The General Anime Thread...

[uMadson?]

NGE in Japan is a kid's show. Surprised people didn't know that, unless they're unaware of the cultural differences between Japan and North America.

wat

 

[Sephy]

it's a bit sad that I don't know who in heck are any of them.

Don't worry, I only recognized two of the names. The rest was gibberish.

 

[AOS-]

I still have to perform searches on the other half. I've only pulled out names of the herd of cosplayers on the internet.

 

[TheCorvette]

What next, you guys will say Naruto Shippuden, Gundam, Bleach, and One Piece aren't kids shows in Japan also?

Look, I'm not saying NGE is a kids show here (After all, it gets a TV14 rating on the DVD's.). In Japan, that was its target audience. From what I understand, it was shown in the late-afternoon, not late at night. They do not show adult anime in the late-afternoon in Japan.

Evangelion is a children's show, shown in a late afternoon time-slot and designed primarily to sell toys and advertising slots from 3rd-party sponsors. (Technically, I'd call it a "modern Gundam-style" children+otaku show, in that certainly they intend to get the otaku market as well, but it's primarily a kids' show. This is also what they tried to make Code Geass R2 into.) On top of that, Eva got lucky and achieved "societal phenomenon" status; it's a special case, not something that happens every year or even every decade.

What I'm trying to say is, the "reaching out" you talk about doesn't really make sense. There're already mass-market cartoons in Japan. Kara no Kyokai just isn't one of them.

Bleach, Naruto, One Piece, PreCure, Inazuma Eleven, Guren Lagann, Gundam--these are all mainstream kids shows, like Eva. Some become classics and are re-run on TV over and over. (For example, Urusei Yatsura is currently running at 7PM on Sundays.) Then, there are also mainstream adult sitcom cartoons such as Mainichi Kaasan.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/bbs/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=1022963#1022963

This is where I got this from, and this is from someone who knows quite a bit on the Japanese market.

 

[Loliblade ver2]

What in the 🤬. Dude, Neon Genesis Evangelion is INCOMPARABLE to Naruto, Bleach, Gundamn or One Piece. It's too psychological and too 🤬 up to be a kid's show.


What is wrong with people?! Also, I don't care what some random forumer thinks.

 

[TheCorvette]

Cultural differences man, cultural differences.

Many games that get T ratings here get an A rating in Japan for example, which is the equivalent of the ESRB's E.

 

[Loliblade ver2]

I highly doubt Evangelion is actually considered a kid's show. And no, I'm not talking about some forumer's opinion, screw that guy. EVANGELION IS THE KING OF MIND RAPE, NOBODY WOULD EXPOSE THEIR CHILD TO THAT. Actually, children wouldn't even be interested.

 

[AOS-]

Regardless, the content of NGE is wayyy too complex for kids to grasp, even for japanese kids.

 

[TheCorvette]

In Japan it is. Children were watching, along with teenagers and adults, but the target audience was kids. It aired in the late-afternoon after all.

 

[Loliblade ver2]

Airing in the late afternoon = automatically targeted towards kids?


Wow, what a great argument! No actual statement from say, Gainax or Hideaki Anno.

 

[Sephy]

I could see the first few episodes being confused as a kids show. But when crap gets real, OMG. Not something a kid could understand: not even a Japanese kid, TC.

 

[TheCorvette]

Interesting, look what I find when I Google Hideaki Anno.

Neon Genesis Evangelion
Main article: Neon Genesis Evangelion (anime)#Origin and production

Anno's next project was the anime TV series Neon Genesis Evangelion (新世紀エヴァンゲリオン Shin Seiki Evangerion?), (1995–1996), which would be recognized as an influential animated series, championing a return to older styles of drawing and themes in Japanese animation and taking them to new heights of precision and depth.

It is plausible that Anno's four-year period of depression was the main source for many of the psychological elements of the series and its characters, as he wrote down on paper many of the trials and tribulations of his condition. During the show's production, Anno became disenchanted with the Japanese "otaku" lifestyle, considering it a form of forced autism. For this and other reasons (although perhaps by design as well), Evangelion's plot became increasingly dark and psychological as the series progressed, despite being broadcast in children's television timeslot. Anno felt that people should be exposed to the realities of life at as young an age as possible, and by the end of the series all attempts at traditional narrative logic were abandoned, with the final two episodes taking place within the main character's mind.

The show did not garner high ratings at its initial time slot, though it was soon moved to a later, more adult-oriented venue and became exceptionally popular throughout Japan.

After the ending of Evangelion, Anno received numerous letters and emails from fans, both congratulating him on the series and criticizing the last two episodes. Among these were death threats and letters of disappointment from fans who thought Anno had ruined the series for them. Soon, a project was launched to create a movie with a new ending for the series in 1997, eventually culminating in the controversial The End of Evangelion. (End of Evangelion displayed about a dozen letters from fans, including a few death threats.)

