Guest Juunanagou Posted April 11, 2003 Share Posted April 11, 2003 Do you feel that mainstreaming Anime is: A.) A good thing. Mainstreaming anime is needed in order to prove those who think it is childish wrong, and to make the Soccer Moms, realize that if it can be aired on National TV and in Theatres it isn't that bad. or B.) A bad thing. Mainstreaming anime is bad, because it'll introduce those Soccer Moms and little children to uncut anime, and anime wont be "cool" anymore, but a fad. or C.) Whats "Mainstreaming anime"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NfraRed Posted April 11, 2003 Share Posted April 11, 2003 I don't think I like the idea of anime in the mainstream, and I agree with reason B. With manga and anime becoming fads, our creative power and depth is taken away in order to appeal to the lowest common denominator. And since anime has always been witty and intelegent, this might change it for the worse... Disney style. Those who know Anime know that it is anything but childish. However, it could be a little more accessable to those who are trying to get into it. After all, the shows that drive most people to become fans aren't the great ones like EVA, they're the more child friendly, syndicated ones like Digimon and Pokemon. A PS- Not to sound like a jerk, but I was kinda put off by the quality of the work in the Fan art section... Of course, that doesnt matter, as long as we all have fun, right?! Uhhh... w0rd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen Asuka Posted April 11, 2003 Share Posted April 11, 2003 [color=hotpink][size=1]I am against the mainstreaming of anime because more "pop series" like DBZ are created and all these little kids who think they know what anime is watch it and claim to be the number one anime fan. It gets annoying after a while...[/color][/size] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nichire Posted April 11, 2003 Share Posted April 11, 2003 Mainstreaming of anime is a bad bad thing in my view. It'll become a fad... and popular... *shudders* But it being proven worthy of time slots as iano... friends or seinfeild or anyother shows would be good. Then ppl would see that anime ian't all about children with big eyes trying to catch monsters. ~nichi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmjk Posted April 12, 2003 Share Posted April 12, 2003 [QUOTE]mainstream~ n. The prevailing current of thought, influence, or activity adj. Representing the prevalent attitudes, values, and practices of a society or group [/QUOTE] I guess it depends on what you would define as mainstream anime, no? I pick~ D) it exposes ppl to anime (period) I mean, who here was exposed to anime thru a "cartoon" that showed when they were kids? Of course they moved on to more adult themed shows but still... And what "uncut anime" would little kids (ages= ?) get ahold of anyway? The uncut DB/Z vids? :laugh: Whatever happens true fans of anime will continue to enjoy anime no matter what , and you gotta admit that animes in theatres is very nice. ed~ look at this [URL=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22719]thread[/URL] for some good examples of what i am talking about Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Semjaza Posted April 12, 2003 Share Posted April 12, 2003 None of these choices really apply to me. I like anime, but I am not really obsessed with it. I think the vast majority of it is horrible (just like animation here), and that most of it shouldn't even be bothered with. In terms of mainstreaming it... I don't care one way or another. I don't own the rights to anime or anything that would affect how it works. I simply buy what is given to us. I'm not some spokesperson or crusader than wants to keep anime some elitist ideal. If more people get into an anime I like, I think that's cool. There are fans that are stupid for anything, anime isn't an exception and it's impossible to keep it that way. Really, the more people that like it... the more anime there would be that might be bothered with here in the US. And the more people buy anime, the lower the prices will become (so that companies can make up the liscensing fees easier, and so on). I hardly think that's a bad thing. People point to the ultra saturation of stuff like DBZ and Pokemon here... Okay, so it's "mainstream." For every mainstream anime we have here, there is a dozen in Japan... and every single one of those has just as many stupid hokey products to cash in on it (even toilet paper, DVD players and "massagers." However, these same anime that have entire stores dedicated to them in Japan practically are somehow "underground" (so to speak, best word I could find) here. To me, the more people are into something the better. Japan doesn't make anime for America. They make it for themselves. If things take off here, so be it... but it's hardly going to change the status and future of anime on a whole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkadyz Posted April 12, 2003 Share Posted April 12, 2003 Well i personally think its a good thing (waits for beer cans and rotten veggies to come flying :p ) Nah but seriously i think its good because the more