[Arabesque]

Originally Posted by Suzuku

Eh, I don't see it as being that simple. Part of the reason why they started to fail is because they tried making stuff that didn't appeal to a wide audience. Josei/weird stuff =/= appealing to wide audiences.

I don't know about that, since it looked to me like the slot had been having more problems after Eden came around, and the general target of the slot started to change, the split in the programing, more otaku centric shows etc.. Generally, the Josei titles were the ones that put them on the map and brought with them the reputation the slot had. Shows like Antique Bakery, Honey & Clover, Toshokan Sensou managed to attract a lot of people, and heck Nodame Cantabile could be seen as the most successful title from the old era. Of course its not simple, since a lot of the decision to move to the more core anime fandom target is mainly so that the slot wouldn't die, but at the process they managed to go against the very core of why it existed in the first place.

Originally Posted by Suzuku

I get where you're coming from since Yamamoto stated they needed to start branching out due to revenues from ratings not being enough anymore, but that doesn't necessarily mean their productions can no longer attract wide audiences.

Of course it doesn't mean that the shows they make wont attract a wide audience, Guilty Crown has enough elements to appeal to all sort of different demographics, but it's clear which one they want to watch it (or in this case, but it and any related merchandise).

I can understand why they made this move, and I certainly can sympathize with them a bit when they have to make sure they make enough money to keep making these shows ... but that doesn't mean I have to like it when there are two shows that don't resemble anything the slot built it's reputation around (in fact, shows that the slot made it's reputation being different from them) going to air at the same time.

I don't mean to sound negative. I know it must look this way, and I keep re-writing this at least twice so that it doesn't come off this way. Like I said, I wanted Guilty Crown to be a longer show, I wanted BRS to get a TV anime, but having both at the same time makes it seem like they just said ''F it, let's not hold back and just drop whatever resemblance we had to the old programing''.

Originally Posted by Suzuku

Sure, BRS in itself is otaku oriented, but we have no idea what type of anime it will be. Going by the OVA it will still be shoujo-like.

It could be anything really, but it's still going to always retain that otaku orientation, regardless of what they make the story about.

Originally Posted by Suzuku

Furthermore, I'd say something like Guilty Crown can appeal to a wide audience, it's just of a genre that has its own base, just like every other show in existence. Just because the show will attract nerds because it's sci-fi doesn't make it a sell-out. I just don't buy the idea that noitaminA has sold out because it's doing more than just token Josei adaptations now. imo they're being even more bold now than they were before by producing so many original anime and even giving them 2-cour runs now.

Sold out was strong wording on my part. I agree that it's good that they are allowing for more anime originals and giving them more time to develop, but I think that them going all out with the sci-fi/otaku core audience front makes me think that they had already dropped any sort of guise about their older standards.