In September 1999, Anno appeared on the NHK TV-documentary "Welcome Back for an Extracurricular Lesson, Sempai!", answering some Evangelion related questions, including the origin of the name Evangelion, and teaching children about animation production.[8]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hideaki_Anno#Neon_Genesis_Evangelion

No actual statement from say, Gainax or Hideaki Anno.

Let me know when you find one saying it isn't a kids show, or is a kids show. There is no statement as it would be pointless.

 

[Loliblade ver2]

So it's not that the show is geared towards kids, it's that he tried to mind:censored: a generation of kids.


Well played, Hideaki, well played.

 

[TheCorvette]

In the end, regardless of who it's aimed at, people of all ages, races, and genders can enjoy the show. I still have yet to try it, but when I do, I'll finally see what the hype was all about for this ground-breaking anime that is very influential in the history of anime.

 

[Sephy]

From what you bolded: "despite being broadcast in children's television timeslot". I don't know if you know English, but it seems as though it was indeed broadcast in the afternoon, but not as a kids show. Watch it already. You'll understand. And just so you know, it's way better than Fate/Zero.

EDIT: BTW I have that little documentary thing. I've watched about the first 10 minutes or so. I really need to restart it and finish it. Hideaki Anno teaching kids. LOL!

 

[Loliblade ver2]

But someone on a forum said it was kid's show!!!!

 

[TheCorvette]

But someone on a forum with a great understanding of the Japanese market, and has a book all about the anime business in Japan said it was kid's show!!!!

Fixed.

 

[Loliblade ver2]

Oohhh, they understand how the market works, THEREFORE EVERYTHING THEY SAY IS FACT. It's the internet, anyone can say anything.


You told me that Gosick aired at 1am in Japan. So does that mean Gosick is for more mature audiences than Evangelion just because it was aired at a later time?

 

[Sephy]

Fixed.

Except it seems like he's never seen it either.

 

[TheCorvette]

You told me that Gosick aired at 1am in Japan. So does that mean Gosick is for more mature audiences than Evangelion just because it was aired at a later time?

They were targeting the otaku (I.E. The people who will buy the show.) when doing that. Late-night anime is almost always targeted at the adult otaku, or basically the crowd who definitely will want to buy everything for the show.

 

[Loliblade ver2]

Except it seems like he's never seen it either.

I was thinking that too. He could be like TC and just talks about a ton of numbers for the sake of talking about numbers.

 

[TheCorvette]

Time to PM Annf at ANN then about whether he has seen the show or not.

 

[Sephy]

Late-night anime is almost always targeted at the adult otaku, or basically the crowd who definitely will want to buy everything for the show.

Then how do we explain you? It seems as though you are willing to buy anything from any timeslot.

Time to PM Annf at ANN then about whether he has seen the show or not.

Good idea. If you've seen all of NGE then you know full well it isn't a kids show.

 

[TheCorvette]

Then how do we explain you? It seems as though you are willing to buy anything from any timeslot.

That isn't really a fair comparison as you're comparing someone like me, an American anime fan to the Japanese otaku. American anime fans don't really care what slot an anime aired in Japan (In fact, most don't know where it aired and at what time(s)). They'll buy whatever they feel is worth their money, and want to own.

 

[Loliblade ver2]

I can only handle so much of TC's stupidity in one day. *gets off GTP*

 

[Sephy]

Okay let me re-phrase that; You want to buy anything and everything because you have no taste.

 

[Terronium-12]

I'm late to this conversation, but I can tell you right now that V Gundam sure as hell was not aimed at a young audience. In fact, the only entries in the franchise that are specifically aimed at a younger audience are:

G Gundam (more or less)
Gunpla Builders
Gundam AGE
SD Generation
SEED (???)
F91 (It's actually not, but it's a complete mess, so WTF)

And some others I can't remember.

 

[TheCorvette]

If I like a show, I'll want to buy it. I rarely blind buy.

Also before this comes into play, I do have limits. I don't love Tenchi Muyo! enough to buy this (If it were still available.) for example.
http://www.rightstuf.com/1-800-338-6827/catalogmgr/Hy7tUO5y5mEGErgTMY/browse/item/62207/4/0/0
When it comes to imports, it depends on various factors whether I'll want to buy them or not. If that Fate/Zero Blu-ray Box was $1,000, I wouldn't have bought it as I don't love the show that much to spend that much on the first half.

 

[Sephy]

If I like a show, I'll want to buy it. I rarely blind buy.

But you bought Fate/Zero.


Also I was starting to get almost proud of you (in the way only a hateful stepfather can) since you finally stopped posting about Garden of Sinners. But now it's this Tenchi set. STOP. We understood the first time you posted it.

 

[TheCorvette]

I had already seen Fate/Zero before I bought it. That wasn't a blind buy.

Also finally stopped? I posted about it a few times before last month. Also the Tenchi set, I've posted about it only a few times (I think this is actually the second time I've posted about it here.), and the last time was months ago IIRC.