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Anime Japan

The World Is Watching More Anime -- and Streaming Services Are Buying (wsj.com) 65

Posted by msmash from the growing-trend dept.
An anonymous reader shares a report: The pandemic is helping Japan's demon slayers, monsters and robots make the leap to the global market. Animated video in the Japanese style -- aka anime -- has long been a niche taste for fans in the U.S. and elsewhere, and some anime films such as those by Hayao Miyazaki have become mainstream hits. Now, with the pandemic putting a premium on escapist video content, the business is getting hotter. Streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime are scouring the globe for fresh content, from documentaries to calming videos, and anime has an advantage over live-action content because it doesn't require actors and crew to expose themselves to virus contagion. With the latest anime hit bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars in Japan, industry players say the next year is likely to bring more deals and more content for the U.S. "I used to have the sense that the anime category was spreading widely around the world, but what we're seeing these days is a big leap beyond that," said Taiki Sakurai, Netflix's chief anime producer. "The global anime fan base is expanding rapidly." Last month, Netflix said it had 16 projects in the works at its Tokyo-based anime production hub, including "Godzilla" and "Transformers" titles, with plans for global distribution that it said were pushed forward by the evidence of higher demand.

Netflix, which hired a creative team dedicated to anime production in Tokyo four years ago, said more than 100 million households around the world watched at least one anime title on the streaming site in the year to September 2020, growing by 50% from a year earlier. Anime titles have appeared in the top-10 list in nearly 100 countries this year, it said. Amazon Prime also features a wealth of anime titles. The financial reports of Tokyo-based Toei Animation, the studio responsible for anime such as the "Dragon Ball" and "Sailor Moon" franchises, give a glimpse into how the industry is changing. Four years ago, revenue received from outside Japan accounted for one-third of Toei Animation's overall revenue. The overseas portion rose to half of the total in the year ended this past March, and overseas revenue more than doubled to the equivalent of $243 million, with "Dragon Ball" programs available on streaming services such as Hulu in the U.S. In the most recent six months, overseas sales rose to nearly three-fifths of the total.
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The World Is Watching More Anime -- and Streaming Services Are Buying More

The World Is Watching More Anime -- and Streaming Services Are Buying

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  • It doesn't have to be particularly good or many-episode, just (1-3 of) your top favorites.

    • It doesn't have to be particularly good or many-episode, just (1-3 of) your top favorites.

      1) Cowboy Bebop

      2) Ghost in the Shell

      3) Erased

      • Full Metal Alchemist
      • Martian Successor Nadesico (About the most meta anime I've seen, and fantastic)
      • Patlabor
      • Akira

      All older, but good watches nonetheless.

    • Akira
      Ghost in the Shell
      Ranma 1/2

      (I'm old.... and I haven't watched any since 2000ish)

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by OzPeter ( 195038 )

        Akira
        Ghost in the Shell
        Ranma 1/2

        (I'm old.... and I haven't watched any since 2000ish)

        I'm curious to know how Ranma stacks up as an anime vs the manga. I read/owned 20-30 manga back in the day but can't imagine they would translate to the anime.

        I also saw (before covid) that my local library had the manga in the teens section, so I am planning on revisiting it after 20 years.

        • As far as I know, I've watched the entire series and I own the entire collection of manga. In most ways, the manga is better. In a few ways, it's not as good. Just know that the shipping of Ryoga and Ukyo is anime only. Ms. Takahashi got them both their respective love interests. I should say though that if you're a fan of the manga, the anime, for the most part, won't leave you unsatisfied. The OAV's are good movies are a good time. Just keep in mind that the TV series, in the early seasons, was finding th

    • That's odd, Slashdot won't let me answer. So you'll have to decode the answer yourself with a friendly uudecoder: http://uuencode.online-domain-... [online-domain-tools.com]

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    • A number of my other favorites have been already mentioned, so I'll list:

      Kill la Kill
      Hanabi Renmei
      A Place Further than the Universe

    • Gun x Sword

      Witchcraft Works

      Heroic Age

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by OzPeter ( 195038 )

      1. Ajin [wikipedia.org] 2 Seasons. Very dark. One of the questions it poses is if it's OK for the government to torture immortals to death over and over again, knowing that they will regenerate, all for the sake of science.

