From: maxcon@server.uwindsor.ca (Christopher Leung)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.animation
Subject: Re: Anime will destroy animation as we know it... NOT!!!
Date: 18 Dec 1992 03:17:57 GMT
Followup-To: rec.arts.animation, rec.arts.anime
Organization: University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada


	I have been following this thread and I have got to a point where I
have to say my opinions.

In article <n11f9t@ofa123.fidonet.org> Kevin.Kline@ofa123.fidonet.org writes:

> The problem is the pseudo-adult crap (i.e. Girls with guns, porno, blood and 
>gore) that will hurt the animation industry.  The real mature animation out
>there I think has helped the animation industry.  But then this gets back to
>the subtiling companies that have brought out the pseudo-adult crap for the
>fanboys (i.e. AnimEigo) instead of bringing out the quality stuff out there.  
> Afterall, if people think of that junk even in Japan as kids-stuff, what
>makes you think people here (who have a worse tendancy to think animation is
>just for kids) will consider "girls with guns" and prono as much more than
>just teen-age fanboy junk?

	Excuse me?  Pseudo-adult crap?  I would like to point out that
companies like AnimEigo don't all produce the "crap" you are talking about. 
I have been following these posts and have been fed up with your one sided
ideals.  I don't see how in the world the types of genres you are talking
about will hurt the animation industry.  Has Bubblegum Crisis hurt the
industry?  No it hasn't.  It just made it grow!  Has Vampire Princess Miyu
hurt hte animation industry?  No it hasn't.  It too made the industry grow. 
Has Project A-Ko hurt the industry?  No it hasn't.  It just made it grow!
(Note: Project A-Ko has had about 10 000 copies sold!)  As for the companies
that have brought out this "crap" as you put it, they are there to enhance and
help the audience out there understand what is going on.  They put out quality
stuff!  To compare the "girls with guns" and porno stuff you call junk with
the American audience is valid but "girls with guns" can be seen on North
American TV on the major networks, not to mention cable services.  Porno on
the other hand has not been released in the US and I don't think they will
ever release it.  If it is released, who is going to be able to rent it? 
Adults I presume unless the laws have changed.  The subtitling companies are
providing a service to provide quality subtitled programs to the general
audience.  Their purpose is to show anime in North America as well as to
educate the audience that anime is not your typical "just for kids show" like
the smurfs.  They want the general audience to expand their horizons and not
be narrow minded.  How is this going to hurt the subtitling companies like
AnimEigo, USMC, and US Renditions?  It isn't as there are more people that are
willing to learn about this type of animation.

> This will DO NOTHING needless to say to show that animation isn't just for
>kids and you will continue to see junk in terms of animation far outnumber any 
>mature stuff.   Now if we could have some good quality mature stuff from these 
>subtiling companies and change people's perception of anime, things will look 
>for the better.  I think we are the borderline, and it could go either
>direction.

	Do nothing?  I must say that it will do wonders!  Think of the
exposure that anime is getting.  It is getting accepted in North America and
that is quite an accomplishment.  As for junk, animation will have it's good
points and bad points.  Take it for example, Disney's The Little Mermaid was
good, however The Black Culdron was not a great Disney film.  I don't see how
your reasoning works here.  As for good quality mature stuff, this is coming
out but you are not seeing it yet.  Remeber that the companies have only been
in existance for a short period of time (1-3 years).  It takes time for them
to bring out the "mature" stuff as you put it.  They are alreading starting to
put some stuff out like Vampire Princess Miyu and Graveyard of the Fireflies. 
As for being at the borderline, I think the people's perception of anime will
go for the better as long as they are educated as to what anime is and they
get away from the typical sterotyping that is associated with all anime.  It
is in fact changing at the moment I am typing this.  With the exposure of
Robotech, Speed Racer, Space Cruiser Yamato, and Galaxy Express 999, the
people out there have some good views of anime.  It will just get better as
time goes on.

> As for Orange Road... Well, put it this way in terms of character designs 2
>for 3 isn't bad, eh?   I personally think Orange Road is what will turn OFF
>people to more "mature" stuff since it contains the typical junk that make
>people hate anime.

	I disagree with you there.  Orange Road is the stuff that will turn ON
people to more anime.  The typical "junk" that you think is contained in it is
actually memories to many.  The love triangle that is associated with KOR is
indeed something many of us have probably experinced in our high school lives.
If the show generates the feelings and memories of our past experiences then
it can be said to be "mature".  It stirs up our feelings, it makes us think of
past things that we do.

	Anyways, I had to get this out because I have been very annoyed at all
this traffic.  As this topic is on anime I have crossposted it into r.a.a.
hoping the answer to our questions will be answered by the people that you are
going against.

Disclaimer:  This is in no way a flame or any intention bashing.  These are my
opinions only and not anybody elses.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Christopher Leung       Internet:  maxcon@access.cs.uwindsor.ca 
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"Save your speed, save energy, and then save your life." 
                                                   -Leon McNichol 
Organization: Junior, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA