Kickstarter is a company/website that helps people get funding for projects in various areas like arts, technology, crafts, etc. Several Kickstarter projects have been started by fans to pay for creations of extra seasons of their favorite shows. There are a few problems that anime lovers in the states run into:
1. My favorite manga never got turned into an anime even though it should have. 2. My favorite anime is older and is no longer being sold due to licensing. I can't seem to find it anywhere and I'd really like to own it. Or I can find it and it costs a fortune because it is rare. 3. Anime/Manga never got translated to English at all, so fans over here are missing out. Do you think kickstarter can help remedy these issues? How can we make people aware of kickstarter campaigns so that they can donate? Are there any other issues that kickstarter could potentially solve for US fans?
Make this article your own, my intention is to use it to spread awareness so that maybe we can get more content in the US.
This would only work and be true if a particular distributor was willing to take on the risk and the challenge of adding it to their production schedule. Because in the case of anime licensing and distributing, it doesn't matter if it CAN be crowdfunded for those sparse individuals who want a particular release, it matters who's going to put up the campaign, and have the facilities and the know-how to get the title re-published and printed. Not just anyone can set up a Kickstarter for a re-release of a particular anime. So not only would fans have to still get the permission of the rights holders of a show to re-establish a license with a new entity (if the Kickstarter is successful), but you would also have to convince an American publisher to get involved who would want to take on the job of gathering all the assets together: most importantly, seeing if the previous distributor still has their former disk IMGs available in a storage somewhere, and still has their DVD covers, promotional material, original English dub recordings, and so on. Discotek Media has successfully done this quite a few times already, so I've been putting my money on them that if a particular show I used to like is out of print, they'd be the mostly likely to revive it, even without a crowdfunding campaign. – Jonathan Leiter9 years ago
Yeah, I know and agree. I think what you'd have to do BEFORE throwing it up on kickstarter, is a fan would have to take the lead and contact these companies formally. They'd need to get estimates on how many dollars/etc it would take to complete the project. It's hard work, but it's the necessary first step. I think if people were more aware of it and REALLY loved something, they'd at least ask the question. And if a few successes were had, this could become a more popular way of getting these types of projects done. This topic is "can it help." So you point out a very big hurdle against it. – Tatijana9 years ago
Maybe you could change Kickstarter to crowdfunding. There are other sites that do the same thing such as IndieGoGo. Expanding this to crowdfunding allows whoever writes this the ability to expand the field of works that have succeeded in the past which leads to better resource materials. – Connor9 years ago
Done. I was not aware that this was a term or that other sites like it existed. Thanks. – Tatijana9 years ago
There's an anime crowdfunding site which managed to create a limited release for Creamy Mami. I forget the name but if you Google you should be able to find it. Actually making manga turned into an anime would have to be something in the Japanese market? – Jordan9 years ago
It was called Anime Sols or something – Jordan9 years ago
Compare the Japanese and Western animation industries. In particular, look at some of the major studios in Japan today and in the West, and compare how they function. How is the work load divided? Is the software used to animate the same? How many series will be created at once? Is the pre or post production sequences done differently? Interviews with anime staff on Anime News Network, Youtube documentaries on Animation production, or information from the Hey, Answerman column may be useful to refer to.