      2. Sword Art Online [wikipedia.org] 3 seasons. Boy gets trapped inside VR game where death in the game means death in real life, escapes and then does it again in season 2. The latest spin off (Gun Gale Online) was pure unadulterated covid binge popcorn with no redeeming features except binging.

      Saw these both on Netfl

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Sakuta ( 7459770 )

      Monogatari Series, Cowboy Bebop, Blood +

      I had an account at ./ since 2000 but I can't recover the itso I made a new account. Bonus points if you can name the anime it is from.

    • Buso Renkin, Groove Adventure Rave and One Piece.

    • Sora no Otoshimono

      Ghost in the Shell

      Sword Art Online

    • I won't say favorites because that depends on the mood. But I still name some really good, lesser known ones that stuck in my mind all these years.
      1) mahou tsukai ni taisetsuna koto (someday's dreamer) 2) Gunbuster 2, Diebuster 3) And just because I have Gundam on the brain currently, Gundam build divers: Rerise (which, you can watch on youtube, courtesy of Bandai themselves. https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com])
      Bonus anime (not a series or movie. But a short) I Can Friday By Day. (https://www.youtube.com

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by bidule ( 173941 )

      Not listed yet:

      University life: Genshiken or Nodame Cantabile
      Quiet life: Mushishi
      Absurd: Nichijou or Humanity has Declined

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by _merlin ( 160982 )

      Azumanga Daioh and Maison Ikkoku are definitely both worth watching.

    • "Kids on the Slope"
      "Nodame Cantabile" (although I preferred the live-action version)

    • older
      Bleach (esp 1-61, then the rest with a list of filler episodes to skip)
      Soul Eater
      Kill La Kill
      newer
      One Punch Man (Season 1).
      Dr. Stone

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by dvice ( 6309704 )

      I have watched a lot of movies and series and I started to get bored. I like it what they do with anime. Most series are about 12 episodes, so you can try new ideas. So instead of trying one serie, I think it is better to try several and see what works for you. Instead of favourites I tried to pick some different things for you to try.

      - Hunter x hunter (best character development I have seen and battles are non-repeating, really entertaining)
      - Mady in abyss (adventure into a deep hole that is full of ancien

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by GuB-42 ( 2483988 )

      Some lesser known series
      - Dennou Coil (a series about augmented reality, a bit cute and childish like studio Ghibli movies)
      - Higurashi no naku koro ni / When they cry (mystery/horror anime, time loop style)
      - Slayers (actually quite well known, but I had to put a classical shonen in here)

      Bonus:
      - Ippatsu Kiki Musume (very short, a bit tasteless comedy, not for everyone, but I like it)

  • A blessing and a curse for the animators (Score:3)

    by guardiangod ( 880192 ) on Monday November 16, 2020 @06:33PM (#60732066)

    https://www.animenewsnetwork.c... [animenewsnetwork.com]

    The management at one anime production company that provides anime to Netflix commented: "If the anime is a hit, it's a win for Netflix. But if it's a loss, it's our (the production company's) win." The reason for this is because under Netflix's licensing deals, the streaming rights are bought outright, so that the production company does not receive royalties no matter how many views the anime gets.

    Another issue, according to the management of an advertising firm, is that Netflix does not reveal viewership numbers at all to their partners. This makes it difficult to negotiate for a higher payment for the next streaming deal. A leader at one of the companies that participated in a well-known anime program is quoted as saying: "At this rate, we might become a subcontracting company to Netflix."

    Netflix also deals primarily with streaming deals, meaning that there are many cases where the production company has difficulty selling off the rights to merchandise, games, home video, and other forms of media. This is a problem for an industry that relies heavily on media mix franchises as supplementary forms of revenue.

    • All you are doing is being a bad neighbour, as Hulu cannot be used here in Canada. And no, VPNs are not the answer, as Hulu cracks down on those, and our own domestic broadcasters have warned us not to circumvent their exclusive rights to Hulu content.
      • As a Canadian, I'm asking you to please ignore the parent post. No, we are not all so petty as to wish to deny others that which we don't have direct access to ourselves. Besides, Netflix Canada has been carrying all the Miyazaki films that were licensed to Disney from Studio Ghibli, so some of the greatest anime ever made is readily accessible to Canadians. There's a lot of great anime available on streaming services in Canada.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Luckyo ( 1726890 )

      ANN as a source is iffy at best and "how dare these evil Japanese offend our sensibilities by making an anime about a guy who gets victimized by a princess who falsely accuses him of rape, believe all women or else!" at worst.

