The sad, sorry state of Anime/Manga

[Chris Wagoner]

WTF happened to the manga movement?

Rewind the clock a few years back. You had great series like Guyver,
Fist of the North Star, Oh My Goddess, Ranma 1/2, and Urusei Yatsura
lining comic shelves. Now, fast forward to today, and only Ranma and Oh
My goddess are still being published, and they are pale shadows of
themselves (Oh My Goddess refuses to change its status quo, while Ranma
has gone from funny absurd to just plain silly.) The only new
manga/anime to hit the shores is either 'kidified' crap like Yu Gi Oh or
Shojo Manga. If you are an more mature person the only thing being
aimed at you is anime porn.

I love the fact that kids are reading manga, don't get me wrong, but
what about those of us who fought, translated, and strained for years to
make it popular? The only way to get more 'classic' series is to pay
out the ass for expensive DVD compilations.

I recently dug through the manga section at Borders. I FOUND NOTHING to
read. Not a goddamn thing. EVERYTHING on the rack was either kid crap
or (up on the top shelf) porn.

WTF?

[Chika]

In article <1350-40C5A1A6-523@storefull-3236.bay.webtv.net>,
Chris Wagoner <sakurambo@webtv.net> wrote:
> WTF happened to the manga movement?

> Rewind the clock a few years back. You had great series like Guyver,
> Fist of the North Star, Oh My Goddess, Ranma 1/2, and Urusei Yatsura
> lining comic shelves. Now, fast forward to today, and only Ranma and Oh
> My goddess are still being published, and they are pale shadows of
> themselves (Oh My Goddess refuses to change its status quo, while Ranma
> has gone from funny absurd to just plain silly.) The only new
> manga/anime to hit the shores is either 'kidified' crap like Yu Gi Oh or
> Shojo Manga. If you are an more mature person the only thing being
> aimed at you is anime porn.

> I love the fact that kids are reading manga, don't get me wrong, but
> what about those of us who fought, translated, and strained for years to
> make it popular? The only way to get more 'classic' series is to pay
> out the ass for expensive DVD compilations.

> I recently dug through the manga section at Borders. I FOUND NOTHING to
> read. Not a goddamn thing. EVERYTHING on the rack was either kid crap
> or (up on the top shelf) porn.

> WTF?

Times change, people change, product changes.

The various companies have found that certain titles, previously neglected
because it was supposed that they wouldn't sell, actually do sell, so they
have started to pump them out as fast as they can lay their hands on them.
The trouble always was that anime was hit and miss when it came to each
title, so now that they have found anime genres that seem to be selling,
they are going for it full time, leaving little room for anything else.

Let's face it; sex sells. What constitutes the majority of spam? What
pages insinuate themselves on search engines? What do you find on large
numbers of pop-ups (er, yeah!)? So what is likely to sell when it comes to
anime?

As for the kids, there will always be a fad market to fill and anime seems
good at doing that, especially where there is also a big merchandising
market to be exploited.

That's why a really good new series is such a welcome addition when it
comes out. To know what is good, you have to endure the bad. It's a shame
that we have to endure quite so much of the bad, but there it is. In the
meantime, it can often be comforting to look back on the days before the
mainstream, when the unusual and original wasn't such a pain to find.

--
//\ // Chika <zvlhxv@penfuarg.bet.hx. - ROT13>
// \// The second ZFC coming <crashnet.org.uk/zedeffcee>

.... Screenwriters apply character personalities like Post-It notes.

[Chika]

In article <1350-40C5A1A6-523@storefull-3236.bay.webtv.net>,
Chris Wagoner <sakurambo@webtv.net> wrote:
> WTF happened to the manga movement?

> Rewind the clock a few years back. You had great series like Guyver,
> Fist of the North Star, Oh My Goddess, Ranma 1/2, and Urusei Yatsura
> lining comic shelves. Now, fast forward to today, and only Ranma and Oh
> My goddess are still being published, and they are pale shadows of
> themselves (Oh My Goddess refuses to change its status quo, while Ranma
> has gone from funny absurd to just plain silly.) The only new
> manga/anime to hit the shores is either 'kidified' crap like Yu Gi Oh or
> Shojo Manga. If you are an more mature person the only thing being
> aimed at you is anime porn.

> I love the fact that kids are reading manga, don't get me wrong, but
> what about those of us who fought, translated, and strained for years to
> make it popular? The only way to get more 'classic' series is to pay
> out the ass for expensive DVD compilations.

