NEO Magazine #9 artwork & interview

Paul

Paul

Ghost of Animes
Administrator
To coincide with the revamped and improved ninth issue of NEO (the UK's only "Asian pop culture magazine" with a heavy emphasis on anime and manga), UK-Anime.net have run a series of features on the magazine, including an interview with NEO editor Stu Taylor and the revamped issue #9 cover-art. The interview is particularly interesting, revealing that NEO has so far been a success and is going from "strength to strength".<ul class="menu">NEO's Stu Taylor:
"I'd like to think that in five years time NEO will still be on the shelves. Whether I'll still be editing it then, who knows? It would be great if it has the longevity and reputation of something like Starburst, DVD Review or SFX. But then we could end up being a victim of our success - one of the publishing 'big boys' could muscle in, chuck pots of cash at sticking a DVD on the cover and drive us out of the market."

"That might sound pessimistic, but that's the harsh reality of publishing: if you're doing well, it's unlikely to be long before someone else wades in looking for a slice of the pie. I guess I would just need to have faith that the people who are buying the magazine are picking it up for the quality of the editorial, and would not be so easily swayed by a shameless 'me too!' product with a shiny DVD hastily stuck on its cover for a fast buck."</ul>You can read the full interview at UK-Anime.net along with scoping out the new logo and cover-art (featuring MVM's August-bound Samurai Champloo).
 
Wow, that cover actually looks really good, especially compared to last months one (which was really awful...). The new logo doesn't look bad either. I am quite looking forward to seeing the changes when i get my copy.
 
I have to say the new cover-art looks fantastic! The big red logo looks great with the primary colours of Samurai Champloo. I also like the fact it's pushing the "anime and manga" factor much more than previous covers; the text across the top, the cover-art, the manga feature and even a Mezzo thumbnail.

Also if you read the interview, you'll notice a few jabs at NEO critics on "some anime internet forums" ;)
 
Wow, a NEO cover I actually like, thats no mean feat ;) . I'll be giving this "revamped" issue and try and hopefully I shall like it more than previous ones.
 
Yeah i'm really liking the cover art for this issue, logo looks pretty good aswell.

That sure was a lengthy read, but i found it quite interesting, it's good to hear that the magazine has alot of popularity, and i like the sound of some of the new changes in issue 9, more in-depth reviews and more focus on anime and manga defiantly sounds like a good thing to me.

We're perceived as the presumptuous outsiders muscling in on their private game.
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(Refering to websites like ours) Though i have to say this sounds like a load of crap, though i can't account for every news website.

He also said that Industry reps use their magazine to find out what there competitors are up to, plus what to license. Though i think the magazine is pretty good for people wanting reviews of things they can buy on the high street etc, i think people like that might be going to the wrong place (though not implying this is the right place or anything).

Still, look forward to getting the next issue
 
I thought the interview was quite amusing! and there seemed to be an awful lot of it focusing on the people who complain about Neo :?

I'm in a minority here, as I don't like the cover, but as long as it isn't wrapped in plastic (like last time!), I will have a looksee at issue 9. (I still haven't even taken issue 8 out of the plastic, but then again I forgot I'd even bought it).
 
Ramen89 said:
The magazine will still probably suck as usual :lol: .
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That's not constructive at all. Any particular reason why you think it isn't good enough?

While I think there is certainly room for improvement in the magazine (especially their DVD reviews, but I understand Issue 9 will be taking a new approach anyway), there is a lot of good things to be found in NEO too. The extended anime "features" usually make for a good read (I especially remember the Texhnolyze feature). And besides, simply the presence of a UK anime magazine is essential for the growth of the industry. Before NEO, fans were screaming out for this type of thing and I'm sure they've helped to snare more than few new anime fans.

Like here, where ive noticed a lot of anti-Neoism.
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To be fair though, this is one of the few UK forums that is completely unbiased, so there is bound to be more varied opinions.
 
I just dont like the people that write the articles, Johnathon Clements now it all types that tend to think what they think is right like when they did the article about Mechas etc they said something about Zone Of enders being rubbish then the next day on the forums people we totally disagreeing and the guy was replying to the peoplewith the same attitude, that he was right, not even that it was just his opinion or anything, and it annoyed me when they put L'arc en ciel in the jpop section :lol:
 
Miaka-chan said:
I thought the interview was quite amusing! and there seemed to be an awful lot of it focusing on the people who complain about Neo :?
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Those were my thoughts too, I feel quite infamous now to be in the 'small vocal minority', who is apparently hunched over my PC with feelings of resentment and anger that NEO dare to tread on sacred ground...or something like that :?

Anyway, as I'm still subscribed I'll be checking out issue 9 by default, tbh I'm not too bothered about the cover art, just want to see what's inside (I'm adopting a cautiously optimistic view for now)
 
In all honesty, I've got to say that the mecha article did come across as a very, "I'm right, bow to me for I know all." The section I loved was the correct way to say Mecha. If you said mech you were a chav, I'll always remember that one. Hell, the guy even emailed my company to get info on the Armored Core games, set him up an FTP with stuff with a username as mech and he had to correct me on it. ¬_¬

Anyway, point is, while this could easily be seening as a biased opinion, most of the stuff I read in Neo is well thought out, has relevent information and gets its point across. The reviews don't dumb down to appeal to a mass audience more and again describes what the review things of the DVD.

