Do you? To me, the UK anime market seems to have grown dramaticly ova the last 3 to 4 years, i mean, back then anime was kinda slow and not very popular, animes like pokemon, dragonball etc were the only animes in the uk known to some people, but now, it seems that animes we really wanted that we are getting right now! Its awesome! i mean, my favourite animes such as wolfs rain, saikano, chobits etc have now been released along with so many more, who here agrees with me that the uk has finally gotten there?
Do you think anime in the uk has grown?
- Thread starter Uixka
- Start date
It has grown since DBZ made its debut, but we ain't get more anime we really wanted.
Rapture TV and Red TV are the olny channels to show uncut anime to dedicated anime fans instead of young kids.
But trust me, if Naruto becomes a success, then You will see more anime than you ever imagined before.
Rapture TV and Red TV are the olny channels to show uncut anime to dedicated anime fans instead of young kids.
But trust me, if Naruto becomes a success, then You will see more anime than you ever imagined before.
Well, I must say, it took a while for it to grow on people, but that's normal for a fad to start off as.
For example, like already mentioned, it was mainly just a few series of mainstream animes (in Japan) just introducing anime to us in the UK. Then there were movies in the cinema based on them, like Pokemon.
After that, anime movies have been poping up every so often, and more fans are learning about anime.
After all that, the fandom just grew. Gradually, but still grew, as we had more access to anime here (mainly region 1, until the past year or so when more region 2 DVDs are being made/bought by bigger companies due to popularity).
So, yeah. At least I noticed the change, and that's good new for us. It shouldn't go out-of-season for quite a long time (at the least.)
For example, like already mentioned, it was mainly just a few series of mainstream animes (in Japan) just introducing anime to us in the UK. Then there were movies in the cinema based on them, like Pokemon.
After that, anime movies have been poping up every so often, and more fans are learning about anime.
After all that, the fandom just grew. Gradually, but still grew, as we had more access to anime here (mainly region 1, until the past year or so when more region 2 DVDs are being made/bought by bigger companies due to popularity).
So, yeah. At least I noticed the change, and that's good new for us. It shouldn't go out-of-season for quite a long time (at the least.)
Oh yes!
When I was starting at university in 2000, I usually went down to my MVC to see what there was to buy.. there was a pitiful two-shelve display, which it was having to share with the Martial Arts movies, and I was the only person looking half the time.
A year later, it had grown to 4 shelves, still sharing space with Martial Arts titles, but I wasn't the only person looking now. Again a year later, 5 shelves full, but this time, it had been given it's own section and there was a heck of a lot more people, looking, picking up titles and taking them to the check-out.
And at the end of my uni stay, 8 shelves, and I was always fighting for space(not litereally, but you get what I mean) just to be able to see what there was on for offer there was soo many people at the section. Plus Anime was usually getting a prime display at the very front of the entrance, so it was obviously something the shop was giving some serious promotion.
That's just one example of growth, but it wasn't the only places I could see a big interest in Anime growing!
*Edit*
Oops, just noticed I'd confused the two names again, MVC, not MVM, now I fell a reet muppet
:lol:
When I was starting at university in 2000, I usually went down to my MVC to see what there was to buy.. there was a pitiful two-shelve display, which it was having to share with the Martial Arts movies, and I was the only person looking half the time.
A year later, it had grown to 4 shelves, still sharing space with Martial Arts titles, but I wasn't the only person looking now. Again a year later, 5 shelves full, but this time, it had been given it's own section and there was a heck of a lot more people, looking, picking up titles and taking them to the check-out.
And at the end of my uni stay, 8 shelves, and I was always fighting for space(not litereally, but you get what I mean) just to be able to see what there was on for offer there was soo many people at the section. Plus Anime was usually getting a prime display at the very front of the entrance, so it was obviously something the shop was giving some serious promotion.
That's just one example of growth, but it wasn't the only places I could see a big interest in Anime growing!
*Edit*
Oops, just noticed I'd confused the two names again, MVC, not MVM, now I fell a reet muppet
:lol:
Yeah i noticed the gradual growing popularity for the anime/manga franchise, i do remember when it was hard to find the stuff on Amazon and then eventually there was some in our HMV and Virgin, and now there is quite a lot in both. And waterstones has gotten a variety of manga's in now, which isn't just tokyopop's ones now. i don't think though that the future of the anime franchise here is going to grow soley on just how well one anime does here in the UK, but thats just me..i think it will grow none the less.
Definately a huge growth in recent years, when I first got into anime I could only import the series I wanted to watch. Well either that or I could only buy 1 or 2 dvd's from HMV at hugely hiked up prices.
Now with kids tv showing anime, its letting kids get into it from an early age and will hopefully promote a further interest in the medium when they grow older and want to see more than pokemon or edited down versions of naruto.
Now with kids tv showing anime, its letting kids get into it from an early age and will hopefully promote a further interest in the medium when they grow older and want to see more than pokemon or edited down versions of naruto.
Karmatwisted
Brigade Leader
I think Cornwall's MVC is still on year one of Zentrons description
meh x(
meh x(
I'll just echo the general sentiment of this thread and wholeheartedly say YES! It's such a gradual process, but compared with even three years ago the UK industry has grown so much. We now have a dedicated and well circulated magazine in NEO, (proper - not 4Kids crap) anime is regularly appearing on TV and DVD releases continue at a frightening pace. Of course there is still room for improvement (Jetix doing in Naruto was possibly the low point of the year) but I don't think anyone can honestly say no progress has been made.