> I recently dug through the manga section at Borders. I FOUND NOTHING to
> read. Not a goddamn thing. EVERYTHING on the rack was either kid crap
> or (up on the top shelf) porn.

> WTF?

Times change, people change, product changes.

The various companies have found that certain titles, previously neglected
because it was supposed that they wouldn't sell, actually do sell, so they
have started to pump them out as fast as they can lay their hands on them.
The trouble always was that anime was hit and miss when it came to each
title, so now that they have found anime genres that seem to be selling,
they are going for it full time, leaving little room for anything else.

Let's face it; sex sells. What constitutes the majority of spam? What
pages insinuate themselves on search engines? What do you find on large
numbers of pop-ups (er, yeah!)? So what is likely to sell when it comes to
anime?

As for the kids, there will always be a fad market to fill and anime seems
good at doing that, especially where there is also a big merchandising
market to be exploited.

That's why a really good new series is such a welcome addition when it
comes out. To know what is good, you have to endure the bad. It's a shame
that we have to endure quite so much of the bad, but there it is. In the
meantime, it can often be comforting to look back on the days before the
mainstream, when the unusual and original wasn't such a pain to find.

--
//\ // Chika <zvlhxv@penfuarg.bet.hx. - ROT13>
// \// The second ZFC coming <crashnet.org.uk/zedeffcee>

.... Screenwriters apply character personalities like Post-It notes.

[The Eternal Lost Lurker]

"Chris Wagoner" <sakurambo@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:1350-40C5A1A6-523@storefull-3236.bay.webtv.net...
> WTF happened to the manga movement?

Nothing happened to it. You're just an idiot.


--

====engage karaoke mode====
Code Lyoko tout reprogrammer
Code Lyoko, un monde sans danger
===disengage karaoke mode===

The Eternal Lost Lurker
(This space for rent)
www.lurkerdrome.com

[David Watson]

Chris Wagoner (sakurambo@webtv.net) writes:
> WTF happened to the manga movement?
> [...]
> I recently dug through the manga section at Borders. I FOUND NOTHING to
> read. Not a goddamn thing. EVERYTHING on the rack was either kid crap
> or (up on the top shelf) porn.
>
> WTF?

Problem solved. Go to a dedicated comic shop, not bloody Borders.
--
Dave Watson, Severed Heads Liberation Front (_Stretcher_ CD-R--sevcom.com)
Frezier Balzoff (aka Ottawa), Ontario, Canada Email--shlf [at] ncf [dot] ca
My music and anime webpage: http://www.ottawa-anime.org/~eyevocal/
Deworm yourself: http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/

[The Eternal Lost Lurker]

"Chris Wagoner" <sakurambo@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:1350-40C5A1A6-523@storefull-3236.bay.webtv.net...
> WTF happened to the manga movement?

Nothing happened to it. You're just an idiot.


--

====engage karaoke mode====
Code Lyoko tout reprogrammer
Code Lyoko, un monde sans danger
===disengage karaoke mode===

The Eternal Lost Lurker
(This space for rent)
www.lurkerdrome.com

[David Watson]

Chris Wagoner (sakurambo@webtv.net) writes:
> WTF happened to the manga movement?
> [...]
> I recently dug through the manga section at Borders. I FOUND NOTHING to
> read. Not a goddamn thing. EVERYTHING on the rack was either kid crap
> or (up on the top shelf) porn.
>
> WTF?

Problem solved. Go to a dedicated comic shop, not bloody Borders.
--
Dave Watson, Severed Heads Liberation Front (_Stretcher_ CD-R--sevcom.com)
Frezier Balzoff (aka Ottawa), Ontario, Canada Email--shlf [at] ncf [dot] ca
My music and anime webpage: http://www.ottawa-anime.org/~eyevocal/
Deworm yourself: http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/

[Joshua Kaufman]

Chris Wagoner wrote:
>
> WTF happened to the manga movement?
>
> Rewind the clock a few years back. You had great series like Guyver,
> Fist of the North Star, Oh My Goddess, Ranma 1/2, and Urusei Yatsura
> lining comic shelves. Now, fast forward to today, and only Ranma and Oh
> My goddess are still being published, and they are pale shadows of
> themselves (Oh My Goddess refuses to change its status quo, while Ranma
> has gone from funny absurd to just plain silly.)

