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ADV Confirms Cable Anime Channel
Juanvaldes writes "ADV Films has confirmed reports that they are working to create a cable television channel dedicated to Anime. Currently they are releasing very few details about the channel itself. All that has been publicized at this time is that the channel will run 24 hours a day and will break its content into four categories, Action Zone, Sci-Fi, Comedy Incorrect, and Horror/Martial Arts." Hope I can get access to this one as soon as it comes out.
Will it contain the extreme violence and nudity, or will that be censored?
If its strict cable, I suspect it will be censored. If its premium, is there enough fans willing to pay to keep it alive?
Good quote, too many chars. Seriously, the slashdot 120 char limit sucks!
I'm talking Transformers, GI Joe, Voltron, Looney Tunes, Spiderman and His Amazing Friends, etc.? I try to watch saturday morning cartoons these days (yes, I'm 26), but they lack the magic of yore.
Question: Is Transformers considered Anime? If not, why not? What exactly qualifies a cartoon as Anime?
smd4985
What the hell is "Comedy Incorrect"?
Username taken, please choose another one.
The article doesn't go into much details about this, but will this channel run non-ADV licenced anime? They have a pretty good lineup I'll admit, but then so does Manga and other companies.
"I'm a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar."
-Hoban Washburn
Trolllll.... Anime isn't all the same. A lot of mass produced anime is, just like our movie industry. But compare two good works, Furi Kuri and Ranma. VERY different. Or even better, compare two that lie in the same genre. Evangelion and Gundam W are two extremely different animes. If you're interested check out some GAINAX stuff, most of their work is unique in the macrocosm of Japanese animation.
Theoretically they could use SAP along with the subtitle support in TVs to do this with one channel.
If yours doesn't, then might I suggest educating your kids as to why the sexually explicit or violent cartoons are bad, or just buy a new TV that allows you to do so.
It is your job as a parent to raise your kids. It is not the cable companies responsability to monitor what they watch, it's yours.
Xaotik Designs
At this point we have, lets say, a billion channels available.
Unlike broadcast TV, setting up a new channel doesn't require millions of dollars for local, bazillions for national viewing - it takes provisioning a new channel.
However, the cable folks seem mired in this 1948 model where you have to have a channel setup for years and years rather than realizing that if you want to tack a new channel on for a couple weeks/months you can.
I thought about this during the OJ trial and the Olympics. If people WANT to watch something that's a limited time thing, then hell, create a channel for it for the duration.
OJ? Fine, the "OJ trial channel" is #58 until it's over. Then 58 is back in the pool of available channels. (disclaimer, I didn't own a TV during that whole thing, I just mocked my coworkers who were watching the blow by blow)
Olympics are 24x7 on channel whatever (or 4 channels if you want), with FULL RUNS of the events, not this highlights crap of things the networks deem popular. Want to watch the Finns battle the Algerians in the Biatholon/Luge/Nintendo event? You can.
Costs are minimum.
On topic: So set up an Anime channel.
It runs from 8PM EST until 4AM PST.
Want cartoon boobies? Well, at 11PM PST, the children should be asleep. we can get over our puritan heritage that says naked is bad (even cartoon naked) but watching a guys head get splattered against a wall in a faux gunshot is ok.
For about a month now, in the UK at least with NTL (In the family package, maybe others) you can get 'CNX' which shows, daily:
Outlaw Star.
Cowbow BeBop.
Spawn.
Justice League.
Dragon Ball Z
Samurai Jack.
Space Ghost Coast to Coast.
Obscure Jap Action Films at 10.
As well as others.
Not all anime, but its the best your going to get right now! And it is right now, not what might be.
I saw the light at the end of the tunnel... But it was just someone with a flashlight bringing more work.
Wow. Guess I should update my web site. I've got plenty more to add. My mind is a raging torrent of possibilities and perils. And suggestions.
- Even the most sweaty-toothed otaku can't watch anime all day every day. Consider the case of the incredible self-destructing sci-fi channel - everyone thought it's success was a no-brainer. But fans of the sci-fi genre only watch so much sci-fi (and prefer the good stuff too). Fortunately, anime isn't really a genre, it's a medium. I humbly suggest ADV consider what makes a channel successful (particularly the regular network channels) and take a long hard look at how they're targeting different demographics, because an anime channel for existing anime fans alone won't get far.
- Speaking of which, ADV is completely missing a key genre of anime here, and it ought to be their most important for picking up new viewers -Sports. It's good for many subtle reasons I don't want to go into here - suffice to say that Hajime no Ippo and Initial D, properly handled, could get solid ratings.
