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NEWS: Satelight to Relaunch Basquash! for Sports Fans, Kids




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walw6pK4Alo



Joined: 12 Mar 2008
Posts: 9322
PostPosted: Sat Mar 27, 2010 5:14 pm Reply with quote
Can't say this sounds like an improvement over the original, not that it was spectacular in any regard aside from art and animation.
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vulcanraven01



Joined: 18 Apr 2009
Posts: 677
PostPosted: Sat Mar 27, 2010 5:26 pm Reply with quote
I thought the original was aimed at sports fans and kids?
I mean aside from the mecha and the odd fanservice (that was cut for DVD release), there wasn't really much to appeal to 'otaku' or normal anime fans for that matter.
Was just an average forgettable show...
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crilix



Joined: 16 Nov 2005
Posts: 208
PostPosted: Sat Mar 27, 2010 6:04 pm Reply with quote
@vulcanraven01: Eclipse.
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luhead



Joined: 04 Oct 2004
Posts: 151
PostPosted: Sat Mar 27, 2010 6:07 pm Reply with quote
vulcanraven01 wrote:
I thought the original was aimed at sports fans and kids?
I mean aside from the mecha and the odd fanservice (that was cut for DVD release), there wasn't really much to appeal to 'otaku' or normal anime fans for that matter.

My thoughts exactly. How do you dumb down something that was dumb to begin with? As I've said so often, I continue to be baffled by what Japan decides to produce.
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cetriya



Joined: 20 Sep 2008
Posts: 156
Location: NJ
PostPosted: Sat Mar 27, 2010 6:09 pm Reply with quote
luhead wrote:

My thoughts exactly. How do you dumb down something that was dumb to begin with? As I've said so often, I continue to be baffled by what Japan decides to produce.


same, the art and animation is the only thing going for it. Obviously not enought people like it.

why not just try another story?
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zetsuie



Joined: 21 Jul 2006
Posts: 193
PostPosted: Sat Mar 27, 2010 6:49 pm Reply with quote
If they took out the fan service, giant robots playing basketball, main characters back story/dreams, relocated the story to modern japan, put more actual basketball into the show, and make the story about a high school basketball team trying to win the nationals, you would have a good story. Oh and change the name to slam dunk. It will be a total winner. ;D
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Sam Murai



Joined: 01 Dec 2006
Posts: 1051
PostPosted: Sat Mar 27, 2010 6:49 pm Reply with quote
That's what they should have done in the first place! Basquash! had all of the makings of international marketing gold for broader, younger audiences--great-looking art and animation, goofy, fun action involving basketball and robots, Nike's involvement--but they squandered it by making it appeal to the otaku crowd and pumping it with fanservice (and even then, the show didn't seem like it could decide on which side to play to). I might be in the minority, but I really think it has the potential to be a global hit if handled right this time and tied to a Nike campaign (commercials, merchandise, int'l TV broadcasting).

It seems like the producers realized something along those lines at least in terms of audience, if the first series DVD release was any indication. Although, I believe they should have kept it uncut; you already made it with the fanservice, so live with it. There should have been a separate release, in that case.

Now hopefully, they don't water the new series down too much or lessen the artistic effort they made before, otherwise it will look too much like their catering instead of telling a good story within the bounds of a kid/family-friendly range.
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Emerje



Joined: 10 Aug 2002
Posts: 7406
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 27, 2010 7:59 pm Reply with quote
I actually enjoyed the original quite a bit. Sure, it wasn't super spectacular, but it was a lot of fun, one of my favorite shows from last year. I'm not much of a sports fan (though I've enjoyed Cross Game immensely) so I guess I was closer to the otaku market they were after with the first series, but I can't see myself getting into the relaunch if its focus is more on the sport, especially if it's a remake and not a sequel.

Emerje
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TJR



Joined: 13 Jul 2009
Posts: 223
PostPosted: Sun Mar 28, 2010 2:34 am Reply with quote
Sam Murai wrote:
That's what they should have done in the first place! Basquash! had all of the makings of international marketing gold for broader, younger audiences--great-looking art and animation, goofy, fun action involving basketball and robots, Nike's involvement--but they squandered it by making it appeal to the otaku crowd and pumping it with fanservice (and even then, the show didn't seem like it could decide on which side to play to). I might be in the minority, but I really think it has the potential to be a global hit if handled right this time and tied to a Nike campaign (commercials, merchandise, int'l TV broadcasting).

It seems like the producers realized something along those lines at least in terms of audience, if the first series DVD release was any indication. Although, I believe they should have kept it uncut; you already made it with the fanservice, so live with it. There should have been a separate release, in that case.

Now hopefully, they don't water the new series down too much or lessen the artistic effort they made before, otherwise it will look too much like their catering instead of telling a good story within the bounds of a kid/family-friendly range.


There was a lot of production drama behind the scenes. The sponsors who financed the show clashed with the director (who refused to address their concerns) throughout development, eventually firing him and his allies after the series proceeded to tank.

While no explanation for the firing was provided, Thomas Romain implied that the sponsors were uncomfortable with what they perceived to be an overly niche style.

As for the changes to the DVDs, I suspect that it was done as a middle finger to the original staff. They obviously knew that the series was beyond saving (16 episodes already storyboarded, a gutted team, low popularity with the Japanese audience, and the appointment of a director who specialized in salvaging a project to meet broadcast obligations as opposed to producing quality work), yet insisted on reworking the episodes.
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Sam Murai



Joined: 01 Dec 2006
Posts: 1051
PostPosted: Sun Mar 28, 2010 6:29 pm Reply with quote
TJR wrote:

There was a lot of production drama behind the scenes. The sponsors who financed the show clashed with the director (who refused to address their concerns) throughout development, eventually firing him and his allies after the series proceeded to tank.

While no explanation for the firing was provided, Thomas Romain implied that the sponsors were uncomfortable with what they perceived to be an overly niche style.

As for the changes to the DVDs, I suspect that it was done as a middle finger to the original staff. They obviously knew that the series was beyond saving (16 episodes already storyboarded, a gutted team, low popularity with the Japanese audience, and the appointment of a director who specialized in salvaging a project to meet broadcast obligations as opposed to producing quality work), yet insisted on reworking the episodes.


Ah, I've always wanted to know what the reasons were that led to Shin Itagaki and the others' firings, which weren't made clear when it was announced (to be expected). As for the DVD changes, I saw it more as the producers trying to salvage what was a "niched-up" product and excise what they could to make it more appealing to a more general public. Though it's a shame to hear Itagaki act as he did (I liked Black Cat, so I thought he would do a similarly good job on Basquash!) and deserved to be kicked off for that, there should have been much better oversight over a production as high-profile as it was made out to be (and Shoji Kawamori was the project director, too...).
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therealssjlink



Joined: 30 Apr 2005
Posts: 118
PostPosted: Sun Mar 28, 2010 8:04 pm Reply with quote
Awww....no more moon boobs Laughing
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Emerje



Joined: 10 Aug 2002
Posts: 7406
Location: Maine
PostPosted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 2:33 am Reply with quote
TJR wrote:
As for the changes to the DVDs, I suspect that it was done as a middle finger to the original staff. They obviously knew that the series was beyond saving (16 episodes already storyboarded, a gutted team, low popularity with the Japanese audience, and the appointment of a director who specialized in salvaging a project to meet broadcast obligations as opposed to producing quality work), yet insisted on reworking the episodes.


This is strange, though, if it is the case. I don't know what episodes the staff changed with, but the fanservice seemed to be much heavier in the later episodes (shower scenes and other examples of obscured full-body nudity) than the earlier ones. If they were so against it why not edit it out before broadcast?

Emerje
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