Gundam AGE General Discussion Thread

[monster]

Originally Posted by casval cehack

I believe the decision to delay the introduction of the 2nd lead suit by a month in-story also had a great effect on the ratings. Probably why they're debuting Age-3 on the very first episode of the 3rd chapter.

I really don't see how that would affect the ratings.

[casval cehack]

Ofcourse.

The first gunplas (cheaper priced AG/HG) for Age-2 was released around 21st Jan, but it only appeared on screen (flashy moves essentially gunpla ads) in 19th Feb. Considering that this show was not popular on its target audience to begin with, the ratings gained in 29th Jan due to the interest for the 2nd chapter and the new lead gundam went down after the 16th episode.

[Key Board]

No, it's like this

Bandai wanted to target the Inazuma Eleven crowd.
That's why they brought Level 5 into this project.

That target audience is even more younger than the Seed crowd or 00 crowd.

But model kit sales so far has missed its target audience.
They failed, and now they're in a weird position

Kids don't like AGE, and on the other hand it's too kidy for the Seed / 00 crowd

The ones that are still buying model kits are the die hard fans, so maybe that's why AGE is becoming less kiddy recently

Personally, I follow AGE for one thing: Flit.

It's not very often you see a character age. Pun intended.

[Rising Dragon]

But that's just it, it's not too kiddy for the SEED/00 crowd, people have just written it off as such. As far as the storyline goes, it's quite dark and cynical, fitting for a Gundam series.

[Key Board]

nowadays it's less kiddy

but it was really kiddy during the first generation.

Especially during the Fardain arc. The damage has already been done.

The Seed / 00 crowd are typically middle school students. They're in that phase where they want something cool and edgy. It's what they call the chuunibyou phase. We've all been there. AGE does not appeal to this crowd.

[GN0010 Nosferatu]

Originally Posted by Rising Dragon

But that's just it, it's not too kiddy for the SEED/00 crowd, people have just written it off as such. As far as the storyline goes, it's quite dark and cynical, fitting for a Gundam series.

I still think all the hate from AGE came from the misinformation when it was first announced. For days people believed that the Gundams would be controlled with remote cellphones. The character designs are also a factor as well. No one gave AGE a chance at the start, that is what is hurting it.

[monster]

Originally Posted by casval cehack

Ofcourse.

The first gunplas (cheaper priced AG/HG) for Age-2 was released around 21st Jan, but it only appeared on screen (flashy moves essentially gunpla ads) in 19th Feb. Considering that this show was not popular on its target audience to begin with, the ratings gained in 29th Jan due to the interest for the 2nd chapter and the new lead gundam went down after the 16th episode.

Well, according to one of the ratings lists that brightman posted, episode 16 itself actually lost ratings from episode 15. So, even then, the second arc didn't really start at a high point ratings wise, especially when you consider that only 3 episodes from the first generation had lower ratings than episode 16. If that was greatly affected simply by the non-appearance of the AGE-2, as you believe, then that's just too bad.

And on a related topic, is it possible that AGE's availability on GundamInfo/YouTube would have made it less appealing/necessary to watch on TV? Are they having good number of views on YouTube?

[atilim]

Originally Posted by Rising Dragon

But that's just it, it's not too kiddy for the SEED/00 crowd, people have just written it off as such. As far as the storyline goes, it's quite dark and cynical, fitting for a Gundam series.

Gundam Age isn't as dark as other Gundams.

Usually when you watched you could justify the actions of both sides but with Age I find it harder to justify the actions of Vagan.

Vagan hates the political leaders of Earth understandable but personally I find them acting more like children that decided he hates the world just because a few people picked on him.

[SonicSP]

Originally Posted by atilim

Gundam Age isn't as dark as other Gundams.

Usually when you watched you could justify the actions of both sides but with Age I find it harder to justify the actions of Vagan.

Vagan hates the political leaders of Earth understandable but personally I find them acting more like children that decided he hates the world just because a few people picked on him.

I hardly call what the EF did to them "a few people pick on them" though. They want revenge in the form of blood for what was done to them and they want it from the Earth Federation nation, people and government.

The problem with the Vagans are the characters rather than the organization as a whole. Most of them act like simple stereotypical cartoon villains.

[casval cehack]

Originally Posted by SonicSP

I hardly call what the EF did to them "a few people pick on them" though. They want revenge in the form of blood for what was done to them and they want it from the Earth Federation nation, people and government.

The problem with the Vagans are the characters rather than the organization as a whole. Most of them act like simple stereotypical cartoon villains.

Intended to look like too mostly, considering this show's main target.

[brightman]

Originally Posted by monster

And on a related topic, is it possible that AGE's availability on GundamInfo/YouTube would have made it less appealing/necessary to watch on TV? Are they having good number of views on YouTube?

No because the YouTube feed is only available to people outside Japan.

So, would you say that AGE is falling under the stigma that Gundam should be targeted for kids, and therefore, anything that doesn't attract kids is a failure? (Not that AGE is attracting any other audience it seems.)

Can't Bandai/Sunrise try to target new teen/adult audience or is the Gundam models = toys = kids idea just firmly embedded into the Japanese mind

The point of Age is to appeal to kids, so that they have a new generation of fans to draw upon. They need this in order to keep the franchise sustainable, because their fans are getting older and older these days. They are quite aware that adults buy their toys as you can see in that article on the last page.

They did actually say that 00 managed to appeal to the adult male crowd very well but that the company was looking to get younger. Seed appealed to teenagers but based on what Bandai has said, I think they felt its fans grew up too fast so the impact wasn't lasting enough. That's why kids are needed.

