Anime Unleashed on TechTV

da3dAlus writes "Beginning December 30, the first series of a new anime block will start on TechTV's new "Anime Unleashed" program. As billed by TechTV, "Anime Unleashed focuses on the science-fiction elements of anime--titles that imagine what our near or far future will be like, investigate the relationship between humans and machines, dream of what alien civilizations could be like, and more." The block will premiere with single half-hour episodes airing Monday through Thursday at 1am EST, followed by a two-hour block of anime on Friday from 11pm to 2am EST. Some of the series slated to be shown include Crest of the Stars, Serial Experiment Lain, Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure, Betterman, and Silent Mobius. Additionally, a contest is being held until the first of January 2003 by TechTV to create a new logo for the program."

Comments

Lain

[Andorion]

"Serial Experiment Lain"

One of the strangest series I've ever seen... It doesn't seem like something American audiences would like at ALL (lots of slow, moody scenes, lots of 'wtf is going on') but I'm glad TechTV is brave enough to carry it =)

-Berj

Why?

[K8Fan]

TechTV keeps getting further and further away from it's roots. "Thunderbirds" and now anime? What's next? A TV movie? What's wrong with being the TV network about computers and technology?

Re:Why?

[Bios_Hakr]

Remember way back in the day, when Discovery and TLC used to be all about cool shit. Remember Connections? It was 'turn on the TV and learn about the mysteries of the universe'. Now it is 'turn on the TV and watch cops chase a criminal in a homemade vehicle while some lady with bad teeth gets liposuction and her house is redecorated'.

The problem is that Connections doesn't sell anymore. And you have to be willing to put up with a weeks worth of 'On the Inside' US military propaganda in order to see the one cool show you want to see. Whatever they need to do to stay in buisness is OK with me.

The only thing I watch on TechTV is 'The Screensavers'. Well, that's not true, I also watch 'Extended Play' and some kinda musical show. I could give two shits what else they play. If they need to play reruns of 'While you were Out', so be it. So long as I still get the shows I like.

Language

[__aafkqj3628]

I'm assuming that it's all English dubbed anime, bad, very bad.

It's good thing...

[acehole]

it's good they're bringing anime to the masses that want to watch it for the artistic and entertainment vaule.

One thing that really really really gets up my nose is the uneducated trolls (to put it nicely) that whine about how Japanese Anime is nothing more than tentacle rape and hentai with gracious panty shots and fanservice inbetween.

Now for each example you'd be giving me of such things, I could come up with at least 20 or more mainstream anime that contains none of that.

It's better than the unoriginal crap that disney puts out. It's also done for entertainment with a twist on artistic value, not just an excuse to churn out merchandise.

Re:It's good thing...

[Didion Sprague]

What exactly is the problem with 'gracious panty shots?'

anime galore

[katalyst]

I'm fond of animations, but the amount of anime out there is IMPOSSIBLE to keep track of. A question tho, how does one differentiate between conventional animation and anime? Are all japanese animations anime?? (and i aint talkin abt huntai)
I loved stuff like Robotech, Force Five features , but then I liked stuff like the Transformers too. Stuff like Dragon Ball Z didn't grab my attention. I haven't heard of these animes which TechTV is plannin to screen...

aliens?

[lingqi]

I may not be *the* most avid Anime-fan out there (but I do live in Japan so maybe that should raise the credibility somewhat?), but it really does not seem to me that anime discusses much about aliens / civilizations and our relationships with them.

I mean, I think the genre can be categorized into a few (rough) parts, but non of them are really the "explore new land meet new people" sort of (startrek like, I suppose) way.

I mean, the only ones I can think of on top of my head that goes near the subject is:
1) Robotech (actually a soap opera and you know it)
2) Nadesico (which is anime talking about anime - but the aliens turned out to be human (oops did I spoil this?) who are all anime freaks)
3) pokemon / and the like (but that's no alien civilization now, right?)
4) sex-starved monsters (won't get into this)

What I am trying to say is that anime to me, at least, seem to use "aliens and their civilizations" more often as a background story than as a focus. Besides most of the "alien (read: forign / non-human biological)" stuff is usually mystical (magical powers, etc) rather than factual.

but there are a lot of human's relationship with technology / machines. Ghost in the Shell, Zoujin-Z, Lain, just to name a few "on the mark" ones.

just my 2 yen.

Someone has to take over for SciFi

[msobkow]

Seeing as SciFi has decided to become the "schlock horror flick of the week" channel, someone has to pick up the slack. It's good to see TechTV doing something other than running the same half hour show (e.g. Extended Play) 3-4 times per day.

Besides, how many techs are into anime? How many "regular" people are into anime? So TechTV is catering to a significant segment of their audience, while other stations would be catering to the fringes to try the same thing.

Re:(sort of) OT: Why?

[freeweed]

Anime is just like any other art form out there: some people like it, most people don't. The 'big draw' you refer to is that Anime fans tend to be rather fanatic about it, so you hear a lot more about it than you normally would - and when you do hear about it, you hear it LOUD.

The Anime community here is also composed primarily of two groups of people:

1 - those that got into it in the 80s/early 90s, when very little was available in North America. Here you get the 'I discovered this before anyone else did' superiority complex. A decade ago, Anime was hands down the best animation being produced anywhere in the world - it was certainly a style never seen in the west. Now that it's a lot more recognized over here, these folks have the edge by being on the bandwagon first (a la 'I listened to band X years before they had a top40 hit').

2 - those that got into it more recently, and are on the 'Anime is like cartoons for adults' trip. Because we all know a lot of violence and sex, and vaguely mature themes, make for adults-only entertainment. Again you get a bit of a superiority complex here, as to this group, anyone who doesn't like Anime 'doesn't get it'. A lot of these folks also haven't been exposed to a very broad range of entertainment, so they compare their favourite Anime to Friends and proclaim "everything made by the west sucks! look how shallow it is! in Anime, the characters question their motives.. sometimes!".

Oh, and for the anime-loving mods who just want to mod this as a troll, let me state for the record that I am a proud memeber of group #1 :)