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REVIEW: Gundam 00 DVD Season 1 Part 3

Are you suggesting Eva was created to sell toys? Or that toys were made to cash in on the title's popularity?

CCSYueh wrote:

Are you suggesting Eva was created to sell toys? Or that toys were made to cash in on the title's popularity?

You mean the toys are not cashing in on Eva's popularity? I'm pretty sure there's no other reason why there's so much merchandise based on it.

ninjaclown wrote:

CCSYueh wrote: Are you suggesting Eva was created to sell toys? Or that toys were made to cash in on the title's popularity? You mean the toys are not cashing in on Eva's popularity? I'm pretty sure there's no other reason why there's so much merchandise based on it.

Usually, the purpose of merchandise (such as toys) related to a show is to cash in on the popularity of that show. They're looking for more ways to make money. There are shows which come part and parcel with toys - like Gundam - but I'd say that it's quite rare for a show to be made explicitly so that they can make the money off of the toys. It's just an additional way to make money, not the purpose for the existence of the show in the first place.

Why does this turn into a rant against yaoi near the bottom when this subtopic is supposed to be about merchandise in relation to anime?

Take the article we should be talking about for example, this is a DVD they are trying to sell for profit, if people don't deem it worth their money (by the way feel free to snatch this line up if you must for your virtuous mission dtm42) it's not going to have anything to do with toys and models.

And yes Eva has plenty of questionable merchandise to go with it from dating sim games, to models (yes just like Gundam) to collectors items from the franchise like Pen-Pen plush dolls to props to my personal favourite.....it's own bloody clothing line. It's actually quite normal depending on your definition of the word.

You mean the toys are not cashing in on Eva's popularity? I'm pretty sure there's no other reason why there's so much merchandise based on it.

And yes I agree few franchises have as much merchandise and crap to along with it compared to Gundam, but I think it's important to factor in not only the size of this franchise, but time as well. Considering it's been going 30 years and is pretty much the dominant special interest franchise in Japan that isn't moeblob it's going to have a lot of official and in many cases unnofficial merchandise like the doujin you mentioned.

Anyway what I'm saying is that I don't think Gundam's sole purpose is to sell toys otherwise they would have just run TV spots for the model kits instead. The whole franchise is horizontally and vertically integrated to be among other things an entertainment piece, science fiction, manga, anime, novels, games and yes model kits. Not everything comes down simply to selling toys in the end, that's just an oversimplification the internets seems to like to make.

Kaioshin_Sama wrote:

Take the article we should be talking about for example, this is a DVD they are trying to sell for profit, if people don't deem it worth their money (by the way feel free to snatch this line up if you must for your virtuous mission dtm42) it's not going to have anything to do with toys and models.

It took me too long to make it thru Solty Rei (if it weren't for Nobuo Tobita...) so I have 00 dvd 2 & 3 in my "to watch" pile along with Geass R2 2, Tsubasa Resevoir S1 & Panda Z dvd 3(finally found one). (And Public Enemies. Yeah, Johnny Depp!). THis means I get to erase my crowded AT&T dvr of more eps from Geass & 00 (Yeah!) Hopefully I can watch them before Dokuro-chan arrives this week or I'll feel even more swamped.
But did you see the Sgt Frog where Kerero goes to buy a Gundam model & they're all sold out because Saburo pitched building a Gundam on his radio sho so all the girls ran out & bought them.

Quote:

And yes Eva has plenty of questionable merchandise to go with it from dating sim games, to models (yes just like Gundam) to collectors items from the franchise like Pen-Pen plush dolls to props to my personal favourite.....it's own bloody clothing line. It's actually quite normal depending on your definition of the word.

Quote:

You mean the toys are not cashing in on Eva's popularity? I'm pretty sure there's no other reason why there's so much merchandise based on it.

Sorry if I wasn't clear.
It was a "chicken or the egg" type question.
Was Eva created to sell toys or were toys created to cash in on the popularity of Eva? I've seen merchandise related to Kuroshitsuji, but I was buying the Japanese manga before that, suggesting the merchandise is cashing in on the popularity of the manga/show.

Kaioshin_Sama wrote:

And yes I agree few franchises have as much merchandise and crap to along with it compared to Gundam, but I think it's important to factor in not only the size of this franchise, but time as well. Considering it's been going 30 years and is pretty much the dominant special interest franchise in Japan that isn't moeblob it's going to have a lot of official and in many cases unnofficial merchandise like the doujin you mentioned.

The doujin helps sell the product. This is the only reason I can see why doujinshi is not only allowed, but seemingly encouraged (besides raising a new crop of artist, but there are other ways to do that.) One lust feeds the other. Maybe a fangirl picks up a doujin by a favorite artist & starts watching/reading the licensed title.