- Certain Japanese moral standards and levels of censorship are a bit more... open than those in America. Nudity in particular is a big issue even for TV, and certain excellent shows (like Berserk) are controversial and violent. How does ADV intend to handle it? Dumb it down for America, make it a premium channel, or just push the envelope?
- ADV is one of the biggest names in american anime distribution, but there are several others with many good series. Getting them on board would be essential. Bandai in particular might be difficult since they have strong ties to Cartoon Network.
- One of the biggest obstacles to anime on TV is the high cost of licensing the TV rights from Japan. Considering just how much anime we're talking about, that could be quite a lot of cash. Perhaps the downward spiral of the Japanese economy will help bring the terms down to a sustainable level. Still, promising a percentage of the profits rather than blanket licensing seems like the only way this could happen.
- They're going to have to compete with other channels snapping up some of the better series, particularly if they are popular. Disney already has the rights all things Ghibli.
- Since so many dubs are so poor, and since they'll be showing so much anime (and no doubt rerunning a LOT of it), is there an actual possibility we could get subbed anime on TV?
- I love animation, period. Any chance that this channel would show any of the (lamentably small) body of less kid-oriented animation from america and around the world? Likewise, I hope that this channel could stimulate the production of more mature animated titles in america.
- Like I said before, just anime might be hard. Why not branch out into other neglected forms of entertainment, particularly those which would appeal to the core demographic? Kung-fu, wierd film, and now (unfortunately) Sci-fi. Say, doesn't ADV do Farscape on video?
Well, that's a start... Hey ADV - call me.
---If you can't trust a nerd, who can you trust?
Two channels?
How about left channel English, right channel Japanesse.
Close captioning can take care of the subtitling.
Never happen, but it would be fun.
BTW: This is not an original idea. When X-Men the Animated Series(Fox's version, not WB's version) was first shown in Japan the did exactly that. Left channel in Japanesse, right channel in English, and close captioning for translations.
You say things that offend me and I can deal with it. Can you?
Yay. Again, I don't want to sound like an elitist, but is ADV really who fans want doing this?
First of all, I can't even stand ADV's SUBTITLED anime. They managed to destroy Nadesico with their SUBTITLED version. Not an easy feat, but they managed to do it! I'd rather watch the show
"raw" than watch their subtitled version, even
though my Japanese skills aren't all that impressive compared to some of the other fans I watch with.
Naturally I have some questions about this network that ADV is putting together.
#1) Are they going to be showing ANY subtitled animation? The likely answer is "no," but there is a chance that they'll put some subtitled shows in the lineup at really late hours. Honestly, I will not watch this network AT ALL if there is no subtitled anime.
#2) Are other distributors going to be jumping on board? I sincerely hope so, because ADV is probably my LEAST favorite distributor out there.
If Pioneer, Funimation, Viz, Anime Works, etc. got on board as well there would be more variety.
ADV has the lisence to a lot of series, but I don't know if they can carry a whole network with what they have.
#3) Are they going to put NEW stuff on the air, or are they just going air to put shows that they've had available on video for years? Why would anyone tune in to anime they've already seen on video for years?
#4) Are they going to throw lame marathons of series at us? People have told me that Cartoon Network likes to do DBZ marathons or some such nonsense. That is a pretty sorry excuse for programming, IMO.
"You spoony bard!" -Tellah
The main problem with anime in North America, and especially on cable:
Baaad dubbing. For example, princess mononoke. The dubbing on the wolf gods was horrible. Part of what makes anime good (in it's pure undubbed form) is the emotion etc portrayed by good voice actors.
A real Japanese adult voice sounds pissed off sounds way better than when they hire some famous actor (or even worse, some off-the-street voice who hasn't even hit vocal puberty yet).
American female voices are also fricking annoying.
Subtitles have always been the way for me, even bad fansubs aren't as bad as bad dubs (and sometimes the mistakes are pretty hilarious too... Boy who sealed to tree. Girl who fall down well into past). Too bad standard cable doesn't offer voice-selection with the subtitle option (does digital? If I can get my anime channel in a semi-pure form I'd pay for that).
This sounds cool, I just hope they can pull it off.
Personally, I'd pay what HBO costs to have a channel like that provided it would do the following things.
1. Run complete series. Aka, "Cowboy Bebop Weekend"
2. No editing... Show the series the way it was intended to be shown, not all edited to pieces to cut out "objectible" content.
Yes Francis, the world has gone crazy.