(L) Kamichu

[evilr00t]

Unless the forum mods come up with a way to "recover" threads based on caches, I'm going to link to my page my copy of the cache.

http://www4.ncsu.edu/~pzwong/kamichu/narf.html

Google only has the first page, and the other search engines don't have it at all

[NeoSam]

Kamichu! manga is serialized in the seinen(young men's) manga magazine Dengeki Daioh.

This is a seinen manga/anime.

Genre: Seinen, Fantasy.

[Vexx]

So far only one figurine is out that I've seen -- for "Kamichu" herself .... available via pre-order from hlj.com and several other fine sources.

Three DVDs subbed ..... no noises spotted about whether it'll ever see an R1 release or not.

[ultrataro]

I'd rate this one as a harder sell. It is one of my faves. It would prob appeal more to fans of Ghibli/Miyazaki style works and might not catch the eyes of a lot of the young male audience here, even though that was the original target audience. I'm not willing to say it won't ever happen though, I'd love it to! Perhaps someone will take a chance on it, maybe someone looking to expand the market, just as in the US manga companies have discovered the female market. I'll bet they're looking with interest at the young women targeted anime that has seen good success the past seasons in Japan.

[Vexx]

ultrataro: it hits that untapped market for families desperately looking for "family fare" that isn't *stupid*. Any innuendo I've spotted has been pretty mild and only the puritanical extremists would rally at a random bath scene.

I'm hoping that when the translated Totoro hits the market here in the States that it opens the door for a work like Kamichu. So far Disney has only done movie imports but who knows...

[NoSanninWa]

The only problem with this show being licensed, is that it might inflict mental damange on Christians in the US who can't deal with the way that word "god" is used.

No, seriously! I'm not joking. A lot of them get really upset at the slightest hint of polytheism. They really seem to think that the lord's name is being taken in vain.

[tugatosmk]

Originally Posted by NoSanninWa

No, seriously! I'm not joking. A lot of them get really upset at the slightest hint of polytheism. They really seem to think that the lord's name is being taken in vain.

I don't believe this... That must have something to do with USA's current conservative traditions (thanks to G.W. Bush), right? Because that sounds a bit like fanatism...

One should always consider and investigate the religious and cultural aspects of a foreign show, especially when the diferences between foreign and local customs are so large.

For those who are unfamiliared with japanese religion:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_religion

[NoSanninWa]

You hardly need to give us that advice. Anyone here obviously is interested in animism in general, and Shinto in particular, or else they wouldn't be reading this thread.

And yes, that is definitely fanaticism. I hate having to deal with it in this country. Nothing other than fanaticism can explain why our courts are still fighting it out between Creationism and Evolution and some schools are actually teaching Creationism under the new name of "Intelligent Design". Religious fanaticism sucks.

[DaFool]

Originally Posted by ultrataro

I'd rate this one as a harder sell. It is one of my faves. It would prob appeal more to fans of Ghibli/Miyazaki style works and might not catch the eyes of a lot of the young male audience here, even though that was the original target audience. I'm not willing to say it won't ever happen though, I'd love it to! Perhaps someone will take a chance on it, maybe someone looking to expand the market, just as in the US manga companies have discovered the female market. I'll bet they're looking with interest at the young women targeted anime that has seen good success the past seasons in Japan.

I feel that the "must...destroy...something" local young male culture has a long ways to go until it can reach the levels of little-girl appreciation in Japan. When most young men are confidently mature that they can wear pink T-shirts with pink ties, only then I'd say the market is ripe for Kamichu! (I am not referring to metrosexuals, I am referring to people like my stout high school engineering teacher who was a former american football coach--couldn't get more masuline than that--and he wore pink to class and wrote individualized Christmas cards to his students)

So the best option to grab a set target audience is to focus on the show's similarity with Ghibli. Remember, this is among the most hardcore of super late night otaku shows. It cannot be compared with the market for josei (young women targeted) anime...whose timeslots are mainstream and get 2%+ ratings. Thats why josei shows would be easier chance to license (unless they demand too much money).

[h2o2shadow]

I wonder when this anime discussion thread evolved into a religion discussion

[tugatosmk]

Originally Posted by NoSanninWa

You hardly need to give us that advice. Anyone here obviously is interested in animism in general, and Shinto in particular, or else they wouldn't be reading this thread.

I never meant you guys, of course. The information I directed was meant for people like those you mentioned earlier, just in case they were actually browsing in this thread. Maybe I wasn't very clear. :\

Originally Posted by h2o2shadow

I wonder when this anime discussion thread evolved into a religion discussion

I'd hardly call that. No one's trying to prove one religion better than the other.

But in a way this could have started because it takes forever for the R2 DVDs to be released in Japan in order for iitran providing us with another "full" ep of this fine series, lol. (joking ) So sometimes it's easy for us to get distracted with other subjects that are somehow related to this show.

Speaking for myself, that wasn't my intention, though.
So... let's move on?

