NHL will feature anime mascots?!

[Xion Valkyrie]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/3...g-set-in-stone

Basically, NHL interest and attendance in the states is fairly low, so now they're trying to get anime otaku into their core audience in order to push merchandise and tickets.

They're already in talks with Kyoto Animation, J.C. Staff, and Madhouse over specifics, although nothing is 'set in stone' just yet.

This is a pretty ballsy move, and I really doubt anything will come out of this, but if it does succeed, it might take away some of the stigma that's attached to anime right now, and maybe even move it to the mainstream media culture here in the states. Either that, or push hockey completely into the 'lame sports' category.

[0utf0xZer0]

There are plenty of otaku hockey fans in Canada. However, there are plenty of hockey fans in general in Canada, so I wouldn't really say that means much.

Anyway, this kind of reminds me of how one guy in my anime club suggested holding a D&D game at a strip club in order to get our geekier members to cut loose a bit: I'm not sure it would be a good idea but it would be interesting to watch two completely opposite cultures mesh.

Edit: Also, with all due respect to Kaioshin, I sure wish I could see the look on his face after he reads this article.

[MkMiku]

That’s quite an interesting move. That’s not to say I wouldn’t enjoy seeing anime characters become a part of my favorite sport.

[SeijiSensei]

Personally I don't believe a word of this article, but I'd be happy if I'm wrong. Still is it really plausible that

The terms of the deal included agreements to debut new episodes of anime during the breaks between periods of hockey games on television and on video scoreboards inside arenas, as well as anime appreciation nights in which fans would receive paraphernalia for attending. The studios would each be required to purchase a 10% stake in the League, as well as have the option to form a board which would have the final say in which music could be played during games in the arenas. The studios could also rename and redesign the presentation of individual player awards annually furnished by the League.

What evidence is there of a nascent hockey audience among anime viewers? Or, even less likely, of a nascent anime audience among hockey fans?

[DragoonKain3]

Yeah, and piss off the regulars who's there to see the game and not anime? I mean, I generally watch sports and anime, but my sports friends and my anime friends are generally exclusive. (note being Canadian, most of my sports friends are hockey fanatics) It would be like going to an all anime convention and seeing, I dunno, Lost or Heroes marathons and guest stars paraded. I really don't think the regulars are going to be happy, as anime is still generally looked upon as kiddie stuff by the general populace.

I mean, hockey, seriously? When has manga/anime ever done hockey in the first place? I like how they see that otaku and nhl viewers being almost separate demogaraphics, and pulling in the former would increase more sales. But that's exactly the reason why I think it will fail; there will not be enough interest for hockey in the otaku side for them to come into the arena.

And to be honest, how many of us are there in the first place? I think they're grossly overestimating our numbers. I mean, if fans can't even support the anime industry in the west in the first place, leading to some big name publishers closing down, do they really expect them to help bolster NHL ticket sales to help sagging revenue?

This is just a disaster in the making, maybe even hurting the NHL name at that. And I don't think they can afford that.


Now if its baseball, anime/manga might have some success, but then that leads to the problem on when exactly are you going to show them. There's not really a half time in baseball to showcase these series lol.

[0utf0xZer0]

Originally Posted by DragoonKain3

I mean, hockey, seriously? When has manga/anime ever done hockey in the first place? I like how they see that otaku and nhl viewers being almost separate demogaraphics, and pulling in the former would increase more sales. But that's exactly the reason why I think it will fail; there will not be enough interest for hockey in the otaku side for them to come into the arena.

I do have a friend who is both an anime fan and a huge Vancouver Canucks fan. However, the two hobbies have a completely separate appeal to him - 99% sure he'd have serious doubts about combining the two.

[Legacy|iB]

Might be a little late to add onto it, but it's BS.

Bleacher Report causes erroneous stories on NHL/anime initiative

Basically, Bleacher Report allows any user who has logged on and commented on articles within two weeks is allowed to write an article and somebody decided to do that. As we have all seen, hilarity ensues and I believe any hockey fans who saw that are thanking the hockey gods it was just a joke.

