Quote:
Originally Posted by ultimatemegax
I would disagree with that. The shows that tend to sell well sell because they're a reminder of that time when they were first aired and because the fans liked those characters.
|
So what about shows with good/great characters that
don't sell well?
I'm sure most, if not all, of us can think of anime shows that fit this description (had great characters but didn't sell well). In fact, I can think of
many shows with great characters that didn't sell well.
On the other hand...
Brightly-colored, anatomically-correct moe done to top-notch animation: There's a consistent pattern of shows of this overall visual appeal/style selling well.
So I think that visuals do matter. A lot.
Quote:
|
The KyoAni successes could easily be classified in those areas. The Key dramas were highly enjoyable to the fanbase, thus they sold well. Haruhi started a huge anime fandom and some would argue a cult following, thus it sold well. Lucky Star was a celebration of being an otaku and had four entertaining leads, thus it sold well. K-On! served as a reminder of the fun times in high school and had five loveable characters, thus it sold well.
|
Much of this is pretty subjective. I personally agree 80% or more with your assessment of the strengths of these shows, but still, I know loads of anime fans that would disagree with you on at least one of these shows.
But what is less subjective is a basic description of a particular artistic style, and high animation quality.
"Brightly colored anatomically-correct moe done to top-notch animation" is pretty objective. If a show has that, people will be able to see it. It's mostly objective - A show either has this visual style or it doesn't.
My observation is that shows with this visual style have a considerable tendency to sell well. That observation still stands as far as I can see.
Now, no doubt having good/great characters can "top off" a show's sales, if it has other strengths going for it. That probably was a factor in at least some of the KyoAni shows you listed.
But KyoAni really did develop and master a particular artistic/visual style, which other studios have been influenced by.