      The obvious benefit from doing fixed price licensing is that company making the anime takes minimal risk. And benefit from getting a good run is that their next round of negotiations for the next show are going to be a whole lot more profitable.

    • So let me get this straight - they are complaining that Netflix is taking the risk instead of them?

      I have continuously found it annoying that which anime makes it out of Japan to the international market appears to have more to do with the vagaries and idiosyncrasies of the parties negotiating the licensing than anything about quality or market. The same is apparently true of Japanese cinema in general. There is plenty of stuff for which distribution rights are purchased and then never used, or it was on

  • God of High School... why you leave us hanging after the first season?!?!?!?!

    Sad unicorn. :(

  • lol, virus proof? (Score:4, Informative)

    by SeaFox ( 739806 ) on Monday November 16, 2020 @06:56PM (#60732168)

    ...and anime has an advantage over live-action content because it doesn't require actors and crew to expose themselves to virus contagion.

    What a load of BS right here. Anyone who's been watching anime over the last year is very aware of how the pandemic is affecting these productions [reddit.com] as well, from existing shows taking multi-week hiatuses, new shows being delayed indefinitely, to things like Funimation's English dub "simulcasts" now being weeks behind the original Japanese release.

    Anime may not be acted out in front of a camera in a way the consumer sees, but it still requires many individuals people working together to create.

    • ...and anime has an advantage over live-action content because it doesn't require actors and crew to expose themselves to virus contagion.

      Anime may not be acted out in front of a camera in a way the consumer sees, but it still requires many individuals people working together to create.

      Thank you for pointing that out. What it really comes down to is (in a way, what it always comes down to), western media is scrounging for content to have for it's audience because it's own is lacking or unsatisfactory in either amount or quality.

    • Anime may not be acted out in front of a camera in a way the consumer sees, but it still requires many individuals people working together to create.

      Yes, but having them all together in one space is a convenience, not a necessity.

  • We need it all to be on Funimation and/or Crunchyroll. All the new entrants trying to cash in are ruining it!

  • anime has an advantage over live-action content because it doesn't require actors and crew to expose themselves to virus contagion

    Who thinks producing an anime does not require a team of workers?

  • This makes sense, especially if the pandemic drags on for very long: voiceover work can be done literally anywhere, so voice actors can work exclusively at home given they have decent enough audio equipment and a properly quiet environment to work in; you don't need to soundproof an entire room. A friend of mine who has had one rock band or another since highschool has a full-on recording studio in his house, and he retrofitted a hall closet into a soundbooth for vocals recording. You don't even need to go

  • I have been getting laid a lot less this year... (Score:3)

    by Somervillain ( 4719341 ) on Monday November 16, 2020 @07:22PM (#60732284)
    ...is this proof I'm not the only one?

  • If only the graphics are as good (Score:3)

    by quonset ( 4839537 ) on Monday November 16, 2020 @08:06PM (#60732390)

    I finally got around to watching Akira last year. The graphics were great though I had to question what was the point of the story. Regardless, the older animes do seem better, visually, than more modern ones. For example, Cowboy Bebop is fantastic. The same for the older Gundam series (though not the original Gundam). Something in the middle for the Gundam series seems to be the sweet spot. However, Iron Blooded Orphans, not directly part of the Gundam saga, is great.

    Right now I'm watching City Hunter. Other than him being a complete sex maniac (something mentioned numerous times so far), the details really make it worth watching. If you look at the pedestrians on the street, they all look different. Ryo never changes, but Kaori wears something different each episode.

    I am far from an anime connoisseur, but the newer shows just don't get my attention. Even Gundam Unicorn lacked that little something. I never felt as if there was an issue which required the conflict.

    Anyway, ramble off. Anime is still a good piece of entertainment.

    • You might like Samurai Champloo.

    • had to question what was the point of the story

      There's no point to any story, other than the stories in the bible and their point is to brainwash people.

      Are you wondering what the underlying theme of the plot of Akira was? That was one of special powers, how they can corrupt people, and how governments will try to take advantage of them.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      It's because you are looking at the best anime from decades of past shows. There was actually a lot of crap back then too, it's just all been forgotten.