But the issue is Gundam reeks of our own cartoons where the shows are created to highlight the latest batch of toys so that the kids will pester mommy & daddy to go buy them Super Robot Doggy & all of his accessories.
Would the toys sell as well without an anime behind them enticing the casual viewer to pick up the merchandise? Commercials don't show the toys in action. Commercials don't have entire plot threads that need to be acted out. Trust me, I still remember playing Gigantor or Batman as a child. We did as much re-enactments as we did original scripts.

Kalessin wrote:

ninjaclown wrote: CCSYueh wrote: Are you suggesting Eva was created to sell toys? Or that toys were made to cash in on the title's popularity? You mean the toys are not cashing in on Eva's popularity? I'm pretty sure there's no other reason why there's so much merchandise based on it. Usually, the purpose of merchandise (such as toys) related to a show is to cash in on the popularity of that show. They're looking for more ways to make money. There are shows which come part and parcel with toys - like Gundam - but I'd say that it's quite rare for a show to be made explicitly so that they can make the money off of the toys. It's just an additional way to make money, not the purpose for the existence of the show in the first place.

The Gundam toys aren't just about merchandising, at least the model kits aren't. People buy things because they like making model kits, and interesting things can be made from them. Of course, Bandai does go overboard in re-issuing some mobile suits with slight changes.

Why on earth would I rail against yaoi when I have pretty much every title I know of that has been released in that genre so far stateside?
More the enemy (Gundam maker) knows our weakness & is seducing us fangirls with artists & VA's that appeal to us hoping we'll spend some of our hard-earned cash on Gundam instead of figures/merchandise related to yaoi titles. (They have sized up the size of our purses & set their sights on them)

I'm sorry but did you just say "more the enemy knows" like the people making Gundam are somehow deliberately out to antagonize people?

why it is that it's popular among it's actual fandom because they are completely way off the mark and just have absolutely no idea what they are talking about most of the time.

If they devoted even a tenth as much time to figuring it out why it's popular with the people it's aimed at instead of just spewing endless hatred for it and misinformed commentary about what they think they know based on what little they've seen of it I think these threads would be a whole lot more productive.

I'll say one thing though, I'm not interested in the Gundam franchise simply because I want to buy toys nor do I feel overwhelmingly solicited by it.

Anyway apparently your a yaoi fan, but your mixing it in with this whole evil Gundam sillyness kind of confused me as to your actual interest. Apparently what you are saying is that Yaoi is fine, but when Gundam does it somehow becomes not okay,

Usually, the purpose of merchandise (such as toys) related to a show is to cash in on the popularity of that show. They're looking for more ways to make money. There are shows which come part and parcel with toys - like Gundam - but I'd say that it's quite rare for a show to be made explicitly so that they can make the money off of the toys. It's just an additional way to make money, not the purpose for the existence of the show in the first place.

The Gundam toys aren't just about merchandising, at least the model kits aren't. People buy things because they like making model kits, and interesting things can be made from them. Of course, Bandai does go overboard in re-issuing some mobile suits with slight changes.

Now this is a special interest hobby so I can't expect everybody to share it obviously, but it's still kind of irksome that people feel the need to tell me that I'm somehow misguided in pursuing it and that Bandai is this evil company that is tricking me and my friends into buying products that we know for a fact we enjoy and feel is worth the money. To raise another question about the chicken and the egg I think it's fair that people ask themselves what they think came first, appreciation for model kits or the Gundam franchises introduction of them.

Really? I never noticed that. Did they assume it somewhere on the web or is it just paranoia? No offense, but, as someone who really enjoyed Gundam 00, and who also dislikes men and yaoi anime, I thought that the voice cast was excellent and that they fitted their roles just perfectly. Besides, why would they risk losing the Gundam fanbase by introducing gay sounding voice actors just to try and steal yaoi fans away?

Really? I never noticed that. Did they assume it somewhere on the web or is it just paranoia? No offense, but, as someone who really enjoyed Gundam 00, and who also dislikes men and yaoi anime, I thought that the voice cast was excellent and that they fitted their roles just perfectly. Besides, why would they risk losing the Gundam fanbase by introducing gay sounding voice actors just to try and steal yaoi fans away?

Lockon sound gay to you?

Maybe the fanbase isn't quite what you thought it was, though you seem awfully concerned about who else might be enjoying something you like.

I didn't think a joke would end up generating 2 paragraphs. But no, he doesn't. And I liked his voice just as much as you did and I did cry because of him.

So, do you still insist in your paranoia of having your "yaoi" voice actors being used in Gundam 00 just to attract helpless and defenseless(or perhaps brainless to actually watch a series just for the voices) yaoi fans?