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Originally Posted by GMT
K-ON!! must've been that other "big title" Bandai is betting the farm on(*). This one, and Haruhi 2009. Good news for K-ON!! fans willing to fork over American cash for Bandai discs, certainly. Is it going to save Bandai's bacon, though? I mean, what is K-ON!!'s demographic in the US? In Japan, we know who K-ON!!'s demographic is . . . single males with too much disposable income. Only problem with this is that K-ON!! is pretty far down the list of things I think of, when I think of things likely to appeal to young males with too much disposable income in the States.
Perhaps Bandai sees what a smash this has been in Japan, and online, and figure that it's got a shot to do well in the West. Only I suspect many outside of Asia who've wanted to see this show have already pirated it six ways from Sunday and will be hard to convince to fork over the $50 a DVD box-set of this title is likely to cost. I hear Haruhi and Lucky Star have worked out real well for Bandai . . . haven't you?(+)
I, personally, will pick this up. This is also one show where I am unlikely to listen to the dub track . . . although, given that Animax has already set the bar for English dubs of this show pretty low, it'll be really hard for whichever ADR Bandai selects to do anything but improve on that. Unless they involve Christina Vee in any non-promotional capacity. In which case, they'll limbo right under that bar and deserve everything coming to them. (**)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vexx
According to polls in Japan, K-On! has been "unexpectedly" popular with female viewers as well. Also, in the U.S. (at least anecdotally), I've found as many female fans as male. The series doesn't treat females poorly (like say, the "usual harem anime" comedy) and shows them in a commendable light with good academic habits, career plans, etc. I'd certainly recommend it as good entertainment for girls as well as guys. I suspect it will do well if marketed properly.
The only demographic I could see K-On! failing in is the "young male teen too insecure to watch anything but violent gar stuff" category  |
The main reason I watch K-On is so I can talk about it with my cousin, the only other person in my family who watches anime. She loves it, and is a 16 year-old girl. (I refuse to watch the magical girl shows that she secretly watches- fortunately for me she also likes things like FMA.)
I actually think the biggest market for this in the US is the Hanna Montana fangirls. Cut out the Mugi-vision, and bowdlerize a few scenes and it could easily appeal to that group.
That is, assuming they dub the songs, which with Vee as Mio seems likely.
Try and get musical instrument manufactures to sponsor it (arrange a deal for them to create "Yui's Gitar" as a starter guitar for young girls who want to be rock stars) and put it on ABC family.
I think it would do quite well. Probably won't happen though. Too bad.