This would be fascinating to read about, looking at cultural differences in animation studios, are there any in particular you had in mind when considering this topic? – Camille Brouard9 years ago
Other than Studio Ghibli, there's very little information on how Japanese anime is produced that I've been able to track down in either video or written form. I've always wanted to understand the methodology behind how they draw each frame of movement, and how they choose when to draw that frame. Because while anime is often very limited in its animation, it is decidedly skillful in how it retains a strong sense of expressionistic and stylistic movement, that also incredibly fluid when it needs to be, and subtle and frugal the rest of the time. But no manual exists for this that I know of. There's also no explanation as to how, where, and for how long Japanese animators learn their craft for the stunning animation they produce in the amazingly short time spans that they do. Each studio is different, and has reproduced the art-styles of numerous directors, but in almost all cases, everyone is a brilliant talent, unlike a lot of animation produced in the West, where we're much more simplified in our art-styles, rather than semi-realistic with a unique shape to faces and eyes. The best documentary I've seen on the system is the 45 minute piece created for "Little Witch Academia." And Studio Trigger is definitely one of the strongest examples of Japanese animation today. – Jonathan Leiter9 years ago
I think how you search for the information (search terms) can make a big difference. I've seen a number of videos on it. There are also books. Some other studios which might have information are Sunrise, Toei, Gonzo, Gainax, Production Ig, Bee train, Bones, Kyoto animation, Madhouse.... – Jordan9 years ago
I believe I saw a video on an American produced Japanese culture Youtube series which toured Madhouse for a special episode. Ghibli just seems to be the main one that gets the most coverage in terms of televised documentaries and other special behind-the-scenes footage. – Jonathan Leiter9 years ago
The main avenue of investigation seems to be drawing style. Investigating this would likely yield much of what you seek. – JDJankowski9 years ago
Compare, contrast, give history, information on influence and possibly rank famous mecha anime franchises. Ones of interest may be Voltron, Gundam, Patlabor, Macross, Neon Genesis Evangelion and Fullmetal Panic.
As an expansion, I think it'd be kind of cool to talk about which type of mecha would be most useful in real life today. – Tatijana9 years ago
Interesting idea Tatijana. Do you mean which weapon would be the most useful if mechas were real? – Jordan9 years ago
Of course there are already plans for the US and Japan to have a mech fight which can be thrown in as a part of this article or even to introduce it. Granted it may not be like what we see in anime it is still something that we are actually going to have a live giant robot fight happening soon. – Kmo9 years ago
The majority of anime are aimed toward teenagers to young adults, so high schools appear time and time again as a setting. How is the experience of high school portrayed in anime? Is it optimistic, pessimistic or somewhere in between? Does it depend on the genre? Are there any particular titles that break the mold or explore aspects of Japanese high school life in a different way? As a background, some mention of how Japanese schools differ from the West would be useful. A title of interest might be Flowers of Evil.
I've often seen Japanese high-schools in anime as being a rather cordial and pleasant environment compared to how American schools are often portrayed. Japanese schools seem more bright, more airy, more inviting. Usually they only get presented in a negative light when the main character we follow is having a strong negative response to their environment. They believe that their lives are a cage wrapped around them and they want to escape. Or they think that their fellow students and teachers are all beneath them, are idiots, and this is a waste of their time. But besides that, the schools seem pretty enjoyable, especially in the lighthearted, comedic, slice-of-life shows like "Azumanga-Daioh," "Lucky Star," "Genshiken" (although that's technically a college I think), and "Pani-Poni Dash." – Jonathan Leiter9 years ago
In Japanese and Korean culture, high school is considered more of a pivotal moment in one's life, both socially and educationally. Because of this, compared to Western culture, school life is actually riddled with studying for grades and club activities as students have the intent of getting into a prestigious university to further their lives. It could be said that anime depicts much of its settings in high school to give the essence of the lighter side to a busier lifestyle. You could also say that since high school is a pivotal moment in a person's life, the anime takes place in high school since the story is a turning point in the lives of the protagonists as well. – Baek9 years ago
That's a really good point, Baek! The cultural implications of high school ought to be mentioned in the article as well. Thanks for your feedback. – Jordan9 years ago
High School life series have become a common theme in most anime. Many people question as to the reason why. In my opinion, the reason is because they are attempting to appeal to that type of demographic. People try to find the legitimacy within a high school life anime, but isn't it possible that the theme is done that way specifically for the point of having a "get-away" type of feel to it, making people wish that their high school life were actually like that or creating some form of fantasy within the viewers life about what high school could be like. Whats more, there are even some series that take an interesting twist and instead focus on college lifestyle like "Golden Time" which definitely got a lot of people's interest. – Kmo9 years ago
Bleach, One Piece, Naruto and Fairy Tail are often referred to as the anime 'Big Four'. They are often seen as gateway titles. Many anime fans discovered the medium by watching one of these series. As much as humanely possible, compare and contrast each series. Look at the history, production, manga, movies and common themes. What makes each series different or unique – are there animation, music, character or story elements that set them apart? It is highly recommended to look at 'filler guides' for each series and research significant episodes or story arcs. Inuyasha and Dragon Ball/Z/Kai may be useful to add to the list, but they are often not grouped together in this way. The ultimate goal is to try and decipher which series may appeal to what audience and the best way to approach the material.