If there's one thing the real diehard hockey fans really, really, really hate - and I mean, like NUCLEAR HARDRAEG and dropkicking the Berserk Button hate - it's the attempts by the league commissioner Gary Bettman to 'expand' or 'broaden' the sport. Examples include implementing the shootout to decide tied games and to 'make games more exciting' and giving NHL teams to non-hockey markets such as Florida, Nashville, Phoenix, etc. while ignoring Canadian cities such as Hamilton, Winnipeg (BRING BACK THE JETS!), or Quebec City.

Those are bad enough for many already. But partnering with anime studios? Bettman better get the FBI to put him in protective custody if that happens.

That being said, as both a hockey fan AND an anime fan, I've always been intrigued by the possibility of a hockey anime or manga. I know - two completely separate and distinct things, especially with hockey being more of a fringe sport in Japan, but that's the fun in it. Anime/manga and hockey simply don't belong together, but god damn it, wouldn't you want to see it? The idea is just so silly, you'd have to see it to believe it.

And there are already manga about hockey or at least relating to it, like Go!! Southern Ice Hockey Club, Go Ahead, and another one somebody mentioned off-hand called FORTUNE, which I'm having trouble tracking down, and Sumire wa Blue involved a girl swooning over a hockey player. As well, there was also a JDrama, Pride, which involved hockey.

On a slight off-topic, the depiction of hockey in Pride was so laughably bad that it actually turned into a case of SoBadItsGood for me, which was the only reason why I actually watched it. And also, the thought of the Vancouver Canucks drafting the 30 year old player, amidst his overly flashy and ineffective style of play and an accompanying faux news report done in really awkward English makes the Calgary Flames fan in me do my 'HA HA STUPID CANUCKS' bit

Again, the idea intrigues me. Goodness knows how much time I've spent wondering how it could possibly work out and goodness knows what I was on when I actually tried to set out and get my idea written.

But luckily, the NHL agreement with anime studios is confirmed not happening, and is for the better. And yet somehow, somewhere deep within the deep dark reaches of my mind where a bizarre mix of everything happens, I am somehow trying to imagine what a moe Sidney Crosby or a tsundere Alex Ovechkin would look like...



...shit, now I can't unsee it. Damn it.

[0utf0xZer0]

Originally Posted by Legacy|iB

On a slight off-topic, the depiction of hockey in Pride was so laughably bad that it actually turned into a case of SoBadItsGood for me, which was the only reason why I actually watched it. And also, the thought of the Vancouver Canucks drafting the 30 year old player, amidst his overly flashy and ineffective style of play and an accompanying faux news report done in really awkward English makes the Calgary Flames fan in me do my 'HA HA STUPID CANUCKS' bit

*Rival team fan troll mode on*
I feel for you man. I so feel for you.
*Rival team fan troll mode off*

Originally Posted by Legacy|iB

But luckily, the NHL agreement with anime studios is confirmed not happening, and is for the better. And yet somehow, somewhere deep within the deep dark reaches of my mind where a bizarre mix of everything happens, I am somehow trying to imagine what a moe Sidney Crosby or a tsundere Alex Ovechkin would look like...



...shit, now I can't unsee it. Damn it.

Genderbent, I'm guessing?

Anyway, I've seen some pretty good moe/sports combination anime (Taisho Yakyuu Musume instantly comes to mind), but given that hockey can get rough it's kind of hard for me to imagine how a moe version would work.

[Kaioshin Sama]

And thus the glorious sport of Hockey was saved from a Kyoani makeover that never was and all was to remain right in the world.

Now on with the playoffs!

[MkMiku]

Article was a fake by the way. I mentioned it on my blog.
http://mkmiku.blogspot.com/2010/04/h...anime-win.html
I'm quite disappointed, to be honest.

[Sister Princess]

Originally Posted by MkMiku

Article was a fake by the way. I mentioned it on my blog.
http://mkmiku.blogspot.com/2010/04/h...anime-win.html
I'm quite disappointed, to be honest.

The trolling is successful, that's what this guy wants.

[bhl88]

http://forums.animesuki.com/showpost...postcount=3151 (posted it here, but...)

That guy is too late for an April Fool's joke. 14 days too late.