....and yet, it (Ranma) was written well before that period you're
talking about. Imagine that.

-Joshua
--
AOL-IM: TerraEpon

[Joshua Kaufman]

Chris Wagoner wrote:
>
> WTF happened to the manga movement?
>
> Rewind the clock a few years back. You had great series like Guyver,
> Fist of the North Star, Oh My Goddess, Ranma 1/2, and Urusei Yatsura
> lining comic shelves. Now, fast forward to today, and only Ranma and Oh
> My goddess are still being published, and they are pale shadows of
> themselves (Oh My Goddess refuses to change its status quo, while Ranma
> has gone from funny absurd to just plain silly.)

....and yet, it (Ranma) was written well before that period you're
talking about. Imagine that.

-Joshua
--
AOL-IM: TerraEpon

[Thomas Bellman]

Chris Wagoner <sakurambo@webtv.net> wrote:

> The only new
> manga/anime to hit the shores is either 'kidified' crap like Yu Gi Oh or
> Shojo Manga. If you are an more mature person the only thing being
> aimed at you is anime porn.

Really? Here are some manga titles that are currently being
published in USA, that, as far as I know, are neither shoujo,
"kids stuff", nor porn:

3 x 3 Eyes
A.I. Love You
Ai yori aoshi
Azumanga Daioh (well, the last volume came out two months ago)
Berserk
Cannon God Exaxxion
Comic Party
Excel Saga
Full Metal Panic
GTO
Happy Mania (it's josei, not shoujo!)
Hellsing
Hikaru no go
Inu Yasha
Iron Wok Jan
Junk Force
Louie the Rune Soldier
Mahoromatic
Negima
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Phoenix (by Tezuka Osamu)
Seikai Trilogy (Crest of the Stars)
Shadow Star (aka Naru Taru)
Slam Dunk
Those Who Hunt Elves
Trigun
Tuxedo Gin

And those are just those that I myself am buying (that doesn't
fit into the above three categories).

And here are some recent titles that are already finished:

Chobits (shounen, despite being written by CLAMP)
Dance Till Tomorrow
Erica Sakurazawa's titles (josei, not shoujo)
Lost World
Love Hina
Lupin III
Metropolis
Next World
Onegai Teacher
Scryed

As for anime, hmm, here are some:

.hack//sign
Ai yori aoshi
Blue Gender
Captain Herlock
Cosmo Warrior Zero
Demon Lord Dante
Dirty Pair movies
Fighting Spirit (aka Hajime no ippo)
Ghost in the Shell TV
Gun Frontier
Haibane Renmei
Heat Guy J
Kaze no yojimbo
Kino's Journey
L/R (Licensed by Royalty)
Last Exile
Mahoromatic
Noir
Now and Then, Here and There
Nuku Nuku Dash
Nuku Nuku TV
Orphen
Puni Puni Poemy
RahXephon
Read or Die
Slayers movies and OAVs
Stellar Buster Mito
Wolf's Rain
Yukikaze

There is quite a lot of stuff for teenage boys coming to the USA.
However, there is a bit less josei and seinen stuff available,
and being 35 years old myself, I would like more of that.


--
Thomas Bellman, Lysator Computer Club, Linköping University, Sweden
"Too much of a good thing is WONDERFUL." ! bellman @ lysator.liu.se
-- Mae West ! Make Love -- Nicht Wahr!

[Thomas Bellman]

Chris Wagoner <sakurambo@webtv.net> wrote:

> The only new
> manga/anime to hit the shores is either 'kidified' crap like Yu Gi Oh or
> Shojo Manga. If you are an more mature person the only thing being
> aimed at you is anime porn.

Really? Here are some manga titles that are currently being
published in USA, that, as far as I know, are neither shoujo,
"kids stuff", nor porn:

3 x 3 Eyes
A.I. Love You
Ai yori aoshi
Azumanga Daioh (well, the last volume came out two months ago)
Berserk
Cannon God Exaxxion
Comic Party
Excel Saga
Full Metal Panic
GTO
Happy Mania (it's josei, not shoujo!)
Hellsing
Hikaru no go
Inu Yasha
Iron Wok Jan
Junk Force
Louie the Rune Soldier
Mahoromatic
Negima
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Phoenix (by Tezuka Osamu)
Seikai Trilogy (Crest of the Stars)
Shadow Star (aka Naru Taru)
Slam Dunk
Those Who Hunt Elves
Trigun
Tuxedo Gin

And those are just those that I myself am buying (that doesn't
fit into the above three categories).

And here are some recent titles that are already finished:

Chobits (shounen, despite being written by CLAMP)
Dance Till Tomorrow
Erica Sakurazawa's titles (josei, not shoujo)
Lost World
Love Hina
Lupin III
Metropolis
Next World
Onegai Teacher
Scryed

As for anime, hmm, here are some:

.hack//sign
Ai yori aoshi
Blue Gender
Captain Herlock
Cosmo Warrior Zero
Demon Lord Dante
Dirty Pair movies
Fighting Spirit (aka Hajime no ippo)
Ghost in the Shell TV
Gun Frontier
Haibane Renmei
Heat Guy J
Kaze no yojimbo
Kino's Journey
L/R (Licensed by Royalty)
Last Exile
Mahoromatic
Noir
Now and Then, Here and There
Nuku Nuku Dash
Nuku Nuku TV
Orphen
Puni Puni Poemy
RahXephon
Read or Die
Slayers movies and OAVs
Stellar Buster Mito
Wolf's Rain
Yukikaze

There is quite a lot of stuff for teenage boys coming to the USA.
However, there is a bit less josei and seinen stuff available,
and being 35 years old myself, I would like more of that.


--
Thomas Bellman, Lysator Computer Club, Linköping University, Sweden
"Too much of a good thing is WONDERFUL." ! bellman @ lysator.liu.se
-- Mae West ! Make Love -- Nicht Wahr!

[5parrow]

Joshua Kaufman wrote:

> Chris Wagoner wrote:
>
>>WTF happened to the manga movement?
>>
>>Rewind the clock a few years back. You had great series like Guyver,
>>Fist of the North Star, Oh My Goddess, Ranma 1/2, and Urusei Yatsura
>>lining comic shelves. Now, fast forward to today, and only Ranma and Oh
>>My goddess are still being published, and they are pale shadows of
>>themselves (Oh My Goddess refuses to change its status quo, while Ranma
>>has gone from funny absurd to just plain silly.)
>
>
> ....and yet, it (Ranma) was written well before that period you're
> talking about. Imagine that.

YH(A)BT. HTH. HAND.

--
- 5parrowhawk (to email, please rearrange for the mail server at
Georgia Institute of Technology).

() ascii ribbon campaign | what "yaoi" really
/\ - against html e-mail | stands for:
- against M$ attachments | "yamete, oshiri itai".

[5parrow]

Joshua Kaufman wrote:

> Chris Wagoner wrote:
>
>>WTF happened to the manga movement?
>>
>>Rewind the clock a few years back. You had great series like Guyver,
>>Fist of the North Star, Oh My Goddess, Ranma 1/2, and Urusei Yatsura
>>lining comic shelves. Now, fast forward to today, and only Ranma and Oh
>>My goddess are still being published, and they are pale shadows of
>>themselves (Oh My Goddess refuses to change its status quo, while Ranma
>>has gone from funny absurd to just plain silly.)
>
>
> ....and yet, it (Ranma) was written well before that period you're
> talking about. Imagine that.

YH(A)BT. HTH. HAND.

--
- 5parrowhawk (to email, please rearrange for the mail server at
Georgia Institute of Technology).

() ascii ribbon campaign | what "yaoi" really
/\ - against html e-mail | stands for:
- against M$ attachments | "yamete, oshiri itai".

[John C. Watson]

On 06/08/2004 13:33, in article ca4t8t$loq$1@news.island.liu.se, "Thomas
Bellman" <bellman@lysator.liu.se> wrote:

> And here are some recent titles that are already finished:
>
> Chobits (shounen, despite being written by CLAMP)
> Dance Till Tomorrow

Both are seinen--_Chobits_ was published in _Young Magazine_ [1], while
_Dance Till Tomorrow_ (originally _Asatte Dance_) was first released in _Big
Comic Spirits_. [2] The magazine classifications may be found here:

<http://users.skynet.be/mangaguide/magazines.html>

[1] <http://users.skynet.be/mangaguide/au228.html#E1354>
[2] <http://users.skynet.be/mangaguide/au2087.html#E11172>

--
Ciao,
John

John C. Watson
World Otakunization Project, Happy Valley Division

<http://admin.engr.wisc.edu/IT/netiq.cfm>

[John C. Watson]

