Anime help needed =DD

[Guest tiffanyxii]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS]undefined[/FONT]

hey well im kinda new to this, but i really do need anyone and everyones help...
im doing a major assisngment for year12 on anime and i just need a few simple questions answered =))

Do you think anime influences you as a person? if so, how?

Why is it that more and more western viewers are interested in anime?

thanx heeps if you could reply, discuss or comment ^_^

[AzureWolf]

[quote name='tiffanyxii][FONT=Trebuchet MS']Do you think anime influences you as a person?[/FONT][/quote][FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]Of course. Being a (fairly) active member of this forum is proof enough that anime affects me.
[quote name='tiffanyxii][FONT=Trebuches MS']Why is it that more and more western viewers are interested in anime?[/FONT][/quote] I like to think that it has nothing to do with Occidental vs. Oriental trends. Rather, anime is at (or approaching) its golden era, where the true classics that will be used to define anime will be manifested. Sure, you can say that the golden era is past us with Eva being so old, but is that it? Eva is all anime's golden era churned out? That's not a golden era then.

Show me a myriad of great shows in one point in time, and I'll show you anything but the past.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[Morpheus]

[QUOTE=tiffanyxii]1.Do you think anime influences you as a person?

2.Why is it that more and more western viewers are interested in anime?[/QUOTE]
1.As Azure said, I wouldn't be in this forum lol.
2. Because more and more anime are being licensed and Dubbed/Subbed. If people can't understand what's going on, they really don't care(with the possible exception of coming up with words for Spanish Soap Operas:laugh:)

[Raiyuu]

[quote name='tiffanyxii']Do you think anime influences you as a person?[/quote] [color=DarkGreen][size=1]Definitely. Most anime have a fairly clear moral message, or at least individual episodes often do, where a character learns a lesson and this is used to teach the audience the same lesson. I certainly feel that I've been influenced in this way.

[/size][/color] [quote name='tiffanyxii']Why is it that more and more western viewers are interested in anime?[/quote] [size=1][color=DarkGreen]Speaking purely for myself - I've no idea how many other Western anime fans like it for the same reasons - it's because it's better than a lot of the rubbish we get on TV over here. Personally, I like a storyline I can really get my teeth into, something with a bit of depth and substance behind it, and the only Western show I've ever felt fully satisfied by in this respect is [i]Farscape.[/i] I think part of this is that anime series tend to be planned to end after a 26-episode run, and so the story arc feels better planned-out and resolved than a lot of Western shows that try too hard to keep their options open for future series.[/color][/size]

[JenniKate]

I'd have to agree with Morpheus and say anime is becoming more popular because it is more accessible.

I think it's becoming more accessible because the demand is becoming higher.

I think some of it would have to be attributed to The Matrix (not that I [U]want [/U] to attribute it to that!) but many of my friends and coworkers had never heard of anime or seen any until The Matrix was released and all the promo talked about 'Japanimation'. Interestingly enough many of my coworkers pronounce it in more like an English word - an-eye-m (kind of rhyming with 'my time') insted of a-ni-may.

Once people see some they seem to fall into two categories - the ones who can't get past the fact it's animated and so aren't attracted to it - and the ones who see the story as the primary focus and therefore watch.

Once people are watching it they of course develop interest in different themes as they do with live action movies/series. Then they start taking notice of the style of animation combined with the story and the music/sound and either the dub or sub quality and use all these factors to determine if they like that particular show or not.

These are just my opinions based on my experience. My friends/collegues seem to fit predominantly into the not liking anime group but there are a few who are interested and only 3 die hard fans!

And for the other question - does anime influence me as a person - no more so than anything else in my life. It can affect my emotions, as does any form of media. But it does not make me change the person I am :D

[QuincyArcher]

First off, yeah i believe that every anime that i watch effects me in some small way or another, whether it be how I react to certain things or events that occur or how i view other people and their views/opinions. I'm sure that many other aspects of my life are influnced by animes as well.

