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Japanese Anime Industry In Danger Of Fragmentation

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the you're-breaking-up dept.

ChibiOne writes "The Asahi Shinbun has a story about the critical state that the Japanese animation industry currently faces, claiming: 'As merchandisers grow rich, the animation industry is losing jobs to cheaper labor abroad.' The article quotes Oh Production President Koichi Murata as saying: 'Unless something is done, Japanese anime will be ruined.' An animator, toiling away on cels in a tiny Tokyo studio, might be fortunate to pull in just 50,000 yen [about $500 USD] a month."

5 of 435 comments (clear)

  1. Anime outsourced? by youknowmewell · · Score: 5, Funny

    Didn't know Indians could do anime, too...

    1. Re:Anime outsourced? by zero_offset · · Score: 4, Funny

      I hope Bush and his gang get voted out of the office, and replaced by people who objectively weigh advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing for american citizens

      Unfortunately, nobody who fits that description is running for office.

      --

      Slashdot quality declines as the number of hot grits posts decreases. - Provolt's Law, Apr-09-2005

  2. Gee, how awful... by cherokee158 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Before you know it, their cartoon characters will start having lips and noses...oh, the horror.

  3. Is that why anime is so lazy? by Cornelius+Chesterfie · · Score: 5, Funny

    Is budget cuts the reason why we have 30-second-long scenes where the only thing moving on the screen is the lips of the character?

    Or the reason why Rurouni Kenshin spends 5 episodes doing "powering up discussions" and then another 5 episodes jumping towards his enemy while exciting music plays in the background, and in the end you don't even see him slashing the ****ing opponent, because conveniently, "KENSHIN IS 2 FAST A SWORDSMAN 4 U 2 C!"

    WTF!?

  4. It's been that way for a very long time by LiberalApplication · · Score: 3, Funny
    Even the high budget North American fare uses animation studios in Korea; as many already know, the Simpson's is animated in South Korea.

    A lot of our favorite toon-shows were animated in Korea. If I'm correct, these included the original G.I. Joe series, Gem, He-Man, the Snorks, and pretty much most of what was aired on Saturdays in the 80's. When I was in elementary school, I recall having wondered why there were goofy names sporadically mentioned in the credits of such cartoons. Then I realized I was Korean and that my name was goofy too.