Quote:
Originally Posted by kuromitsu
Making shows tailored to the perceived interests of the American audience and then ending up with shows that don't sell anywhere is not what I consider a solution, though?  American fandom won't save anime, shows pandering to American audiences tend to fail either financially or in originality/creativity. Space Dandy could be an exception because it's got very big names attached to it who will sell some copies just by being on the credits list. But that won't help if the actual content is not compelling enough. (We'll see about that, but the trailer didn't make me excited at all.)
Frankly, at this rate things will go as they go, and the situation will eventually resolve itself in one way or another. The underlying problem in Japan is multifaceted and my suggestion is that the industry should collectively sit down and take a long, hard look at the situation, conduct a thorough market research to get to know their audience better, including potential audiences, and decide to change their attitude toward many things, including marketing and pricing. But this is unlikely to ever happen, so...
In the meanwhle, anime is business and businesses in general try to be profitable. As Kaisos Erranon said, this has been going on for ages, it's just the exact nature of the pandering that is changing. |
I suppose I should have specified "realistic solution"...
I don't buy the whole "this has been going on for decades" line, because it's kind of a throwaway dismissal that can be inserted in any situation regardless of merit. Yes, anime producers have always tried to make products that they think will sell. So have soap manufacturers, car makers, publishers, sushi chefs and anyone else who's ever been in a commercial enterprise. That doesn't change the fact that the commercial reality of the anime business has changed dramatically, and the buying habits on an unprecedentedly narrow niche audience now control what gets produced to a far greater extent than ever before.
As for BONES specifically the solution I refer to, as I think you know, is not just to produce anime specifically with an American audience in mind - which I think we can all agree isn't sustainable financially - but to take an approach aimed at appealing to a broad audience rather than jump into the clown car with everyone else trying to sell to the same sliver of potential consumers.