K-On! (season 1) licensed by Bandai Entertainment

[Squawks]

Originally Posted by Vexx

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

Yes I am too insecure that's why I only watch manly anime such as myselff

[Dark Paladin X]

Hmmmm...I'm not sure if K-ON! would save Bandai's asses. Mainly because K-ON! is more of a "moe"/otaku show similar to Hayate the Combat Butler! and Lucky Star (which many "moe" shows have limited appeal to American audiences). Only difference is that K-ON! doesn't use Japanese pop culture references as much as Hayate and Lucky Star.

But I think the key is creative viral marketing. The reason why Haruhi Suzumiya series did decently for Bandai is due to viral marketing. If K-ON! were to have some sort of creative viral marketing, then it may be successful for Bandai. As Janai would point out:

Originally Posted by Janai

I think the key is in the marketing. If Bandai pulls off a decent viral marketing stunt, I have a feeling that will move more sales. At least it seemed to work with Haruhi and Kannagi (which sold fairly well, so I’m told). The extras (assuming there are extras) will also be key. Haruhi had some excellent extras – pencil boards, CDs, and tons of other free stuff. On the other hand, Lucky Star‘s extras, which consisted of shirts with pictures of sailor uniforms printed on them (to this date I still wonder whose brilliant idea that was), didn’t do so hot.

[Vexx]

I ended up giving all those shirts to friends of the female anime fan persuasion. Those were just stooooopid as an extra. Not to mention the shirts were the size of small aircraft carriers... basically useless for anything *but* a lass's nightshirt.

K-On! could be marketed quite well to crossover audiences (e.g. female, co-ed, even 20-somethings), the trailers and adverts just need to emphasize the comedy and music.

[Jintor]

I would love it if they focused on the music, although they would be selling the series... I don't want to say short... they would be focused entirely on an aspect of the series that isn't actually its primary concern (it's more of a thematic thing than anything else).

/edit I don't think Haruhi found success on the back of viral marketing; Haruhi found success on the back of fans who loved the series enough to tell all their friends and to go out and buy the real things. Viral marketing... I have doubts as to its ability to convert people who hear about it into actual paying customers.

[Dark Paladin X]

Originally Posted by Jintor

/edit I don't think Haruhi found success on the back of viral marketing; Haruhi found success on the back of fans who loved the series enough to tell all their friends and to go out and buy the real things. Viral marketing... I have doubts as to its ability to convert people who hear about it into actual paying customers.

Well yeah, there are a lot of factors behind success of Haruhi Suzumiya. But I'm saying that viral marketing may be one of them. I think other factors are devotion of the fans like you mentioned. Other factors may be the nature of the series itself. Both Haruhi Suzumiya and Lucky Star uses a lot of quirky humor. However, the later takes heavy references to other anime series and Japanese pop culture that many western viewers may have hard time understanding (while I do enjoy the dub of Lucky Star, I felt that most of the jokes in the dub was lost. But at least Bang Zoom! tries to make the dub of Lucky Star as enjoyable as the Japanese soundtrack).

I could list many factors of a show's success. But I think the main key here is the devotion of the fans. I consider viral marketing to be "secondary" key.

But then again, a lot of people have their own tastes.

[Jintor]

The success of Haruhi's 'viral marketing' was, I thought, more to be found in that the company that brought it over understood the series, knew what was going on, and were demonstrating that they were fans like us.

[0utf0xZer0]

Originally Posted by Dark Paladin X

Hmmmm...I'm not sure if K-ON! would save Bandai's asses. Mainly because K-ON! is more of a "moe"/otaku show similar to Hayate the Combat Butler! and Lucky Star (which many "moe" shows have limited appeal to American audiences). Only difference is that K-ON! doesn't use Japanese pop culture references as much as Hayate and Lucky Star.

But I think the key is creative viral marketing. The reason why Haruhi Suzumiya series did decently for Bandai is due to viral marketing. If K-ON! were to have some sort of creative viral marketing, then it may be successful for Bandai. As Janai would point out:

I wouldn't say that K-On! will save their asses (don't know what sort of shape Bandai is in), but I think it's a much more viable property in the US than Lucky Star. I just feel a lot more enthusiasm for the show among the anime fans I hand out with than I ever did for Lucky Star, and I think that's important for generating actual sales.

(What's really odd is the kinds of people I'm hearing the enthusiasm from - ie. a bishounen show fangirl with an obsession with Ellis from Left 4 Dead 2 making a super-giddy post about K-On! being licensed on one forum I'm on.)

[Kudryavka]

Originally Posted by 0utf0xZer0

What's really odd is the kinds of people I'm hearing the enthusiasm from - ie. a bishounen show fangirl with an obsession with Ellis from Left 4 Dead 2 making a super-giddy post about K-On! being licensed on one forum I'm on.)

Unlike Japan apparently, a show with cute girls is girl bait over here, not guy with too much money bait. I wouldn't be too surprised at girls liking the show, even bishie lovers.

[krko]

I wonder how much good it'll do for bandai if they somehow sneak K-On's financial success into their marketing like animax did. For reference here's the animax premiere CM.

[Ithekro]

If they can draw in the rock vibe in the English speaking market, they'll have a shot.

[Jintor]

Oh man, dedicated anime channels... I kind of wish we had those...

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by Komari

Unlike Japan apparently, a show with cute girls is girl bait over here, not guy with too much money bait. I wouldn't be too surprised at girls liking the show, even bishie lovers.

To be honest... I keep thinking of K-On! as an updated cousin of the old classic story "Little Women" (written in the late 1800s) with the addition of music, japanese culture, and 21st century surroundings.

It was (and still is) enormously popular with girls/women in the Americas and Europe and was quintessential "cute girls doing cute things".

[superslinger2007]

...Aaand here come the arguments. I am, of course, neutral over the issue.

(It's getting a dub.)

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news...sora-kake-girl

And I don't know who guessed that Ms. Vee would be cast as Mio in the show itself, but they're right.

[Varion]

Originally Posted by superslinger2007

...Aaand here come the arguments. I am, of course, neutral over the issue.
(It's getting a dub.)
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news...sora-kake-girl

Seen as I wouldn't go anywhere near the dub (or the subs, for that matter) I'm more interested in them confirming it'll be a simultaneous DVD/Bluray release. Didn't expect them to be allowed to release the blurays because of reverse importing issues.

Might pick these up simply because I don't own season 1 and it'll be 10x cheaper than importing the Japanese blurays like I'm doing for season 2

[Lord of Fire]

As long as the DVDs are subbed, I'll buy them. That's all I care about.

[Vexx]

yeah... I'll be doing the blu-ray if that's a true bit of information. Sometimes its a bit annoying when my fansub seems to be better quality than a remastered DVD for region 1 because the distributor couldn't be bothered to do quality control.

[GMT]

Originally Posted by superslinger2007

...Aaand here come the arguments. I am, of course, neutral over the issue.

(It's getting a dub.)

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news...sora-kake-girl

And I don't know who guessed that Ms. Vee would be cast as Mio in the show itself, but they're right.

Vee as Mio? Well, I'll be cheaping-out and picking up the DVD then. And watching the subs. No K-ON! on Blu-Ray for me.

[Tatiana Razajev]

Originally Posted by Vexx

yeah... I'll be doing the blu-ray if that's a true bit of information. Sometimes its a bit annoying when my fansub seems to be better quality than a remastered DVD for region 1 because the distributor couldn't be bothered to do quality control.

I plan to go for the blu-ray version as well assuming it comes out for real of course. In any case, one issue with DVD regardless of "quality control" is this. To go from 720 (fansubs) to 480 (DVD) can be kind of sad.

As for the news of the dub, I'm glad it's getting dubbed and am looking forward to seeing who gets to play Ritu. Hopefully they'll reveal that soon. Because clearly her role is the most important to me. Yeah, I'm biased.

[Sackett]

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. (**)

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.

[GMT]

Originally Posted by Tatiana Razajev

I plan to go for the blu-ray version as well assuming it comes out for real of course. In any case, one issue with DVD regardless of "quality control" is this. To go from 720 (fansubs) to 480 (DVD) can be kind of sad.

Yeah, well, for those of us who don't have the bandwidth or connection speed to blow on 720p fansubs, a 480p DVD will tar and feather the 360p Youtube videos we've been relying on to get our fix.

As for the news of the dub, I'm glad it's getting dubbed and am looking forward to seeing who gets to play Ritu. Hopefully they'll reveal that soon. Because clearly her role is the most important to me. Yeah, I'm biased.

I'm a bit dubious on the dub. Especially since they gave Cristina Vee the part of Mio; and her whole schtick is mutilating perfectly good songs (bear in mind that I'm allergic to Vee in the "whenever she opens her mouth, God shovels a whole litter of kittens into a furnace" way.) I can totally get behind Sheh as Yui, though.