[GN0010 Nosferatu]

Originally Posted by brightman

No because the YouTube feed is only available to people outside Japan.

Except for like....anyone that isn't in South East Asia.

[brightman]

Originally Posted by GN0010 Nosferatu

Except for like....anyone that isn't in South East Asia.

It's available to South Korea and Hong Kong/Taiwan too

[monster]

Originally Posted by brightman

No because the YouTube feed is only available to people outside Japan.

Oh, okay.

The point of Age is to appeal to kids, so that they have a new generation of fans to draw upon. They need this in order to keep the franchise sustainable, because their fans are getting older and older these days. They are quite aware that adults buy their toys as you can see in that article on the last page.

They did actually say that 00 managed to appeal to the adult male crowd very well but that the company was looking to get younger. Seed appealed to teenagers but based on what Bandai has said, I think they felt its fans grew up too fast so the impact wasn't lasting enough. That's why kids are needed.

They're so greedy. But, I suppose, that's what's desirable for business.

Well, there's still Kio's arc for them to attract the kids with AGE. We'll see how that turns out.

[GN0010 Nosferatu]

Originally Posted by brightman

It's available to South Korea and Hong Kong/Taiwan too

That's...that's not fair, that's not fair! It was time now!

[D-KLAC]

hey um of curious wonder had mention 3rd gen cast voice list yet?

bit hmm like i knew it put ai kayano in it?

besides wonder will 3rd sets of voice can also salvage the series?

[atilim]

Originally Posted by brightman

No because the YouTube feed is only available to people outside Japan.


The point of Age is to appeal to kids, so that they have a new generation of fans to draw upon. They need this in order to keep the franchise sustainable, because their fans are getting older and older these days. They are quite aware that adults buy their toys as you can see in that article on the last page.

They did actually say that 00 managed to appeal to the adult male crowd very well but that the company was looking to get younger. Seed appealed to teenagers but based on what Bandai has said, I think they felt its fans grew up too fast so the impact wasn't lasting enough. That's why kids are needed.

I can understand their reasoning to try to attract children below the age of 12, at some point the average adult (most likely when people when they married) will stop buying and watching anime.

So attracting the younger audience is important but to attract young children you need to have some shonen elements in the show which older people don't enjoy as much.

I'm just glad that they didn't decide to make Gundam Age similar to G Gundam, if at the end it becomes clear that the concept Gundam Age does not work (3 heroes, bit more childish animation) they will focus most likely on teens again which isn't to bad.

[Nivek von Beldo]

Originally Posted by atilim

I can understand their reasoning to try to attract children below the age of 12, at some point the average adult (most likely when people when they married) will stop buying and watching anime.

So attracting the younger audience is important but to attract young children you need to have some shonen elements in the show which older people don't enjoy as much.

I'm just glad that they didn't decide to make Gundam Age similar to G Gundam, if at the end it becomes clear that the concept Gundam Age does not work (3 heroes, bit more childish animation) they will focus most likely on teens again which isn't to bad.

The Main problem with AGE is that suffer the same thing who suffer... oh Surprise, the original Mobile Suit Gundam.

First it was a series based in a traditional concept... the battle between Giant Robots, but with a new Twist and Catch, rather being with the traditional Protagonist and how he want to save his friend, survive the war and defeat the enemy, here we have the history of not one... BUT THREE characthers from the same family thus sharing a common background but giving us Radical POV in how they life & fight and the war affect them.


Sound original and instesting in paper right? but the life is hard, and all the things were directly against his valerous concept.

First the radicals fans of old school thing that the show will rape the genre and refuse to watch it, them the teenager fans, only following the fads and the simple concept( Angsty co-teenager, boobs, panty shot, cheap psycological dilemmas,etc).

In general want to see how AGE finish, if finish at 43 chapter(to keep the paralellism and Irony) but in a high note who will be big in the future... this show make is work, maybe even if for gundam 2014-15 they will make something more 'safe'(like Gundam Seed or Code Geass R2 2.0, with more Bishonen and Yaoi Bait, Super Robot in Real clothes, Angsty teenager in the mold of Shinji Ikari) but if the people demand more series or a new concept... Gundam AGE whould have been is work and i will be happy.

P.S. How Kio will be? will be like Judah? like Tobias? Uso(plus the harem of amazons)? i want to hear your ideas.

[SonicSP]

Originally Posted by monster

Oh, okay. They're so greedy. But, I suppose, that's what's desirable for business.

Well, there's still Kio's arc for them to attract the kids with AGE. We'll see how that turns out.

Not only desirable, Bandai's survival might very well depend on it. They need their "star" product to stay as one. It's what any business would try to do.

Unfortunately, I don't think Kio's arc will help because some of the results of the investigation seem to suggest that its a problem with the core concept itself. The problem with AGE might be that its too Gundam rather than not too Gundam for kids.

Speaking of which, anybody have the sale numbers of the Blu Rays? I recall the first one didnt do to well. I'm just curious.

[monster]

Originally Posted by SonicSP

Unfortunately, I don't think Kio's arc will help because some of the results of the investigation seem to suggest that its a problem with the core concept itself. The problem with AGE might be that its too Gundam rather than not too Gundam for kids.

Well, the article mentioned that kids are unfamiliar with wars and space colonies and that Asem's school scenes did not attract those kids.

That, to me, says that AGE didn't fail to attract kids because they're too Gundam, but because Bandai was foolish enough to think that a few rushed, time-skipped, school scenes with little to no substance to them, placed in between mecha fight scenes, would be attractive, to anybody.

But, on a more serious note, now that they're on Earth, that's one less thing kids have to be familiar with. Now they just need to offer something interesting story-wise besides the war.