Secondly, although there are many factors that contribute to the growing popularity of anime in the americas. i believe that the biggest factor would have to be the Internet. Thanks to the internet, pretty much anyone in america is able to have some kind of easy (and not to mention free) exposure to anime whether it's through fansites, fansubbing rings, forums and countless other facets connected to anime that the internet provides. Not 10 years ago the only ways for someone to have access to anime would be through a select few TV channels that would very rarely air some kind of anime program. Or you would just have to go out and buy it (or just physically go to japan ;) ), and the licensing of anime was not nearly as prevelant in the market back then as it is today.

[AzureWolf]

[FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]I have to disagree with Morpheus, because I believe that more licensing is an effect of whatever caused the rise in anime's popularity. That is, because anime became more popular and more people wanted to see anime, more anime was licensed.

Do you get what I mean, Morpheus? It's an interesting way to think about it, but why would companies just blindly license stuff that could just flop?

QuincyArcher brings up a very good point. I would have to say BitTorrent is strongly responsible for anime's increased popularity and the increased activity and number of fansubs available. Think about it: [B]how many of you actually used UseNet or IRC to grab releases?[/B] *does nothing* [B]How many of you got into anime d/ling because of BT?[/B] *raises hand*

Those were very elite/selective (I've never even used IRC, haha), and because of the way Kazaa and other popular distribution programs worked, they were never a viable means to spread the anime love. So before BT, website downloads were the only way to reach the masses, which, as you might realize, would be a costly affair.

I've been following a myriad of stories about P2P and distribution. Of the most interesting was that of the powerful shadow networks in place for transforming one file into a million files in less than an hour. It explained how futile it would be to use things like Kazaa or LimeWire for mass-distribution, as it was only after the file became a million-fold large that those types of distributions would become viable. Of relevant note, however, was that BitTorrent was an exception, and didn't need this shadow network to achieve similar results.

Another article also mentioned that BT is a phenomenon which has had the most benefit/influence to the anime community. How cool is that? Anime has made the most/best use of BT. :p[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[Dagger]

Best "reason for editing" note ever. "Gao" power! ^_^

[quote name='AzureWolf][FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]QuincyArcher brings up a very good point. I would have to say BitTorrent is strongly responsible for anime's increased popularity and the increased activity and number of fansubs available. Think about it: [B]how many of you actually used UseNet or IRC to grab releases?[/B] *does nothing* [B]How many of you got into anime d/ling because of BT?[/B] *raises hand*[/COLOR][/SIZE'][/FONT][/quote]
*raises hand* At the same time, I still plan to start using IRC--if only for manga, which (for various reasons) isn't as well suited for BT.

One thing to keep in mind, though, is that the increased popularity and wider distribution of fansubs doesn't really correlate to increased revenue for American anime licensors. That is, even while the number of fansubs being created & downloaded steadily increases, the American anime industry seems to be poised on the verge of a downturn. The market is almost saturated.

And yet personally, I can say with confidence that I would not pre-order nearly as many different series if it were not for fansubs. This works both directly and indirectly; even if I haven't seen the anime in question myself, fansubs basically ensure that [i]someone[/i] else has, and so it's much easier to find pre-release reviews and opinions to help me decide if/when I want to buy the R1 DVDs.

As an example, anime that aren't fansubbed end up seeming obscure once they're licensed, even if they're fairly recent. Two upcoming shows I'm interested in are Overman King Gainer and Shingu (Gakuen Senki Muryo). Part of Gainer was subbed, but it was never finished; I don't think Shingu ever got fansubbed. Because of this, up until a little while ago it was virtually impossible to find information about/reviews of Gainer, and even after some pretty vigorous searches, I've only found one or two people who've seen Shingu. So I'm much more hesitant about purchasing these series than I would be about a show that has already won over an enthusiastic & vocal English-speaking fanbase.

Unfortunately, people who download fansubs, love them, and are thereby inspired to buy more R1 DVDs often seem to be in the minority.

Have you read the Cnet article on fansubs? I found it very impressive; I thought it was surprisingly balanced and well-researched.

Anyway...

[b]Do you think anime influences you as a person? if so, how?[/b]

Yes. As someone who very much enjoys writing, I feel that the storytelling devices and conventions used in certain anime have influenced my own work.

[b]Why is it that more and more western viewers are interested in anime?[/b]

Television. From what I've seen, it's people who already have a cursory interest in/knowledge of anime who start with fansubs; wholly new fans are generally introduced to it via Cartoon Network and such. The Internet obviously plays a role as well, in allowing disparate fans to come together even when that would be impossible in real life.

~Dagger~

[AzureWolf]

[quote name='Dagger IX1']Best "reason for editing" note ever. "Gao" power! ^_^[/quote][FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]Haha. I was actually considering using my banner as a link to her picture saying "Gao," but the banner I have right now looks like I stole it from someone else unless you see version 1 (in fact, I asked the guy to put his tag there when requesting it). Anyway, moving back on topic:
[QUOTE]One thing to keep in mind, though, is that the increased popularity and wider distribution of fansubs doesn't really correlate to increased revenue for American anime licensors... The market is almost saturated.

...I would not pre-order nearly as many different series if it were not for fansubs... even if I haven't seen the anime in question myself, fansubs basically ensure that [i]someone[/i] else has, and so it's much easier to find pre-release reviews and opinions to help me decide if/when I want to buy the R1 DVDs.

As an example, anime that aren't fansubbed end up seeming obscure once they're licensed, even if they're fairly recent... So I'm much more hesitant about purchasing these series than I would be about a show that has already won over... [a] fanbase.[/QUOTE] While I know that fansubbing has no direct correlation to licensors' profits, I think your own experience says it best: fansubs help licensors get an idea of what will hit and what will miss. It's a demographic that other types of shows (and even anime itself in its motherland) can't use.

So, if Company X is planning on licensing something, they can see how the series fared over in Japan. In addition, they can also check out how popular the series is download-wise. There may be a huge contrast, if the anime has something that's partial to Japanese viewers and no other persons. Going further, if they felt compelled to, they can determine from what country most of the downloaders of "anime Y" are.

Also, is it licensed anime that is being saturated, or is it anime itself (i.e., even in Japan)? Of course more and more anime series are being licensed because of the increase in popularity, but I've noticed more and more (generic) anime series are being made.

[QUOTE]Unfortunately, people who download fansubs, love them, and are thereby inspired to buy more R1 DVDs often seem to be in the minority.[/QUOTE] I'm not sure what you just said here, but I think you are saying people who download fansubs tend to not buy DVDs since they already can get the anime for free. I'd argue, if they are that cheap already, what would compel them to buy any anime if they couldn't d/l it? If they don't see it as something worth their $$$ in the first place, would they put some cash down just because they can't obtain it otherwise?

I imagine, if they are like I am with certain things (not anime - I buy that stuff like it's crack), then the answer is no.
[QUOTE]Have you read the Cnet article on fansubs? I found it very impressive; I thought it was surprisingly balanced and well-researched.[/QUOTE] Care to give a link (or at least a summary)? I haven't heard anything from Cnet, even though I visit Download.com regularly, haha.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[Dagger]

[quote name='AzureWolf][FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]Also, is it licensed anime that is being saturated, or is it anime itself (i.e., even in Japan)? Of course more and more anime series are being licensed because of the increase in popularity, but I've noticed more and more (generic) anime series are being made.[/COLOR][/SIZE'][/FONT][/quote]
I've read some doom & gloom predictions regarding the future of the industry in Japan, but in general I'd say the problem with R1 licensed anime is much more noticeable. The fanbase just isn't large enough to continue supporting so many second and third-tier shows. But on the positive side, if the upcoming American debut of [b]Naruto[/b] can't invigorate the market and draw in a lot of new fans, nothing will.

I agree that there are a lot of mediocre to awful series airing right now--but at the same time, I'm not certain that this hasn't always been the case. And 2004 was a really fantastic year in anime for me... I can't even begin to list all of the new shows I fell in love with. So you win some, you lose some, I guess.

