The Anime Addicts talk about comedy in anime. But it’s no laughing matter! What makes something funny? How does our culture reflect our humor? What anime do we find the most funny?
Reviews: Little Witch Academia and Major World Series
We do another Mystery Science-esque viewing of M.D. Geist 2 – Death Force on the weekly show. Click play at the same time and watch along to follow the insanity that ensues from this madness. Then we do a complete 180 and review the slice of life anime Gingitsune.
Reviews: Gingitsune
We discuss our new review system now that it has reached its conclusion and reviews are starting to come out. We own up to some mistakes and talk about the shows that likely should have been passed. As well as what we were watching behind the scenes. We also do our first review in our new group discussion format!
Reviews: Arpeggio of Blue Steel
Another year finishes a cycle and it’s time to pick anime again! It’s the second round of our new review system and the addicts are picking what anime they will give extended impressions on to have their ultimate reviews. What anime makes our short list as candidates for final reviews?
Mitsugi:
To Aru Hikuushi e no Koiuta
Mahou Sensou
Wizard Barristers
Saikin, Imouto no Yousu ga Chotto
Chiaki:
Space Dandy
Z/X Ignition
Nobunaga the Fool
Strange+
Nobunagun
Kimiko:
Hamatora the Animation
Wake Up Girls!
Hoozuki no Reitsu
Inari, Kon Koi, Iroha
D-Frag
Kram:
Tonari no Seki-kun
Witch Craft Works
Noragami
Sakura Trick
Sekai Seifuku: Bouyaku no Zvezda
Reviews: Hakkenden
A very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! We take some time to play an anime game and talk Christmas things. What host will win the game? Who is taking home the present of anime victory?
How to Play:
The purpose of the game is to guess the anime with as few hints as possible. You need at least three people to play. One person will moderate while the others participate in the round. A round should go something like this:
The two or more round participants play rock-paper-scissors. The moderator offers the winner a choice of three categories. For example, “anime featuring car racing,” “anime featuring a talking mouse,” and “anime featuring an ex-police officer character.” Let’s say the “ex-police officer” gets chosen. Then the moderator offers three release years for anime fitting the previously selected category. Let’s say the choices are 1978, 1986, and 1998, and 1998 gets selected. Now we’re ready to start the game.
The moderator will give the players hints about the anime that was selected. These hints will initially include only these two things: the first sentence of the synopsis found on MyAnimeList.net with all proper nouns removed, and the MAL rating. In this case, the moderator would say something like, “This anime’s synopsis reads, ‘Enter a world in the distant future, where bounty hunters roam the solar system.’ It’s rating is 8.83 out of 10.”
Then, the winning rock-paper-scissors player from before will make a bid on how many character names he or she thinks are necessary for him or her to correctly guess the show, starting with as many as 10. The moderator has prepared the 10 characters based on the top ten listed characters for the show and reversed them so that the least known characters will be named first and the most well-known characters will be named last. Therefore, a smaller bid will reduce the chance that the player will hear the name of one of the main characters. The safest bet would be 10, but if the player is confident he or she knows the anime, he or she may say zero. Once the player makes a bid, the next player has two options, make a smaller bid, or force the previous player to hear the number of characters he or she bid and attempt to name the anime. Here’s how the scenario might play out:
Moderator: “Player 1, what’s your bid?”
Player 1: “Four characters.”
Moderator: “Player 2?”
Player 2: “Three characters.”
Moderator: “Player 1?”
Player 1: “Name it.”
Moderator: “Player 2, your three characters are Coffee, Judy, and Punch.”
Player 2: “Cowboy Bebop.”
Moderator: “Correct.”
If a player correctly guesses the anime, they receive 1 point. If they incorrectly guess, they lose 1 point. Players can have negative scores.
In another scenario, a player may actually bid LESS than zero (i.e. a negative number), but if they are challenged to name it, they must name the anime with zero hints and name the number of characters they gave in a negative number. These characters must be in the top 10 listed characters on MAL but may be said in any order by the player (also, last names are not necessary). If the player correctly names the anime and the characters, they will receive one point for the anime and one point for each character they can name. So a bid of -5 with all correct answers will give the player 6 points. However, if the player cannot correctly guess the anime or name the number of characters he or she bid, they will instead be deducted all potential points. So, a bid of -5 with a correct anime guess and only 4 correct characters named will lose the player 6 points. Bidding negative numbers is a big risk, but it also rewards big.
The moderator must offer three categories with three release years for each category. Therefore, the moderator must prepare at least nine titles for the game. Here an example of a prepared title:
Year: 1998
Title: Cowboy Bebop
Synopsis: “Enter a world in the distant future, where bounty hunters roam the solar system.”
Rating: 8.83
Characters: Coffee, Judy, Punch, Julia, Vicious, Ein, Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV, Faye Valentine, Spike Spiegel, Jet Black
Be sure to ONLY use the FIRST sentence of the MAL synopsis, and remove any proper nouns, if any. Also, be sure to take the TOP 10 listed characters under the “Characters & Staff” tab on MAL and REVERSE the order. If there are less than 10, be sure to make a note of it so that you may inform the players before bidding begins.
Reviews: Uchouten Kazoku and Makai Ouji: Devil’s and Realist
The Anime Addicts Anonymous are doing another Japan episode by request. Mitsugi, Chiaki and Kram have lived in Japan over a year and will talk about daily life in Japan. This isn’t traveling, finding a job, or tourist things, this is what to expect every day from living in Japan, from taxes to car insurance.
Favorite Chain Restaurants in Japan and Japan’s 5 foods
5 Foods of Japan: Hamburg, Curry, Noodles, Katsu, and Sushi
Super Fast Chains
Yoshinoya, CocoIchiban, Matsuya, Sukiya (Beef bowl from Persona)
Fast Chains
Katsuya
Sit Down
Saizeria, Gasuto, Denny’s
Chiaki’s Discussion Ideas:
Paying Taxes
Enrolling in National Health Insurance
Getting a Driver’s License/Dealing with Japanese Bureaucracy
Going to Doctors/Medicine
Kram
Driving (traffic laws, police, road etiquette, wipers/blinkers)
Shopping (self-bagging, “Auld Lang Syne” and store themes, taped bags, baskets/carts, sales tax pre-included, narrow roads and “stoppers”)
Home (flooring, heat/air/insulation, stove/oven, toilet/shower/bath)
Convenience Stores
Forum submitted questions:
Miss Bones –
My question concerns living costs and salary. How cheap or expensive is everyday life in Japan and what would you consider a decent salary?
DaddySmokesCherry –
Is it still (or was it ever) true that are used panty vending machines in Japan, i.e. those that sell used school girl underwear? And have any of you seen one?
Are the Japanese heavy smokers? Finished reading Tokyo Vice and it seems like every second person is smoking. Is that the case in Japan?
Righteous Ramza –
My specific question is whether it’s easier to learn Japanese here or would it be better to learn once I’m in Tokyo. As I’m in Finance, it wouldn’t be required for my line of work but I still wish to learn it well so that it can help me establish the kind of social lifestyle I currently have here in the States.
UnderaBridgeEatingBg –
Most people, from what I’ve read suggest living outside of places like Tokyo and just traveling in to the city. Besides cost, what kind of benefits do you think this has? Less crowded?
I know students/teachers get covered under the health insurance there in Japan. What about just general travellers or people who move to Japan, what kind of health insurance options do you have over there?
Going from there, I’ve heard of having to get a Yakkan Shoumei for prescriptions, is this like a yearly thing? I’ve heard it’s not mandatory to get one (the Yakkan Shoumei) but if you don’t, immigration can just seize your prescription drugs at their discretion.
Reviews: Kamisama no Inai Nichiyoubi and Gin no Saji
Dating is hard enough. It’s even harder when she can’t stand Hajime no Ippo and insists you watch something “better” like that great new anime she just found called Love Hina. We go through some scenarios that can come up in relationships which only anime addicts can fully appreciate.
Scenario 1:
One party only is interested in getting their freak on when the other party has their favorite cosplay costume on. How can you get someone in the mood for the man/women under the hair gel, leather, and makeup?
Scenario 2:
Two anime addicts have entered into the “next stage” where things have “gotten serious” and trips are now being planned. One always goes to Otakon, the other, Anime Expo. There is only enough money for one convention. How do you figure out which to go to without threatening to burn each other’s previous year’s con badges?
Scenario 3:
The decision to move in together has recently been made. You’re in love. You’re happy. You can’t wait to sniff their morning breath. All is well up until he/she arrives at your apartment with his/her box of figures. CLEARLY the shelf in the den is a much better locale, but your S/O wants the shelf of honor, right over the TV. How to decide what figures move where that doesn’t result in someone’s head getting smacked with the spiky Goku hair of doom.
Scenario 4:
You are out on your fifth date and it’s starting to become a regular thing. The person is funny, charming, cute, and hits all the right notes. You find the courage to ask that special someone what they think of anime. They call it ‘Japanimation’ that it is ‘porn’ or ‘for children.’ Do you A) Educate them? Or B) Throw your coffee in their face?
Scenario 5:
When is extreme moe love okay? And when does it cross the line to being worried about your partners giant collection of little girls in panties?
Scenario 6:
You will only watch things subbed. You’ve found this great guy/girl but he/she refuses to watch anything other than dubs. Are things doomed for failure?
Scenario 7:
You begin watching a series with your S/O and they get busy/have to work late/can’t come over as often, and therefore you cannot watch it as regularly as you hoped. You are dying to continue the show. How can you break it to them that you want to continue without them?
Forum submitted questions:
BPE Exeter – Is it possible for a non-anime fan and a true-believer, hardcore, fan to have a long-term relationship?
I know there can be different levels of this, but what I’m asking specifically is if you think somebody who, isn’t simply ignorant of anime, but actively dislikes it can have a truly healthy relationship with a very dedicated, hardcore fan…I’m talking anime con attendee, active anime forum poster, cosplayer, etc.
Reviews: Rozen Maiden – Zurückspulen and Gatchaman Crowds
The Anime Addicts Anonymous Podcast has a double review episode. The first exposure of our new discussion based review format. We tackle the new Ghibli film Kaguya Hime no Monogatari that just came out in Japanese theaters. Then, the infamous Attack on Titan review comes!
Reviews: Kaguya Hime no Monogatari and Attack on Titan
The Anime Addicts Anonymous discuss the death of physical media as the world slowly makes the transition to digital consumption. How do we feel this shift will affect the anime industry? How has it already?
Digital Music Outsells Physical –
There was a 19.5% increase in Digital Music sales between 2010 and 2011
This is the first time in the Music Industry where digital Media won out
Japanese spent more money on CDs in 2012 than any other country, in fact sales grew by 9%
Physical Media, CDs and DVD made up 80% of all music sales in Japan, compared to 34% in the United States
Video Games –
NPD group reports US Consumers spent $1.59 Billion in digital game content
This Includes full games, add-on content, subscriptions, mobile games, and social network games
US consumers spent $1.37 Billion on physical games
This is in the first Fiscal quarter of 2013
Books –
Digital Book sales grew last year by 43% But this is still considred a slow-down compared to the growth percent of previous years.
Digital Book sales account for about 20% of all book sales
Digital Book sales are up 4456% since 2008
Hardcovers, however, still outsell digital books, 557 million hardcovers versus 457 million e-books
Only 8% of Japanese readers have downloaded an e-book compared to 20% of the US
Tokyo base e-publisher Robin Birtle comments that Japan is at least 5 years behind the West in terms of digitalization
Manga –
Japanese published Kodansha teams with Crunchyroll to distribute 12 current manga titles in English
Japanese publishers are regarded as having a “slow” reaction to the digital movement in getting manga available on digital platforms.
However, American sales in the digital comic and graphic novel are showing signs of improvement and strength
“In Japan, people ignore digital content as meaningless and ephemeral,” Vertical Marketing Director Ed Chavez said. “Digital comics exist, but only the titles the mainstream accept ever get any recognition. Even digital initiatives by major publishers are ignored until those comics are in print, as publishing is treated in very high regard in that country.
“In a strange way, readers on each side of the Pacific view the same digital content from a 180-degree perspective.”
Digital Industry Summary (Based on Aug 2011 PWC report “ Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2011-2015, http://www.pwc.tw/en_TW/tw/publications/events-and-trends/assets/e250.pdf)
Shift to Digital Marketing spend on the rise
In 2006, only 15.3% of marketing dollasr were spent on digital media
In 2015, this figure to rise to 33.9%
Global Internet Access market (wired and global)
In 2006, market size was $167.4 billion dollars
In 2015, expected to reach $407.9 billion dollars on an 8.6% 2011-2015 CAGR
Anime –
Most of this information was previously reported on in Episode 197, the state of the Anime industry, but it is particularly relevant for this discussion:
DVD industry in the USA peaked in 2006 at $374 million dollars and has sense dropped $197 million in 2012 on the trend of a -10.13% growth rate since 2006. In the last 3 years, DVD sales have stabilized.
Amazon is the highest consumption method for Japanese Animation, it is then followed by Netflix, Hulu and Crunchyroll
FINAL THOUGHTS –
Chiaki
Worldwide physical media sales are declining and digital is rising, the numbers don’t lie. However, traditionalism and a stubborn dedication to keeping business practices as they are in Japan prevents Japan from modernizing with the rest of the world.
An example for me is the iPhone. Japan had almost a 4-5 year delay in really adapting the smartphone style as mainstream. When I personally visited 2 years after the original iPhones release in Japan almost no one had the iPhone, most people still used flip phones.
Japan WILL Modernize. But it will be slower.
As a result, I feel that many Japanese companies are truly sacrificing their Western markets by not rising to meet demands for digital goods as efficiently as their comparable Western media counterparts.
In other words, they don’t care about us.
Mitsugi
No doubt over the next decade, physical media will continue to phase out in favor of digital alternatives. Anime is no different as it comes on the same digital platforms
Anime will move to already widely accepted sources of digital consumption such as Netflix, Hulu, Crunchyroll
Anime Piracy will continue to run rampant and uncontrolled through thousands of internet sites. This piracy will continue to leech money from the global anime media industry.
The Anime industry, especially in the East, will continue the thrive due to the majority of anime related revenue dollars coming from character goods and other non- media sources
The Anime industry in Japan could continue to function well simply through television distribution and character goods alone. (e.g. $0 or close to $0 from physical and digital media sales)
Kram
No way to be accurately prescient about the true future of physical media over digital alternatives
We must be careful to consider availability and access of physical media alternatives for consumers before prematurely announcing that “physical media is dead.” Keep in mind that only 34.3% of the world’s population has internet access (Asia: 27.5%; Europe: 63.2%; N. America: 78.6%), a prerequisite for streaming
Ultimately physical media may move to a “print-on-demand” model; some companies have already experimented with this
Japan’s physical media market continues to thrive with overpriced units aimed at collectors; this could be the future for the West
Media rental is still huge in Japan with no less than three major chains still in operation; consider this in light of Blockbuster finally closing its doors forever this month
Now that we are on the verge of a new HD format (4K), there is little discussion about the difficulties of offering higher quality video over streaming services; this could prove to be so problematic that a post-BD physical format may be necessary to bide the time until ultra high-speed fiber optic internet access is more ubiquitous
Reviews: Danganronpa: The Animation and To Aru Kagaku no Railgun S
Do you have a really good idea for an anime? Do you not get how the studios in Japan seem to come up with the same old thing year after year? Us too! We take a page out of reality TV from the show Shark Tank as the Addicts pitch anime to each other and pass or fail.
Mitsugi –
1) Title: Dainihon no tami ni wareware yarou! (For the sake of the Great Japan, let’s DO IT!)
Genre: Comedy
Episode Number: 12
Description: A person who tries to raise Japan’s birthrate by getting people to ****. Or explore why the problem exists in the first place. Where does the cold japanese attitude that relationships and sex are just “troublesome” stem from?
2) Title: NAN DE?! okachan-san sugu Umarenaide kure! (Oka-uma) (WHY?! Little Baby please don’t be born so soon!)
Genre: Comedy
Episode number: 12
Description: An anime about a man with a pregnant wife. Shows the process of child raising and getting ready for a kid. Also, doting on the wife (eg get her strange foods at 3am, etc…)
3) Title: Moe-chan mou ninki janai! Kutabare! (Moe is no longer popular, so DIE!)