Why aren't "Pokemon" and "Yu-gi-oh" part of this bunch. One Piece is slightly older than the others and would have been enjoyed around the same time as Pokemon and "Yu-gi-oh," while "Bleach" and "Naruto" are contemporaries of each other, and Fairy Tale came out after all of them. I'm also pretty sure "Dragonball-Z" is still a big part of most anime fans around the 20-25 year old range. I'm not really very versed in the trends of late, so maybe the four you state are the current highest ranking shows in the West. But it'd be a shame to leave off the two card-trading shows which likely got as popular as they were "because" of the card trading and card battling/gaming aspect. – Jonathan Leiter9 years ago
I think because Pokemon is aimed toward children and so it hasn't caught on in the same way the others have. Yu gi oh has it's dedicated fans, but I wouldn't say it's popular enough to be part of the "Big Four". I think this 'list' is derived of what got teens into anime in the early 2000s rather than the 90s, which is why I think Inuyasha should still be part of the list. I hope this answers your question. – Jordan9 years ago
Yeah, I would kind of argue about those being the big four. But then again, it might be an age difference in my case. I would maybe change it to compare and contrast and also why those are good introductory animes. As far as I'm concerned my intros were Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball. I'd also point out that I think most people just get one intro. I think once you've dedicated your time to something as big as Naruto or One Piece, you are well on your way to researching "intermediate" animes. – Tatijana9 years ago
I see what you mean, but at least in the anime community the "Big four" is a key buzzword which is why I put it in the title. Maybe the person can explore the points you mentioned as part of the article? – Jordan9 years ago
Some anime fans are apathetic to live action tv. Explore some of the live action or animated (not Japanese) series that appeal to anime fans. Some of these are Adventure Time, Supernatural, Sherlock, Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, RWBY and Rick and Morty. What do they have in common? What features make these series appeal to those who generally prefer to watch anime?
I feel like this one would be kind of hard to do unless you are that said anime watcher. For example, where do I find data on how many people exclusively watch data and don't like other types of tv? And as far as exceptions to the rule, I feel that they'd be pretty standard. I think there are a lot of people out there who love anime but aren't opposed to watching other tv/movies. Because of this, I'd think you should reword you topic to be more like "Why people love anime." Or maybe leave the title, but remove saying that there are a lot of people out there who exclusively watch anime and nothing else. That said, I fear that this subject might be pretty closely related to other articles/topics already posted. – Tatijana9 years ago
I'm sure you're right that there are some anime fans who are so stuck on the aesthetics and the types of characters and stories that they prefer nothing else. Although that may speak to a deeper personal issue of disliking reality and preferring idealized fantasy, if that's all they choose to watch. In any case, I doubt if there are sufficient poles or sufficient studies on just how many people fall into that category, or really any direct information as to why. You'd do well to at least state where you got the idea for this topic in the first place. You must have seen a few specific people express that they don't like live-action tv, somewhere online. Otherwise you wouldn't have offered this up. – Jonathan Leiter9 years ago
Sorry, I am talking about one of my friends and myself who have this issue. Of course, it might be difficult to find the information except on forums. I think there is a topic on US cartoons versus anime so this might be rehashing already covered ground. How about changing it to - "Live Action TV shows that appeal to anime fans"? – Jordan9 years ago
I think you'd actually do well to write a personal blog entry about your experience with this particular preference with media. I'd be rather curious to hear about why this is so in your case. As for an alternate topic, I might even be interested in looking into Live-Action shows that could appeal to anime fans, so feel free to change the topic. It's not really something I've seen fully covered before. I'm not sure if my exact experience with anime would be quite the same as others, though, since I haven't quite watched some of the more recent popular series. Then again, I'd still be willing to give it a shot with my unique perspective. =) – Jonathan Leiter9 years ago