[QUOTE][FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]I'm not sure what you just said here, but I think you are saying people who download fansubs tend to not buy DVDs since they already can get the anime for free. I'd argue, if they are that cheap already, what would compel them to buy any anime if they couldn't d/l it? If they don't see it as something worth their $$$ in the first place, would they put some cash down just because they can't obtain it otherwise?[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/QUOTE]
That's a reasonable argument. To branch off of your description, I've encountered quite a few fansub-only watchers who have incredible misconceptions about American anime DVDs (i.e. they think all DVD releases are dub-only and heavily edited like One Piece, and so forth). I don't know how to tell whether they're genuinely ignorant and would buy DVDs of shows they'd already seen (if they knew the material was uncut and came with Japanese audio), or they're merely making excuses.

[QUOTE][FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]Care to give a link (or at least a summary)? I haven't heard anything from Cnet, even though I visit Download.com regularly, haha.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/QUOTE]
[url=http://news.com.com/Anxious+times+in+the+cartoon+underground/2100-1026_3-5557177.html?tag=st.num][u]Here ya go[/u][/url]. Enjoy. ^_^

~Dagger~

[Panda]

[quote name='tiffanyxii']Do you think anime influences you as a person? if so, how?[/quote]
Oh yes most definitely. Several of my life decisions have hinged upon anime. When I was little I grew up watching Robotech. Robotech was one of the first Japanese animes brought over to the States and converted to US tastes. In a time ruled by Hanna Barbera, Robotech was years ahead of everything else out there. It had a very adult feel to it which I loved since most animation back in the mid 1980's we just for kids.

I fell in love with the soap opera stylings of the story line. At that point I fell totally in love with the idea that pilots were very attractive. Pilots were my equalivalent to a knight in shining armor. They were protrayed as being brave heroes who would risk their lives to rescue those in need. I know this is where my real life love of pilots came from- directly from watching years of Robotech. Needless to say I married a flight instructor.

I have also started freelance writing concentrating on anime themed articles. I have always believed that you should follow a career path of something you love doing. I enjoy writing and I love anime. Put the two together and you have a fun combination of work and play.
[quote name='tiffanyxii']Why is it that more and more western viewers are interested in anime?^[/quote]
I believe that more and more western viewers are interested in anime because of several reasons. Many of us have grown up watching it. Now the first generations of anime fans are having children who are growing up watching anime. Thus the pattern of anime fandom continues. Large conventions and anime that can be picked up almost anywhere they sell DVDs makes it much more accessible to the viewing public. No longer out of sight out of mind. Anime is all around and on television almost any hour of the day.

Anime also has a wide range of different styles for different demographics. If you want action adventure you are covered. If you want a love story, anime has got that covered too. Grade schoolers to adults, anime has something for everyone to enjoy. Only a few animated programs are made in the west that are geared for adults. Animes appeal here in the States I believe has a lot to do with the wide range of anime for each of the different demographics.

[AzureWolf]

[FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]Wow, that was a surprisingly good article. I thought this was interesting enough to quote:
[QUOTE]Companies worry that the easy prerelease availability of fansub versions means that the otaku class has already seen their products, and no longer need to buy anything but the must-haves.[/QUOTE] It's obvious why companies would want people to buy more than just the must-haves, but how is this any different than anime on TV? I think this outlook about the fansubbing community is flawed. While I admittedly won't buy anything but what I feel is a must-have, I also doubt I'd buy anything without knowing what I'm investing in. Who buys things arbitrarily, and how many successful DVDs have there been when there is clue as to what it is on it?

Also, they quoted that ckime dude! Wow, so he is real.

To toss this thread into a slightly different angle, do you think hentai will play a prominent role in making anime more popular to Western fans? If not to build popularity, do you think it'll play a key role in changing the "for kids" mindset?

If you are wondering where the hell this came from, I'm wondering because hentai seems to attract the largest number of anime fans online.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[r3vival]

I agree that anime does have a profound effect on my life. As mentioned before every anime has its own underlying moral lessons and its up to the viewer to interpret them as he will. In reality what you can get out of an anime is so open ended the same anime can have different lessons to different people.

Then there is the matter of the rise in western popularity of anime. I have to agree with what was mentioned earlier that it was a gradual process of more people in western nations being exposed to it. I think that it has only recently come to the point where the western popularity had rose to a point high enough for the general public to gain more exposure to the anime and then as was also mentioned earlier you generally dismiss it before giving it a real chance calling it a "childish cartoon" (ignorant)... or you fall in love with it but i'm also sure some people do give it a fair chance before dismissing it (respectable) but I cant say I agree with them :D . But the thing is who could help but fall in love with an anime of choice if given a fair chance. There is the nostalgic feeling of the cartoons of our past but now in the form of a much more mature show. There are so many different kinds of anime there are those that offer intense humor, some are action packed for those more into the action category, and some are as deep as many soap operas try to be, but in most cases you find a nice mix of all these qualities and more. The fact of the matter is in anime, if you look for it, there is something for everybody.

[EVA Unit 100]

[quote name='AzureWolf][FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]To toss this thread into a slightly different angle, do you think hentai will play a prominent role in making anime more popular to Western fans? If not to build popularity, do you think it'll play a key role in changing the "for kids" mindset?[/COLOR][/SIZE'][/FONT][/quote]

NO! Hentai was what got most westerners against anime in the first place! Something like, say, The Sopranos or South Park is definately not made for kids, but wouldn't be considered pornography either. You can find plenty of non-Hentai anime that break the "for kids" mold.

The best-case scenario for anime in the USA:

Steamboy and Howl's Moving Castle are released in multiple theaters and make at least $50 million at the box office. At least one of them gets an Oscar nomination. Adult Swim pushes Full Metal Alchemist and Samurai Champloo bigtime and announces a 2006 run of EVA Platinum. Toonami airs Naruto at a TV-PG and becomes huge with teens, while Zatch Bell sells, One Piece gets renewed with less-editted episodes, and Bandai gives SEED a 2nd chance. Avatar continues in the Top 10 Cable Ratings, and IGPX does well once it premieres. TNT runs Cowboy Bebop in primetime. A new manga title becomes a breakout hit and sells as well as a Dan Brown or Steven King novel. Everything is good.

[Dagger]

[quote name='EVA Unit 100']...A new manga title becomes a breakout hit and sells as well as a Dan Brown or Steven King novel. Everything is good.[/quote]
While manga has yet to top the best-seller charts, it's already on its way there. Recently, Fruits Basket broke USA Today's weekly (?) list of the top 100 best-selling books (and I believe this has happened in the past with some other manga series as well--Rurouni Kenshin, perhaps). With Tokyopop starting to target the chick-lit segment, I would not be totally floored if we really did see that kind of breakout hit sometime in the future.

Howl's Moving Castle will probably do relatively well, box office-wise. What was Spirited Away's total take? But to me Steamboy seems like more of a stretch.

~Dagger~

[EVA Unit 100]

[QUOTE=Dagger]Howl's Moving Castle will probably do relatively well, box office-wise. What was Spirited Away's total take? But to me Steamboy seems like more of a stretch.

~Dagger~[/QUOTE]

Spirited Away's total take was about $12 million. However, if you did the multiplication, had it been in a release of around 1,000 theaters (the minimum for a wide-release movie, and likely what Howl will get) while still pulling in the same ammount of money-per-theater it pulled in, it would have topped $140 million, about as much money as the opening weekend of Harry Potter. With Howl probably going to be in 4 times as many theaters as Spirited Away, that means more people will see it but there will be a 1/4 less money-per-theater likelyhood. Add to the fact Howl is based off of a British novel instead of a manga or Japanese folklore, which rises the marketability of it probably at least 3 times more than that of Spirited Away, and you end up with an estimated gross of about $60-70 million, which would be the best gross for any anime movie in America other than Pokemon 2000.

As for Steamboy, it has potential. Most media experts think it might be a bit more successful than Howl, given that it is a more Americanized story than Howl, has more college appeal, an all-star cast, the director of Akira behind it, and a lot more CGI.