Sunday November 15, 2009
Anime action
Compiled by ELIZABETH TAI
What are the steps being taken to move Japan’s anime industry forward? A key figure in the field offers an insider view.
ON Oct 10, Animax aired InuYasha: The Final Act across Asia within five days of the Japanese premiere of the TV series. InuYasha: The Final Act (Astro Channel 715, Saturdays, 8pm) is the third series that the anime network is simulcasting with Japan, after Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (same-week airing) and Tears to Tiara (simultaneous airing).
The simulcasts are Animax’s first steps towards alleviating the problem of online piracy of anime content, which has become rampant worldwide.
The following is an interview (courtesy of Animax) with Yasuo Yamaguchi, executive director and secretary-general of the Association of Japanese Animations, an organisation that aims to protect the interests of and foster ties among the anime industry players and professionals.
Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea... far from perfect visually but perfectly moving all the same. How has piracy impacted the anime industry in Japan?
Piracy has had a huge impact on our industry and we have done all that we can to solve the problem. However, it cannot be fully eliminated; it is like playing the “Whac-a-Mole” game: you solve one problem and another one pops up. Ironically, the fact that there is piracy reflects how popular anime is.
How is piracy being tackled?
Just last spring in Japan, a new law was enacted to prohibit the unauthorised recording of anime movies in theatres for the purpose of piracy. Prior to that, piracy was rampant and out of control. Now, pirates found recording in theatres can be arrested and punished by law. Although there is still some piracy, studios’ copyrights are now better protected. We are looking at having theatrical releases for more anime titles.
We are also looking actively into a new scheme of business – the distribution of anime content via mobiles. Commuters read newspapers and comics, so bite-sized segments of anime content, lasting four to five minutes, will be welcomed.
Such anime may not necessarily be produced by studios; individuals can make and distribute them ... and may find stardom with their creations.
Will the trend of anime simulcasts continue?
It will continue – we can expect more anime to be simulcast with Japan. We believe that we can collaborate with studios in Asia, be it in Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea, China or Singapore. These collaborative works can then be simulcast Asia-wide in the respective nations’ local languages.
How has the current recession affected the anime industry?
The Japanese anime industry and market have suffered since the recession started last year. Revenue from TV advertising has declined dramatically. As a result, there are fewer new anime titles produced.
Because anime is broadcast only over television in Japan, the anime industry is solely dependent on TV advertising earnings. Therefore, any negative impact on ad revenue will be felt directly by the anime industry.
In 2006, when the anime industry was at its best, there were more than 110 anime series airing on TV each week. Now, from the end of August 2008 to the beginning of September 2009, there were only 52 anime shows broadcast.
The anime industry is seeking new opportunities to expand the business such as Internet- and mobile-based streaming of anime content and the production of spin-off anime movies for cinematic releases.
The Japanese anime industry can no longer depend on the domestic market. Players in the Japanese anime industry are seeking opportunities to collaborate with companies outside its national borders, including those in China, South Korea, Canada, United States and various European nations. We believe the anime industry definitely has to look beyond its domestic market to get a revival.
Another worrying feature in Japan is that over the last 18 years, the nation has faced a declining birth rate. That trend has not stopped yet. As a result, anime content shown on TV during primetime has reduced. Instead, anime broadcast on TV focus more on youth and young adults, and this has led to an increasing volume of anime being shown from 11pm to late nights to cater for older audiences.
Although ratings for late-night anime are low, studios have established the business model of producing the shows into DVDs, and that has worked for some time. But the economic downturn has caused DVD sales to drop.
Viewers around the world have been watching and distributing “fan subbed” anime, which is tantamount to piracy. These are available free; as a result anime studios find it extremely tough to do global marketing and sales.
As for the DVD market, the top titles continue to sell very well. However, audiences opt to watch anime titles online if they’re not top-tier shows. In the past even productions of a slightly lower grade found markets. It’s not the case now.
Made-in-Japan DVDs have long faced the criticism of being too expensive, especially when compared to DVDs in the US where there is a market for “one-coin” DVDs (DVDs that cost only a coin). However, such a product and market does not exist in Japan. In light of such a problem, we believe the way forward for the anime industry is to seek new markets and pioneer new business models.
Takayuki Matsutani, president of Japan’s Tezuka Productions, displays the Weekly Astro Boy Magazine on a handset in Tokyo on Oct 20. Like their print counterparts, animators are seriously considering distributing content via mobile devices. – AFP What direction is 3D CG taking in Japan’s anime industry?
Now, the majority of new animation works in Japan and the rest of the world use 3D CG extensively to produce flawless visuals, yet it may not be the direction to go if you consider the following examples:
Tsumiki no Ie or The House of Small Cubes, directed by Kunio Kato, which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film this year, was entirely hand-drawn.
Likewise, the most recent box-office hit, Hayao Miyazaki’s Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea was made with almost no digital elements. Upon examination, one will find Ponyo to be far from perfect visually, but viewers were still very moved by the movie and it turned out to be a hit – local box-office revenue came up to 15.5bil yen (RM575.2mil).
Anime series Sazae-san, which we do not rebroadcast or sell overseas, is still being produced using cel animation. It’s the longest-running anime series in Japan (it has lasted for over 40 years) and continues to be ranked among the top 10 most popular shows. It’s quite literally the national anime of Japan.
Hollywood studios such as DreamWorks and Pixar market their animation productions to the entire world. How do Japanese anime studios compare?
Hollywood movie studios have had a long tradition of producing, marketing and distributing their content. They command very established global distribution networks and systems. Hollywood animation studios have been able to leverage their networks to distribute their works globally.
While Japanese businesses have been traditionally good at emulating successes beyond our own shores, our movie and anime studios have been unable to match the success of Hollywood studios when it comes to the global distribution of content.
Studio Ghibli (which produced Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, Spirited Away, and Howl’s Moving Castle) was unable to set up its own global distribution network. Instead, it had to rely on Buena Vista for worldwide distribution.
Even if Hollywood productions have not been doing very well lately, the global content distribution business remains the monopoly of Hollywood studios.
In Hollywood, Disney has almost completely stopped its 2D animation business. DreamWorks often feature CG productions that are not well-received by younger children. As a result animators in Hollywood-based studios have started to feel nostalgic about 2D animation. This year, some Hollywood animation studios are revisiting 2D animation.
Previously, CG animation works could not be created easily by studios outside the US because of the huge capital necessary for hardware and software. Now, studios in various countries are already equipped with the technology that DreamWorks has so the Hollywood monopoly of CG animation has been broken.
What is your opinion of the Hollywood rendition of Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy?
It seems that Hollywood may be running out of inspiration and material for animation. However, I am intrigued by the broadening appeal of Astro Boy globally and am looking forward to seeing the movie and the audiences’ reaction to a Hollywood rendition of a Japanese creation. Another point of interest would be whether the theatrical run of Astro Boy can cover the cost of production.
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