No worries, Jonathon. I'll change the title. For myself I have little patience with live action television shows since the amount of planning in regard to episode numbers and scripting seems different to anime? When an anime comes out it is already clear how many episodes it has, with live action it is ambiguous... a series could easily be made three or more seasons too long. I watched How I Met Your Mother all the way through and it could have been 4 seasons shorter. This still happens with anime but generally it is less common. I could go on, but that's the one major difference. – Jordan9 years ago
So, do you want someone to discuss those specific shows, or do you want someone to discuss what makes Western shows in general (be they live-action or animated) appeal to an anime watching audience? – Jonathan Leiter9 years ago
Both? General might be better. – Jordan9 years ago
This is a hard topic, although I know exactly what you're talking about. Me and many of my friends fall into this circle -- lovers of Sherlock and Dr Who who nevertheless feel right at home at an anime convention. Perhaps its the nerdiness of said shows? Perhaps its the community that builds around these shows (on tumblr, for example) that draws people in? – sophiacatherine9 years ago
Yes exactly, there's something about the 'nerdiness' about these series, but it would be interesting to define exactly what this encompasses. – Jordan9 years ago
It can sometimes be difficult for reviewers to be objective because nostalgia clouds their perception, so it would be worthwhile to look at anime from the 70's and 80's that still stand up in time. This would include doing research on popular titles from those time periods and watching them. The ANN Cast "Top 80's anime' podcast might be useful to refer to. To anyone who wants to write this particular piece, since the project is enormous, I would like to collaborate. I will likely send a PM as I have seen quite a number of series from this time period (Urusei Yatsura, Maison Ikkoku, Ranma, the Mobile Suit Gundam film compilation trilogy, Dimension Fortress Macross…) and it could make the process easier.
Wait? So if you post a topic here, you CAN take it for yourself? I thought the point was to offer topics for others to pick from. And then if you want to write something you yourself came up with, you just go and start writing it. – Jonathan Leiter9 years ago
Yes, I think that is still the case. I just thought I'd put this one because I'd like to collaborate with other writers on it. I think I'm allowed to do that? – Jordan9 years ago
I'd love to contribute to this article. I'd have to say Rumiko Takahashi's and Osamu Tezuka's works definitely have to be up in the list. – coriandres9 years ago
That's awesome to hear, Coriandres. Thanks for volunteering. I can't seem to find the button to PM you. Are you able to PM me and we can figure out what shows we should divide between us and that sort of thing? You can snag the topic and I can message you through what I've written as I go. – Jordan9 years ago
Every genre and medium has character archetypes associated with it, but few have as many and ones which appear with as much frequency as anime does. Tsunderes, Kuuderes, Yanderes; not only are many of these staples of almost every airing show nowadays, but the formulas used to create them are nearly identical. Most of the time, characters from different shows could be switched around without anyone noticing. The reason why these characters are so popular in the first place is fairly straight-forward: they play into power fantasies by implying that exterior behavior does not accurately reflect interior feelings. However, after so many reiterations of the same exact thing, the market should start to be frustrated. Anime is a very financially-driven medium, so why is it not considered profitable to put new and creative spin on the tried-and-true archetypes when doing so would almost certainly enhance viewer enjoyment and yield capital return? Shows like the Monogatari series have done exactly this and gotten massively positive results, so why do so many animation studios vie away from any sort of enhancement to the formula?
While I'm not a big anime fan, this article would catch my attention. The only thing I would say, would be whoever writes the article should be sure to explain the archetypes so a casual viewer like myself would know which is which. – Austin Bender9 years ago