Genre: Action
Episode Number: 12
Description: Anime that is about moe no longer being popular and the tv station makes moe girls brutally kill each other to fight over the last time slot devoted to moe shows.
Kimiko –
1) Title: A Bottle of Wine for Your Trouble
Genre: Slice of Life/Drama
Episode Number: 12
Description: About a girl who gets sent to live with her distant aunt in Italy after her parents die in a car crash. The aunt lives and works on a vineyard. Main themes: Life in Italy, the inner workings of a vineyard/making wine, struggling with the death of a loved one.
2)Title: If You Could Go Back
Genre: Fantasy/Comedy/Action
Episode Number: 26
Description: Time travel anime! Two groups of time travelers: The Winders (who are born with the ability and use it to alter events in the past) and The Agents (who have devices to help them travel and whose job it is to stop the Winders by any means necessary). The main theme: Agents are trying to prevent major events from being changed to keep the betterment of mankind intact. Winders are trying to change it for the same reason. A perfect opportunity to look at the concept of antagonists based on perspective and opinion.
3)Title: Shooting With Your Eyes Closed
Genre: Drama/Romance/Sci-Fi
Episode Number: 12
Description: An anime that focuses on two major themes not often hit on well or at all: gay romance (as exactly that, just romance and realism, not yaoi or shonanai), and a realistic interpretation of the emotional and physical aspects of war despite the science fiction concept.
Kram –
1)Title: Kaze no Uta wo Kike (Hear the Wind Sing)
Genre: Drama
Episode Number: 3
Description: An OVA based on Haruki Murakami’s first novel about an unnamed protagonist in a post-collegiate slump. Examines the contrast between transient relationships and real friendship through a series of loosely-related vignettes.
2) Title: Ore wa Sonna ni Kowai Gaijin ja Nai (I am not that scary of a foreigner…)
Genre: Comedy/Slice-of-life
Episode Number: 12
Description: The life and times of an English-speaking foreigner trying to make his way through daily life in the Land of the Rising Sun. Trouble is, he’s kind of big and scary (but not really)!
3) Title: Chi to Hagane (Blood and Steel)
Genre: Science Fiction/Drama
Episode Number: 12
Description: The story of a group of four childhood friends who spent their formative years watching mecha shows and building plastic models. They have now graduated from the four top universities for robotics and engineering in the world, and are reuniting in Japan to fulfill a lifelong dream and a promise to each other: to build Japan’s first fully-operational mecha for its self-defense force.
Chiaki –
1) Title: Ouza no Geemu
Genre: Fantasy, Drama, Romance
Episode Number: 12 (with potential extension)
Description: Riding on the popularity of the Game of Throne’s franchise this anime adaptation would bring the western fantasy novels to Japan in a way that can resonate with the market and successfully tell the story without the need of a high live-action budget. The anime would focus on the perspective of just one character for the first twelve episodes, namely Ned Stark, and follow up until (spoiler alert) death. Following seasons could follow other characters, or split half and half, such as Danerys or Rob Stark and his campaign.
2) Title: Kekkon ni Nayami ga Aru (The problem with marriage is…)
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Slice of Life
Episode Number: 12
Description: Mikoto is a successful business woman with everything put together. She lives the perfect model life of a Japanese woman. She can cook, she cleans, she works full time and still has the opportunity to volunteer at all community events. Her only problem is: she has yet to find a husband. It isn’t that she isn’t willing to look, and she’s tried. But marriage comes with its own expectations and Mikoto isn’t sure if she wants to meet them.
3) Title: Meiji
Title: Meiji
Genre: Historical, Drama
Episode Number: 12
Description: Follow the young Emperor Meiji, Mutsuhito, as he rises to power at the end of the Tokugawa shogunate. It is a time of change and industrialization in Japan, people are forced to adapt but change is scary and not all are pleased. See it through a lens of his personal life as he navigates through becoming emperor, his classes and education, mistakes, and management of business and pleasure.
Impressions: Infinite Stratos, Valverave 2, Magi 2, Ace of Diamond, Kyousougiga