On 06/08/2004 13:33, in article ca4t8t$loq$1@news.island.liu.se, "Thomas
Bellman" <bellman@lysator.liu.se> wrote:

> And here are some recent titles that are already finished:
>
> Chobits (shounen, despite being written by CLAMP)
> Dance Till Tomorrow

Both are seinen--_Chobits_ was published in _Young Magazine_ [1], while
_Dance Till Tomorrow_ (originally _Asatte Dance_) was first released in _Big
Comic Spirits_. [2] The magazine classifications may be found here:

<http://users.skynet.be/mangaguide/magazines.html>

[1] <http://users.skynet.be/mangaguide/au228.html#E1354>
[2] <http://users.skynet.be/mangaguide/au2087.html#E11172>

--
Ciao,
John

John C. Watson
World Otakunization Project, Happy Valley Division

<http://admin.engr.wisc.edu/IT/netiq.cfm>

[AnimeTitan in the South]

>WTF happened to the manga movement?

The movement isn't needed as much as it was. Manga is more readily available
than it was then.

>Rewind the clock a few years back. You had great series like Guyver,
>Fist of the North Star, Oh My Goddess, Ranma 1/2, and Urusei Yatsura
>lining comic shelves. Now, fast forward to today, and only Ranma and Oh
>My goddess are still being published, and they are pale shadows of
>themselves (Oh My Goddess refuses to change its status quo, while Ranma
>has gone from funny absurd to just plain silly.)

Of course you do remember that these were already published in Japan and are
just being released here.

<The only new >manga/anime to hit the shores is either 'kidified' crap like Yu
Gi Oh or Shojo Manga. If you are an more mature person the only thing being
>aimed at you is anime porn.
>

I don't know if you realized it but Shoujo is a large genre in Manga. There is
a very large female following of manga. I not sure if you just want Shonen
manga only, but most people like variety. As far as mature is concerned,
Shoujo isn't lacking it.

>I love the fact that kids are reading manga, don't get me wrong, but
>what about those of us who fought, translated, and strained for years to
>make it popular? The only way to get more 'classic' series is to pay
>out the ass for expensive DVD compilations.
>
There's no sense in wasting money to release a manga that people won' t buy.



>I recently dug through the manga section at Borders. I FOUND NOTHING to
>read. Not a goddamn thing. EVERYTHING on the rack was either kid crap
>or (up on the top shelf) porn.
>
>WTF?
>
>
>
>



Bran9sa: Who are you?
AnimeTitan: I am the you that resides in you.
Bran9sa: If you are the me that resides in me, do I reside in you as well.
AnimeTitan: God, I hate myself.

My outlet of obession.
http://www.geocities.com/bran9sa/

[AnimeTitan in the South]

>WTF happened to the manga movement?

The movement isn't needed as much as it was. Manga is more readily available
than it was then.

>Rewind the clock a few years back. You had great series like Guyver,
>Fist of the North Star, Oh My Goddess, Ranma 1/2, and Urusei Yatsura
>lining comic shelves. Now, fast forward to today, and only Ranma and Oh
>My goddess are still being published, and they are pale shadows of
>themselves (Oh My Goddess refuses to change its status quo, while Ranma
>has gone from funny absurd to just plain silly.)

Of course you do remember that these were already published in Japan and are
just being released here.

<The only new >manga/anime to hit the shores is either 'kidified' crap like Yu
Gi Oh or Shojo Manga. If you are an more mature person the only thing being
>aimed at you is anime porn.
>

I don't know if you realized it but Shoujo is a large genre in Manga. There is
a very large female following of manga. I not sure if you just want Shonen
manga only, but most people like variety. As far as mature is concerned,
Shoujo isn't lacking it.

>I love the fact that kids are reading manga, don't get me wrong, but
>what about those of us who fought, translated, and strained for years to
>make it popular? The only way to get more 'classic' series is to pay
>out the ass for expensive DVD compilations.
>
There's no sense in wasting money to release a manga that people won' t buy.



>I recently dug through the manga section at Borders. I FOUND NOTHING to
>read. Not a goddamn thing. EVERYTHING on the rack was either kid crap
>or (up on the top shelf) porn.
>
>WTF?
>
>
>
>



Bran9sa: Who are you?
AnimeTitan: I am the you that resides in you.
Bran9sa: If you are the me that resides in me, do I reside in you as well.
AnimeTitan: God, I hate myself.

My outlet of obession.
http://www.geocities.com/bran9sa/