealing to kids. >_>

-Japanese title is My Little Pony トモダチは魔法 (tomodachi wa mahou = Friendship is Magic)
-scheduled to begin airing on TV Tokyo in April of this year
- the show will be available in both Japanese dub and original English
-recognition of older pony fans was mentioned
-4 of the mane 6 voice actresses were revealed:
- Applejack: 徳井青空　Sora Tokui
- Rarity: 佐々木未来　Mikoi Sasaki
- Pinkie Pie: 三森すずこ　Suzuko Mimori
- Rainbow Dash: 橘田いずみ　Izumi Kitta
- The 4 voice actresses listed above are the main characters in Tantei Opera Milky Holmes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milky_Holmes
- Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy will be revealed at an event in March
- toy line marketed towards young girls
- other merchandise such as magazines, accessories, and smart phone applications will be marketed towards middle school age through college (and if I know my Japanese marketing, you are SURE to get a TON of awesome, made only in Japan pony merch!)
- new website: http://mylittleponyjapan.com (under construction)
- 52 episodes confirmed (season 1-2) but if it remains popular, we are sure to get season 3 and beyond
- they are hoping the show will teach the importance of friendship while teaching English to kids as well (not many children's shows are automatically available in English here on TV)
You can find the Japanese MLP work in progress website here!

Also past generations were mostly harmful to little girls, Generation 3 especially spewed the girly stereotypes out the wazoo. The problem with media aimed at females in general in the U.S. is that its treated little girls like their fragile & stupid. MLP:FIM treats little girls and kids in general with respect, thus treating the audience with respect. Thats why adults like it, because its a cartoon that doesn't speak down to its audience.