[NoSanninWa]

Originally Posted by h2o2shadow

I wonder when this anime discussion thread evolved into a religion discussion

You can hardly have a show about the difficulties of learning how to be a god without religion cropping up from time to time.

[ultrataro]

Yeah, I really don't like religous fanatacism either. But fortunately there's still enough sane people to keep them in check. I'm sure these kind of people would have a problem with just about all anime, I can imagine the fit they had with Evangelion. Luckily they don't affect this market.
Anyhow, to get back to topic, I'd like to say I'm glad to see the DVD releases! I was surprised to see the amount of footage put back in! It doesn't have major effect on the story, but there's a lot of nice stuff. So I wonder if this is going to be a major trend with DVDs having major additional footage and even additional episodes? I wonder how much of this was planned marketing?
Anyway, any of the American anime companies listening? Hear us, this is a great show! Be different, liscence it! & look at Windy Tales, Twin Spica, Mushishi, YKK, Petopeto (although this is a bit closer to typical anime fare) too!

[Vexx]

I joking call Kamichu! a "Primer on Shinto 101" ... without burying the viewer under the theory, it gives a nice practical feel to the concepts of Shinto and animist thought. Just another way to model the world --- much like joking about the "daemons" and "imps" in computers or the "magic blue smoke" that makes things work until it escapes. I really feel pity for the intolerant mind that can't deal with this type of show (and I *do* know of far too many people with that mindrot ... the kind who forbid Halloween and rant about the "reason for the season" (Saturnalia? Yuletide, anyone? .... Spring fertility rites and rebirth? Where's that bumper sticker about Old Time Religion with Cthulhu crawling over a temple? )

Smile and enjoy the season of renewing bonds...

[mj_mjohnson]

So the big question is, why isn't Kamichu popular enough to be fansubbed reliably? We're only up to 5 episodes (of 12, plus those 4 OAVs that will be coming out I believe).

I must admit I really enjoyed the pacing and high production quality of the first couple of episodes. It's ashame that there isn't a decent sized fan following yet...

[Daniel E.]

Originally Posted by mj_mjohnson

It's a shame that there isn't a decent sized fan following yet...

Well, I just discovered this show a few weeks ago, and I loved every minute of the first three episodes. I showed the eps. to a couple of friends and they though the anime was great too.

[howzitboy]

its a really cute anime. i love the animation and the char, only negative? wayyyy to slow to come out. i want now now now, its been while since 5 came out. i got desperate and downloaded all the rest in raws. if no one does it, i can always bug my pals to translate for me hehe.

[deftoned]

Originally Posted by mj_mjohnson

So the big question is, why isn't Kamichu popular enough to be fansubbed reliably? We're only up to 5 episodes (of 12, plus those 4 OAVs that will be coming out I believe).

I must admit I really enjoyed the pacing and high production quality of the first couple of episodes. It's ashame that there isn't a decent sized fan following yet...

I know! I want more.

I just started watching this recently as well (probably because of all the best of 2005 blogs) and absolutely LOVE it. What really pulled me in was not just quality of the animation and sound, but the honesty of the characters. They were down-to-earth and "normal"--Nothing too overdramatic or dull.

[Kayle]

mj_johnson:

Kamichu! isn't being speedsubbed by anyone, that doesn't mean it isn't being subbed reliably.

Previously, Kamichu! was being fansubbed by Studio ADTRW under the names Meyrin (for high resolution softsubs) and Lunamaria's Leecher Liberation Front Fansubs (for standard definition resolution hardsubs). Studio ADTRW received some assistance from IIchan Translation Group for later episodes until they stopped at episode 5. IIchan later decided to take on Kamichu! but decided to start at the beginning with DVD episodes, as they had extra and extended scenes as well as four entirely new episodes.

Currently, there are three active fansub teams:

• IIchan Translation Group (eps 1-3) - this is the second anime for this group, they are using the DVD version, which has additional and extended scenes compared to the TV broadcast, as well as 4 entirely new episodes.
• C1 Anime (eps 1-3) - C1 has fansubbed about half a dozen series (working on TV version)
• Destiny-Fansubs & Ichiban Fansubs (eps 1-2) - I believe this is the first anime series for these two groups (working on TV version)

I have heard of another group is nearing release based on the DVDs, and Yukata managed to release one episode, but apparently has since dissolved.

Three active groups is quite a lot for a not so popular anime.

Kayle (a member of IIchan Translation Group's Kamichu! staff)

Vexx later writes:

Plus the sub teams are using the DVDs.... which come out at about once a month....

But the speed of DVD releases are not the main factor--there are two episodes per volume, so at one episode/month we're falling further behind. The first five DVDs volumes are available now.

[Vexx]

And just to supplement, the added episodes were "in betweens" forcing a renumbering of the episodes. The sub teams are using the R2 release DVDs.... which come out at about once a month.... and the 3rd one is the most recent I think.

Many thanks to IIchan --- and this is one series I sincerely hope gets licensed some day so I'll buy it ... which I never would have risked without the fansubs.