Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Katsuhiro Otomo's Steamboy in Theaters

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the if-you-haven't-seen-akira-you-suck dept.

echocharlie writes "Steamboy is rolling into US theaters on March 18. The movie features the notable return of Katsuhiro Otomo, who hasn't directed an animated film since Akira, so big things can be expected. The film opened in Japan earlier to mostly rave reviews. The english cast features Anna Paquin, Alfred Molina, and Patrick Stewart. That's interesting casting since all three have had prominent roles in comic book movie adapatations (X-men, Spider-Man 2, and X-men respectively), not to mention Mr. Stewart's famous sci-fi ties. Anime films without Pokémon in their titles haven't fared well at the US Box office (see Appleseed, Tokyo Godfathers, Ghost in the Shell 2, et al.). Hopefully with an adequate number of theaters carrying the film, Katsuhiro Otomo's latest opus will gain the exposure it deserves."

2 of 215 comments (clear)

  1. Huh? by Telastyn · · Score: 5, Interesting

    And what about Spirited Away, or any of Gibli's other US releases? They've done fantastically well from what I understand.

  2. It's going to have a tough time, because... by NitroWolf · · Score: 4, Interesting
    It's going to have a tough time with a name like "Steamboy."

    Akira is cryptic enough that American audiences wouldn't have a problem with it. But "Steamboy" is going to be a major problem with US audiences. The title, frankly, sounds pretty fruity. Couple that with the fact that most people will initially dismiss it as a "cartoon," and you've got a recipe for failure.

    The whole concept of naming things in Asian culture versus American culture is really at odds, and things that sound ok or even good in Asian languages sound absolutely hideous, sexual/pornographic (LG/Lucky Gold anyone?), or just plain silly.

    Porco Rosso sounds like a kids show.

    Princess Mononoke is average, nothing particularly detracting about it, but nothing to make you think either.

    My neighbor Totoro / Totoro next door sound like a black and white haughty French film that's only been seen by 7 people in the world outside of Cannes.

    Naussica of the Valley of the Winds - really long title that doesn't flow exactly right (too many "of"'s in there).

    Ghost in the Shell - this one had potential if marketed right, but it sounds like a horror movie, and just plain wasn't promoted properly.

    Perfect Blue - Sounds like the name of a good pr0n movie.

    Wings of Honneamise - This sounds like flying Hollendaise sauce. Really sounds food related. The life story of Julia Childs or something, perhaps!

    I know I'm missing some, those are the ones I've seen/can think of off the top of my head, and in just about every case, the name just doesn't seem to be something the average American is going to want to see. Steamboy is not going to be an exception. No matter how good the movie is, the name is going to be a HUGE turn off to people.

    The studios need to have a message board where people can submit English names for these shows that are appealing to the target audience... and that audience votes on the best name. This would save a lot of marketing dollars, and also, I think, provide the title with the best possible name for the money as it were.

    Eh...

    Just my 2c worth