popular it is the more we get. The more series get translated and brought over. The more anime movies actually see a decent sized release in the us. the more manga we get(thank god for Shonen Jump :cool: ) So hey i hope anime becomes as popular here as it is in japan...I know ill relish the day therell be lots of anime on TV and in movie theaters (cause i cant afford all those dvds and i dont have a fast enough connection to d/l it off the web :devil: ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kent Posted April 12, 2003 Share Posted April 12, 2003 I am more for it than against it... I believe that right now there is only a limited of anime availible to us as americans, and even less of that is availible to those of us who woulnt pay to see it. With main-streaming, we will get negatives, but there will also be positives. I can deal with soccer moms, but I cant really deal with people who think anime isnt cool when more than just a select few know about it. Its loving a certain song, and then hating it when it is on the pop charts... No matter how many times you have seen it or heard it, the quality of that "thing" is still the same. So I say, Let everyone who wishes to, enjoy the anime I love so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hikaru Ichijyo Posted April 12, 2003 Share Posted April 12, 2003 I think it's a double edge sword really, in certain ways its good because it will bring more attention and respect not to meantion fans to the genre and anime awarness will grow. However just like with Escaflowne's fox run, I don't want to see parents step in and ruin animes by forcing companies to make really severe cuts to market it to kids. Anime really has never been for american kids...so I don't think it should be changed...so the only way for that to happen is for it to stay underground, so idiot parents don't get to it. In short I don't want anime to become mainstream... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manic Webb Posted April 12, 2003 Share Posted April 12, 2003 I'm all for mainstreaming anime. The more popular anime gets, the easier it becomes to find certain series. There was a time when I would have a hard time finding a Ranma 1/2 episode, but now there are Ranma DVDs in stores across the North American continent. I think it's rather arrogant/ignorant to say that one doesn't like mainstreaming of anime in America because it gets to be too commercial. If you don't like Pokemon and all of its products, too bad! I dare you to go to Japan and not find twice as many. The average anti-mainstreamer is basically asking that anime not become popular in America because then America would have [i]almost[/i] as much crappy Pokemon merchandise as Japan does. It's all about feeling better than someone else. If you're against mainstreaming anime, then what you're really afraid of is that people will think you're trendy. Do you only like anime because it's "underground" where you live? It shouldn't even be about the "mainstream." It should be about whether you like the anime you're watching or not. Not all anime is about goofy little kids with monsters and playing cards, but it's not all bounty hunters and demon killers either. If anime gets to be very very popular, it'll be up to the new fans to tell the difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted April 13, 2003 Share Posted April 13, 2003 [color=#808080]I really feel that the whole idea of "mainstreaming anime" even being an issue is a bit silly. Really, who cares? Is it going to make much of a difference in the longterm? No, not really. "Mainstream" animes like DBZ and Pokemon have been around for years...and will continue to exist, no matter how popular anime becomes overall. If anything, hardcore anime followers should encourage anime to become more widely accepted. For one thing, it would make more anime available at lower prices. That's a good thing. For another, it would encourage the development of more "niche" animes -- when you have a very large/growing market, it doesn't mean that everything becomes a DBZ clone by default. If anything, it would provide encouragement for more niche anime to be shipped worldwide. This is common business sense -- regardless of the product (whether video game or anime). And frankly, the situation is pretty crap at the moment anyway. Animes like DBZ and Pokemon (arguable the worst that anime has to offer overall) are the most popular in the marketplace. Would you have the anime market decrease rather than increase? And what would the consequence of that be? Surely, if you saw a decrease, you'd see animes like DBZ and Pokemon become [i]more[/i] prevalent -- and thus, you'd see a far lower number of companies producing more niche series. So in this case, I think bigger is definitely better. As the demand and market overall icrease, you'll see a greater willingness for companies to produce more niche titles. And you'll definitely see more high quality anime hitting your shores. The more you restrain the market and make it some elitist, self-absorbed pursuit...the more you alienate companies who want to make profitable animes within the United States and other countries.[/color] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDarkOtaku Posted April 16, 2003 Share Posted April 16, 2003 I'm totally for choice B. It's ridiculous that punks such as little 10 year old Nick Carter-wannabes have to be associated with an art form of extremly high caliber. First off, let me explain that I AM an Otaku who refuses to watch any dubbed or edited anime. I'm not the biggest fan, there are plenty more respectable people here who have seen more than me, but I think its safe to say most of us here at the boards and myself included have seen at LEAST 4 series off the cable channels. Secondly, let me present you with a story that happened to me two days ago and demonstrates why I have my point of view. I was in the mall with my mom buying some items when a child no older than 7 approached me. I had one of my Rurouni Kenshin T-shirts on, and he complimented me on it saying,"That show is awesome. I watch it everyday on Cartoon Network." Now, this to me was both positive and negative. Positive in a way that someone appreciates the show, but negative that a little kid watched it everyday. Now even though Kenshin is nowhere near the most mature series out there, it had a lot of complex historical and passionate themes (Especially the OAV). This bothers me for the sheer reason that it should not be on that early during the day. Adult Swim would have been quite adequate for it. In conclusion, I'd like to say that Anime is something respectable that should not be butchered and mass-advertised to kids by the media. DBZ is a prime example of this. Let's face it. Most CN DBZ fans are arrogant and claim they've seen every anime in existence. Now this makes me laugh. I know many people who watch Adult Swim and know that they're not the biggest fans but still think of anime as art, not "cartoons." So this is what it boils down to, anime should not be mainstreamed and true fans will always watch and support their hobby of choice. That's my rant. :) Negative feedback welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen Asuka Posted April 16, 2003 Share Posted April 16, 2003 [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by TheDarkOtaku [/i] [B]Let's face it. Most CN DBZ fans are arrogant and claim they've seen every anime in existence. Now this makes me laugh. [/B][/QUOTE] [color=hotpink][size=1]*Falls over* YES! That is totally my argument! DBZ is so awful and it sells out everything! When I went to Disney World two years ago, the store in Japan in Epcot was so awesome. There was a huge variety of anime stuff and I fell totally in love. Last week when I went, the entire store almost consisted of nothing but Hello Kitty and DBZ! What happened???? But just like you, I am very against the mainstreaming of anime. I know it's impossible, but it was always something I treasured because not many people had it and I wanted to keep it all for myself. Now that it's out there in the open and everyone has access to it, it lost all of it's uniqueness.[/color][/size] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genkai Posted April 16, 2003 Share Posted April 16, 2003 [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Queen Asuka [/i] [B][color=hotpink][size=1]I am against the mainstreaming of anime because more "pop series" like DBZ are created and all these little kids who think they know what anime is watch it and claim to be the number one anime fan. It gets annoying after a while...[/color][/size] [/B][/QUOTE] Oh... Ohmigosh... That.. That's exactly what I was gonna say. I could rant on and on and on about children at my school who think they're hardcore anime fans because they read the DBZ and Yu-Gi-Oh sections of Shonen Jump in the store. I said "Oh, so you like dubbed anime, I guess?" Them: "What other kind of anime is there? I don't take japanese... Stupid." Me: *explodes* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCBaggee Posted April 16, 2003 Share Posted April 16, 2003 [color=red][size=1][font=arial]On the plus side, there's....well, me! You never would have met me if not for mainstreaming of anime, and I'm proud to say I'm getting into subs as we speak ^_^ On the other side, there's the e-mails I keep getting from my web sites visitors asking about Dragon Ball AF and other stupid, pointless questions. Good? Bad? Nah, somewhere in between... --Chris[/color][/size][/font] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kent Posted April 16, 2003 Share Posted April 16, 2003 This is sad. You all sound like elitist... You bash on the dbz/yu gi oh fools, but then you dont want anime to grow... resulting in a greater likelyhood that the only anime these people see, will be shows like dbz and yu gi oh. Its like the people I got sick of with the "phish scene." They were all hippie punks that loved the music, but loved knowing they were into something that wasnt mainstream even more... They all hated the music that is popular on a large scale and loved phish, but they all hated the kids who listened to popular music... So instead of taking the best way to eliminate the problem of crappy music filling the heads of our generation, they all just tried to keep phish in their own selective club. Never letting anyone hear phish and not letting it become popular only contributed to the outside world listening to "bad" music. Same goes with this... You are all trying to say you love anime, and hate dbz fools. Yet you dont want to let anime grow allowing your "inferior dbz fools" to see the anime that makes you feel superior. You laugh at them, instead, you should extend your hand and your anime knowledge as well as your anime collection. With you all hording the good stuff and only allowing the mass appeal stuff to be seen, the only result will be more yu gi oh's and pokemons... Note: there was a time when not every little kid knew dbz and there was a time when it was only in japan. During that time, many anime fans considered it a good show, but now it is popular, and hence, it is not cool any more... Just plain sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Semjaza Posted April 16, 2003 Share Posted April 16, 2003 I'm not sure what you read, but the posts here certinaly seem to be almost evenly divided between being for and against it. By the way, I hate Phish heh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manic Webb Posted April 17, 2003 Share Posted April 17, 2003 [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by gokents [/i] [B]This is sad. You all sound like elitist... You bash on the dbz/yu gi oh fools, but then you dont want anime to grow... resulting in a greater likelyhood that the only anime these people see, will be shows like dbz and yu gi oh. Its like the people I got sick of with the "phish scene." They were all hippie punks that loved the music, but loved knowing they were into something that wasnt mainstream even more... They all hated the music that is popular on a large scale and loved phish, but they all hated the kids who listened to popular music... So instead of taking the best way to eliminate the problem of crappy music filling the heads of our generation, they all just tried to keep phish in their own selective club. Never letting anyone hear phish and not letting it become popular only contributed to the outside world listening to "bad" music. Same goes with this... You are all trying to say you love anime, and hate dbz fools. Yet you dont want to let anime grow allowing your "inferior dbz fools" to see the anime that makes you feel superior. You laugh at them, instead, you should extend your hand and your anime knowledge as well as your anime collection. With you all hording the good stuff and only allowing the mass appeal stuff to be seen, the only result will be more yu gi oh's and pokemons... Note: there was a time when not every little kid knew dbz and there was a time when it was only in japan. During that time, many anime fans considered it a good show, but now it is popular, and hence, it is not cool any more... Just plain sad. [/B][/QUOTE] I completely agree with you (except for the part about using "hippie" as an insult, but let's not go there). Most people against mainstreaming are nothing but a bunch of arrogant jerks who sit on their high chairs saying "I'm better than you." If you were [i]REAL[/i] anime fans, you'd correct those who have the wrong idea about anime, rather than sit back and say "Well, I'm the only one who should be watching anime, anyway." How can you be a true anime fan if you don't want more people to enjoy what you enjoy? So next time you see a kid on the street talking about how big of an anime fan they are for watching DBZ and Yugi-Oh, don't B***h off and walk away, instead tell them that there are a bunch of other anime out there in video stores that are a whole lot better than Yugi-Oh, and that DBZ has a lot more action when you watch it in the Japanese version, and that Pokemon's got [i]nothing[/i] on Slayers in terms of comedy. You might make a better anime fan out of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genkai Posted April 17, 2003 Share Posted April 17, 2003 Believe me Kent. We try. But they don't want to hear it. With "new" shows like Kenshin and YYH around for the kids, maybe there is hope, but they only want to listen to CN, which is mainstream. Let's pray that this mainstreaming will lead them out to better things... But Let's also pray they don't ruin good series with bad dubbing and major editing. By the way, why do many dislike DBZ as it is popular now? The Dubbing. The editing. The merchandising. THAT'S why. Not because it's popular. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syk3 Posted April 17, 2003 Share Posted April 17, 2003 Okay, let's not go off and start bashing other members. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and whether you like it or not, not everyone is going to agree with you. This isn't completely directed at one person, so no one should feel personally offended at [i]this[/i] either. Me? I'm for the mainstreaming of anime, of course. I'm sure most people wouldn't be here today if Cartoon Network or WB or something had never showed anime. I know I wouldn't, and look where I am now. ;) Becoming mainstream is exactly what anime needs to become popular in countries other than Japan in the long run. All of you who are against mainstreaming of anime, think about this...barely anyone knows what anime is, and you have no one to talk to about it; there would probably be no OtakuBoards, and if there was, it wouldn't be anywhere near as popular; and every anime that you watch would have to be purchased from some Japanize site that would take weeks to get the anime to your house. Sure, there are some obvious drawbacks to the mainstreaming of anime, but in the long run, I believe that it's better that it's getting so much attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkadyz Posted April 17, 2003 Share Posted April 17, 2003 Wow this topic is sure getting some feathers ruffled...Well while i wasnt introduced to anime through CN (actually got to see akira in a theater...Kinda wish theyd rerelease it theatricaly :D )I know plenty that have been and ive kinda nudged em in the right directions and they really like what you all call "the good stuff". I try to also get ppl into manga at my work at the bookstore...Kids come in for a DBZ graphic novel and ill try and suggest some other things and most of them like what i suggest too...I havent meet too many of these annoying know-it-all kiddies who dont want anything else...shrugz :rolleyes: BUUUT i can see where the nay sayers are coming from somewhat...There are some series that just SHOULDNT be edited and brought to regular tv unfortunatly(***cough eva cough***)...Thats why i want to see this all anime cable channel. Some anime can be edited and it wont kill it while others cant...But thats what censor free pay channels are for :love: Oh and im sorry i never did get into subs much...I tried to watch an ep. of dbz in sub and it was annoying as hell...I couldnt stand the sound of the voice actors...Maybe i was just too used to the american voices but i thought they where horrid... And dub doesnt always = edited ya know...Ah well thank god for dvds you can have it either way... Well whatever your stance is on it i can never be put-off by anyones opinions cause where all anime lovers and thats what counts :naughty: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen Asuka Posted April 17, 2003 Share Posted April 17, 2003 [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Arkadyz [/i] [B]Oh and im sorry i never did get into subs much...I tried to watch an ep. of dbz in sub and it was annoying as hell...I couldnt stand the sound of the voice actors...Maybe i was just too used to the american voices but i thought they where horrid... And dub doesnt always = edited ya know...Ah well thank god for dvds you can have it either way... [/B][/QUOTE] [color=hotpink][size=1]Did you ever stop to think that maybe the subbing wasn't the problem, it was the actual series you were watching?[/color][/size] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnum Apex Posted April 17, 2003 Share Posted April 17, 2003 [font=trebuchet ms][color=darkblue]I'm all for it. I personally cherish Dragon Ball Z (DBZ), but putting that aside, kids think DBZ is the best BECAUSE more anime isn't around. That is, more anime isn't mainstream, so only a few get to be shown to a wider audience. Hey, they've seen Cowboy Bebop, and they still believe that DBZ is the best. In other words, they don't matter. Grab the little kids and put them inside the "I never look at this ever again" bag. Think about the good mainstreaming anime will do for YOU. It will bring more anime to the USA, giving you more options to choose from. I mean, seriously... what would you prefer more? Having less anime, and having less people thinking they know anime when they don't; or having MORE anime, without the need to worry about the increasing fanboyism? It's common sense, really. Plus, imagine the merchandise from the successful anime we'd get. If some of our favorite anime series becomes popular, its availability will increase, and we might even get cool video games out of it, too. It's a win-win situation. Oh, and frankly, as long as you enjoy a single anime show, you're as much of an anime fan as the next guy. Yes, that includes DBZ fans. [/color][/font] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wintermute Posted April 17, 2003 Share Posted April 17, 2003 The more anime is mainstream, the more people will get into it. If they stick watching Pokemon and DBZ, that's their choice. If they refuse to try other/better series, that's their loss. If, on the other hand, they go on to Slayers, Nadesico, or other high quality anime, good for them! Why does it affect me at all? I don't think it does. I watch what I like, and rarely care what's happening in the mainstream. This also applies to music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen Asuka Posted April 17, 2003 Share Posted April 17, 2003 [color=hotpink][size=1]The only series I am so thrilled about being shown is Trigun. I have no idea why, but when I think about it, I just get so excited. That is the perfect series for people to get into and love and from what I hear, they haven't cut out anything. ^_^ Oh and by the way, I wouldn't call myself elitist, just selfish. v.v[/color][/size] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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