I can't say that I agree with the concept of heavy edits being a bad thing for anime since it is these edits that allow it to be shown in a primetime slot on UK TV.
Many kids would not even be aware of anime if they had not been attracted by the likes of Pokemon and Yu Gi Oh! and in all probability, Naruto. Despite what the hardcore fans think of the edits, dubs and such these shows clearly have and do engage kids and any of those looking under the surface could easily be drawn into the wider world of anime.
I think anime is showing some solid growth in the UK. It is more known now than it ever was amongst the general populous and anime on TV is a big part of that.
Many kids would not even be aware of anime if they had not been attracted by the likes of Pokemon and Yu Gi Oh! and in all probability, Naruto. Despite what the hardcore fans think of the edits, dubs and such these shows clearly have and do engage kids and any of those looking under the surface could easily be drawn into the wider world of anime.
I think anime is showing some solid growth in the UK. It is more known now than it ever was amongst the general populous and anime on TV is a big part of that.
Agreed ^^^
There not all as bad as one piece hacked and slashed anime is better than none ay :roll:
Hmv has an entire section for anime not overly big but pretty big,manga is now sold in book stores where there used to be none and theres a bout 8 anime shows being shown in the uk now with movies on film4,bbc2 and sci fi is showing cowboy bebop it's getting better
There not all as bad as one piece hacked and slashed anime is better than none ay :roll:
Hmv has an entire section for anime not overly big but pretty big,manga is now sold in book stores where there used to be none and theres a bout 8 anime shows being shown in the uk now with movies on film4,bbc2 and sci fi is showing cowboy bebop it's getting better
Gawyn said:
I fundamentally disagree with this viewpoint, and indeed it's this kind of weakly compromising attitude that has seen the likes of Naruto suffer over here. It's very much a matter of IFs and BUTs, but I'm not willing to assume that another channel wouldn't have dared to air Naruto unedited - and had that happened, I suspect (based on having watched 130+ episodes) it would be a lot bigger over here right now. It's just our bad luck that it landed on Jetix instead of say Toonami (who for all their live action nonsense, did air the likes of Big O unscathed).
Looking at One Piece specifically, it's really Toei's fault for selling it to 4Kids in the first place. 4Kids probably offered more money than everyone else and likewise, I suspect Jetix wanted Naruto more than any other channel.
As a dedicated UK anime fan, it hurts me to see wasted potential and the current UK broadcast versions of both Naruto and One Piece smack of incompetence and missed opportunities. I'm yet to see even one new fan ushered in by the Jetix version of Naruto or the 4Kids One Piece. Hundreds (perhaps even thousands) were first attracted by either CNX or the Sci-Fi Channel - both of whom actually aired their anime untouched, but eventually died out due to poor ratings.
So what's better; to have some vague concept of anime on TV like the broken down, toothless version of One Piece, or some under seen but high impact shows like Cowboy Bebop and Neon Genesis Evangelion?
Personally i see it as a don't like it don't watch sort of thing.
You see should sci fi never have aired evangelion on sci fi i would never have got into anime even though a lot of people hate the dubs and edits to it.
The objective should be get people into anime if there into anime there more likely to follow it up.
Just because one piece was hacked and slashed and had horrible voices doesn't mean the original doesn't exist but it does mean that people are probably looking into it.
You see should sci fi never have aired evangelion on sci fi i would never have got into anime even though a lot of people hate the dubs and edits to it.
The objective should be get people into anime if there into anime there more likely to follow it up.
Just because one piece was hacked and slashed and had horrible voices doesn't mean the original doesn't exist but it does mean that people are probably looking into it.
Heh, if that were true, the Anime scene could've been bigger than computer games by now, but seeing as heavy edits/cuts, etc, caused the Anime scene of the 80's to collapse and almost disappear, they are quite a bad thing! As for them allowing Anime to be shown on 'prime-time' TV, it's kinda a redundant thought, afterall, there are Anime's that can be shown without edits/cuts. It's mostly due to audience targeting... which is why a lot of Anime fans are rather pi$$ed at the versions of One Piece and Naruto being screened(thank smeg Naruto is being sold uncut).Gawyn said:
Very true, programmes like Pokemon that are designed for kids of that age, should be shown to them. Though, the editing of shows like Naruto, One Piece, etc, just so they can show them to kids that they were not even designed for, clearly undercuts the targeted audience. It's kinda like cutting Urotsukidoji so that 12 year olds can watch it!Gawyn said:
There are so many cool shows that if marketed correctly, could strengthen the scene quite a bit, but poor targeting, could destroy it(as we witnessed in the 80's and nearly again in the 90's)!
I think there's room for both - the watered-down versions for the casual viewer, and the real, uncut deal for the true believers, each given appropriate timeslots. If done right then it could mean a new army of anime fans (those that likes what they saw during the day, and wanted to see more). It's one thing I think the ill-fated CNX did right; it had the Dragonballs and the Tenchis during the day, then put Bebop and Outlaw Star on at night. I miss those days.Paul said: