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NEWS: Washington Post Article on Anime Success


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Tempest
I Run this place.
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Joined: 29 Dec 2001
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 06, 2004 9:45 pm Reply with quote
go here to avoid the Washington post registration.

-t
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UltimaShadowfax



Joined: 03 Mar 2004
Posts: 288
PostPosted: Mon Dec 06, 2004 10:20 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
"Pokemon" has become one of the most viewed cartoons in the world, now broadcast in 68 countries -- 69 when it debuts in China next year.


Was anyone else surprised by this? Pokemon hasn't aired on Chinese TV yet?
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AnimeHeretic



Joined: 10 Jul 2003
Posts: 179
PostPosted: Mon Dec 06, 2004 11:04 pm Reply with quote
Nice to see something fairly intelligent in a mainstream media report, as opposed to all the stories implying (or stating outright) how bad it is.

They seem to have a point with the movies as well. They seem to be more of what the distributor likes than a realization of what the mainstream might be intrigued by.
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Zeiram



Joined: 02 Dec 2003
Posts: 317
PostPosted: Mon Dec 06, 2004 11:12 pm Reply with quote
yeh spose so, but well How's moving castle is on the way and also not all these movies are placed in many theater snor advertised well.

Only net jockies like us know and anticipate years in advance. We need more exposure.
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GATSU



Joined: 03 Jan 2002
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 06, 2004 11:14 pm Reply with quote
Ultima: Not really surprised. The Chinese hate the Japanese for warcrimes, and are not normally likely to allow their media into the country.

And considering that Mulan was a hit, I disagree that the cultural elements of anime films are the reason they underperform in the U.S. I think the problem is that general audiences have pre-conceived notions and expectations over what anime is about, and only seek films which fulfill those expectations. Otherwise, Millennium Actress would have made more money than the Kill Bill anime.

Oh, and Tempest, I told you Yu Gi Oh the movie was a hit.
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Tondog38



Joined: 13 Jan 2003
Posts: 89
PostPosted: Mon Dec 06, 2004 11:20 pm Reply with quote
GATSU wrote:
I think the problem is that general audiences have pre-conceived notions and expectations over what anime is about, and only seek films which fulfill those expectations. Otherwise, Millennium Actress would have made more money than the Kill Bill anime.
Nah, it's just that they think animation and anime in general is for kids.

Quote:
Oh, and Tempest, I told you Yu Gi Oh the movie was a hit.
Uh, $19,762,690 is FAR from being a hit in the US box office world.
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GATSU



Joined: 03 Jan 2002
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 06, 2004 11:24 pm Reply with quote
Tondog:
Quote:
Nah, it's just that they think animation and anime in general is for kids.


Exactly. Or they think it's got gratuitous sex and violence, so they avoid it.

Quote:
Uh, $19,762,690 is FAR from being a hit in the US box office world.


According to the article, for a movie which cost ~ $5 million, it is a hit.
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Jadress



Joined: 08 Oct 2003
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Location: Seattle. It purdy and nerdy!
PostPosted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 12:00 am Reply with quote
My dad actually e-mailed me this article, and I was looking to find a URL for it, but I see I've been beat to it! Anime smile I thought this was one of the more intelligent articles on anime I've read in a while. Did anyone else like hearing the 4Kids guy talk about anime being too Japanese to enjoy mainstream success? *grin... mouth twitch*
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MugenKeiji



Joined: 02 Sep 2004
Posts: 59
Location: San Francisco
PostPosted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 2:00 am Reply with quote
Jadress wrote:
My dad actually e-mailed me this article, and I was looking to find a URL for it, but I see I've been beat to it! Anime smile I thought this was one of the more intelligent articles on anime I've read in a while. Did anyone else like hearing the 4Kids guy talk about anime being too Japanese to enjoy mainstream success? *grin... mouth twitch*


Hmmm... perhaps the Post should have gone into a more detailed look into the medium and ask people like Al Kahn what they would do to "make it better". My guess is that with the right amount of cheesy pop music, a few name changes here and perhaps a snip of footage here and there.

Too Japanese? Feh, some of Miyazaki's works are inspired by EUROPE, Italy to be direct. Hell there are some anime that don't have a specific Japanese setting. I'd like to see Kahn and Atkins go toe to toe in a debate about what anime should be like and I bet Sean would lay the smackdown on him. But I digress from my point. What about Houshin Engi? Noir? Miami Guns? If not the characters or setting, I just think that Kahn's and the rest of the staff just don't get it...contrary to their slogan "We Know What Kids Like", funny like they said they "got" Pokemon being one of the key companies to its growth.

If anything, it's Ursala LeGuinn's theory of Americans lacking a sense of escapism that may apply to the lack of mass appeal in Miyazaki films in addition to most adults passing off all animation as "kids' stuff" not by any means in the cultural factor which I'm sure that anyone but 4Kids would grow to agree. But I suppose now I'm just speaking out of spite rather than facts like Michael Moore.

I dunno, I didn't see what I was looking for but in another way I did when they interviewed a 4Kids employee.
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bluechibi



Joined: 28 Nov 2003
Posts: 137
PostPosted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 5:19 am Reply with quote
I dont think I even read them mention that Miyazaki's new film is based on a British childrens book.

"some industry experts still question whether the film -- a visually stunning but complicated tale of a girl struggling with her transformation into an old woman against the backdrop of war -- will pull in massive international audiences. "

If UK kids can handle a "complicated tale" like Howl's Moving Castle then I'm sure most international audiences will too.
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GATSU



Joined: 03 Jan 2002
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 5:29 am Reply with quote
Actually, it's "loosely" based on a British children's book. Miyazaki might've gotten the author's ok, but he's(as usual) not faithful to the source material. I haven't seen how he approached Heidi, but Conan was just plain dull.
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littlegreenwolf



Joined: 10 Aug 2002
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Location: Seattle, WA
PostPosted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 7:31 am Reply with quote
GATSU wrote:
Actually, it's "loosely" based on a British children's book. Miyazaki might've gotten the author's ok, but he's(as usual) not faithful to the source material. I haven't seen how he approached Heidi, but Conan was just plain dull.


You can't assume already that he's completely unfaithful. Anyway, with the author's "ok" she mentioned that she's a fan of Miyazaki, and can't wait to see his on rendition of her story. Adaptions happen when a book goes from book to film.
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moin126



Joined: 07 Dec 2004
Posts: 4
PostPosted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 11:27 am Reply with quote
They say it hasent got that holywood graphics and stuff.
but we dont even want that.
i like the 2d drawing style. that other bullshit they do in holywood movies is for kids they dont see the art in the drawings. for instance in spirited away the drawing style was amazing and made the movie that much better. like the train moving away in the water it was amazing. and i like it being japanese it has to stay japanese they dont need to change it into some popcorn kid fanboy american bullshit. i dont want that. and i think most anime fans dont want that. we want pure anime and myazaki is giving us that.

sry for bad english hehehe Wink
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Nabeshin_1040



Joined: 06 Dec 2004
Posts: 12
PostPosted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 3:46 pm Reply with quote
Question Alright but what in the world gives anyone from "4Kids" the right to criticize Miazaki? The same people who made Luffy sound like the retarded love child of clown and an eight-year-old Anime cry !?! No...

I think not.
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Animefan16



Joined: 24 Apr 2004
Posts: 1021
PostPosted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 3:52 pm Reply with quote
Kahn wasn't criticizing Miyazaki. He was just saying that Americans might not understand the "Japan-esque" parts of the Miyazaki movies. But as Toshio Suzuki from Ghibli said

Quote:
Still, we won the Oscar for 'Spirited Away' and Japan's influence in animation is growing. That has given us reason to believe there is more room out there to reach a wider audience. We are reaching out for that now."
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