      The view from the West is distorted by what companies decided to translate too. They picked shows they thought would sell, which usually meant violence and sex. There used to be a really great fansub community, I don't know if it's still a thing but they would do shows that were more interesting that what Funimation or the old Manga Entertainment thought wou

    • Cowboy Bebop isn't even an old Anime, although it certainly ain't new. Another middle-aged Anime that was occasionally beautiful was (amusingly) Naruto. They spent way too much time hashing and rehashing things ala Dragonball Z, so there's a lot you'd want to skip, but they have some epic fight scenes cribbed from martial arts movies (they compare frame-by-frame) where they are both gorgeous (unlike DBZ) and they kick the frame rate up really high for them so the motion is smooth as well. Original Bubblegum

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Z80a ( 971949 )

      Digital tools and motion tween are the bane of animation.
      At least anime wasn't affected as hard as western cartoons.

  • Yep (Score:2)

    by PPH ( 736903 )

    All the fellas around these parts watch Annie Mae [wordpress.com].

  • been watching for nearly a decade w/o Hollywood (Score:3)

    by grep -v '.*' * ( 780312 ) on Monday November 16, 2020 @10:31PM (#60732744)
    I gave up on cartoons, excuse me "Live Action Superhero Movies" (and hell, most movies and TV shows) and watching Anime since like 8 years now and know of Thanos and the Big Bang and such only by osmosis and spoilers.

    Unlike "real cartoons" that seem to be made for kids, Anime has: those same kid cartoons, comedies, dark themes, honor (or not), protecting friends (or not), heros, teenage themes, adult themes, and on and on. One think I like about anime is the heros vs villains mostly just have a different view of things, although maybe that's self-selection at work. I feel that good anime has character PROtagonists that if pushed could easily join the ANtagonists.

    Oh, and there's some wanna-be "Americanization" of anime going on -- I believe Funimation is trying to show Japan "what anime should be" and getting roasted for it. "High Guardian Spice" was another showpiece that seems to have up and vanished. Goblin Slayer starts out in episode 1 with a mostly off-screen rape scene -- y'know, what actual monsters might do. This upset some people who seemed to want "nice" monsters. Unsure if eating the party instead wouldn't have been better. In another show (Shield Hero), a princess tricks and frames the titular hero, upsetting many (of the same??) people seemingly about "everyone should be believed, who would lie except for the obviously guilty." Lynch mobs for fast justice, just what the "A.D.D. Oooh, Shiny world" needs: instant gratification justice.

    And Sony is buying Crunchyroll and already bought Funimation, so that's a good chunk of the US market that's not already Amazon or NetFlix.

    Oh, for my top 3:
    Puella Magi Madoka Magica or it's semi-predecessor: Yuki Yuna is a Hero
    Karin (2005) [Not actually a top-N, but still quite funny and won't be listed elsewhere.]
    Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest.

    ALTHOUGH: for that last one you REALLY need to read the light novels. 1-10 are up an Amazon with #12 the last one out next June. There's a lot of grief for the anime but they had to like redo it halfway thru production. (Y'know, like rewriting your entire codebase halfway to release.) So give 'em a slight break, and if the story interested you AT ALL then check out the novels, they're much better. Season 2 has been announced but nobody knows anything.

    And one another that's just plain funny, is: Bofuri: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense. It's about a newbie girl who plays an MMO in the normal real world but manages to drive the programmers (and her friends and enemies) insane with the stupid actions she does while playing and winning at the game. (To wit: obtaining a turtle that's moves faster then she does. But she then combines random skills and now the giant(!) turtle flies(!)) The "twitter comments" at the end of each episode are great, but you have to pause multiple times to read them. Like Bakemonogatari, it's a pain to read.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      I've been slowly making my way through Great Detective Conan. I thought they might have made more effort to bring that to the West but I guess the subject matter (murder) and the fairly young target audience could be an issue. Basically it's Sherlock Holmes style mysteries solved with deduction, if you haven't seen it.

  • Perhaps part of this is that the current cartoons that are coming out of Hollywood look god awful in that CalArts style. Seen the latest incarnations of She-Ra or Thundercats? The downgrade in animation style is horrible. Dare to criticise the new She-Ra and watch out. That show has the most toxic crazy fanbase I've ever encountered that make Star Wars and Star Trek fans look tame in comparison.

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