But you can't please everyone and someone is going to find some fault with the mag, I just hope the people who don't like the mag can be constructive with what they don't like. (this is a general thought)
 
I think a lot of the things I haven't liked about NEO , are because my interests fall into a very niche anime and manga ( and possibly games ) category , and I realise NEO has to cater to a wide range of tastes in order to be succesful. It just dosent appeal to me to have lots of sections I have zero interest in, im more interested in a magazine heavily focussed on anime (like Newtype is, but not as expensive and closer to home). This is of course not NEO's fault, but down to my own personal tastes. Articles on things like Gungrave Overdose just hold zero appeal to me.

However, I've felt a lot of the anime content was lacking too, I haven't found the articles to be that informative : I mean an article on a show like "Salaryman Kintaro" is beyond me when I feel there are far, far more interesting anime's out there to be doing articles on. While the review section is allright, (I must admit I rather enjoy the reviews at times) I've certainly felt it needs more reviews and more manga content too.

While the cover art isnt nessecerily the be all and end all, I'll have to say in my opinion the choices of covers have varied from pretty bad to hidious (although im impressed with the issue 9 one ) , the Godzilla and Star Wars ones in particular I thought were the worst. It puts me off getting the magazine from the very start just by seeing cover art like that.

Finally, I have found the articles and some other parts of the magazine to be rather preachy, as others have said. "I'm right your wrong, this sucks because I say it does and I know more about anime than you", has appeared to be the attitude at times. Of course in their very essence articles give the opinions of the writer, but Ive found the writing to come off in a very egotistical way for a professional magazine.

Anyway, as I've said I shall be giving this revamped Neo #9 an optimisitc chance to see if it appeals to me more, and I hope it does. Those things are just my opinions , im sure NEO has its fare share of adoring fans, and its good the country at least has an anime related magazine at all for those who wish to purchase it.
 
Red XIII said:
Miaka-chan said:
I thought the interview was quite amusing! and there seemed to be an awful lot of it focusing on the people who complain about Neo :?
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Those were my thoughts too, I feel quite infamous now to be in the 'small vocal minority', who is apparently hunched over my PC with feelings of resentment and anger that NEO dare to tread on sacred ground...or something like that :?
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HA yeah, for the small vocal minority who he says he doesn't really give a damn about because we don't account for even 1% of their readers we seem to have made an impression :lol: :)

Mangaminx said:
the Godzilla and Star Wars ones in particular I thought were the worst. It puts me off getting the magazine from the very start just by seeing cover art like that.
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Yeah i hated them the most too, but just shows how minority we are in the fact he says those particular two brought them in all new readers
 
Mangaminx said:
While the cover art isnt nessecerily the be all and end all, I'll have to say in my opinion the choices of covers have varied from pretty bad to hidious (although im impressed with the issue 9 one ) , the Godzilla and Star Wars ones in particular I thought were the worst. It puts me off getting the magazine from the very start just by seeing cover art like that.
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I have the opposite opinion! For some reason front covers, DVD artwork and manga front covers all play a big part in what I decide to buy, even though it seems really strange.
The only Neo magazine I thought had a great front cover was issue 4, with the FMA "Ed" pic :lol: (I think it was 4!).

There was one other thing mentioned in the interview that I found annoying, it was the news from Japan bit. I don't see why it would be so awful to maybe have a small section on current anime in Japan, as everything airing in Japan could be a future UK release anyway :wink:
 
Miaka-chan said:
Mangaminx said:
While the cover art isnt nessecerily the be all and end all, I'll have to say in my opinion the choices of covers have varied from pretty bad to hidious (although im impressed with the issue 9 one ) , the Godzilla and Star Wars ones in particular I thought were the worst. It puts me off getting the magazine from the very start just by seeing cover art like that.
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I have the opposite opinion! For some reason front covers, DVD artwork and manga front covers all play a big part in what I decide to buy, even though it seems really strange.
The only Neo magazine I thought had a great front cover was issue 4, with the FMA "Ed" pic :lol: (I think it was 4!).

There was one other thing mentioned in the interview that I found annoying, it was the news from Japan bit. I don't see why it would be so awful to maybe have a small section on current anime in Japan, as everything airing in Japan could be a future UK release anyway :wink:
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Oh when I said "its not the be all and end all" , I meant that inside magazine contents are probably more important than the cover to most people. I myself, like you need the cover to appeal to me , on manga , DVD's , magazines and the like or I am completely switched off from purchasing it.

I agree a section on the current anime airing in Japan would be good too, and I don't really see why it shouldn't be contained within the magazine. Especially for the bigger "A-List" titles that have a high chance of both a R1/R2 UK , release.
 
Mangaminx said:
There was one other thing mentioned in the interview that I found
I agree a section on the current anime airing in Japan would be good too, and I don't really see why it shouldn't be contained within the magazine. Especially for the bigger "A-List" titles that have a high chance of both a R1/R2 UK , release.
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They do already have something like this, but i do think it wouldn't hurt to be a bit bigger as i'm sure people are interested, as i'm also sure there must be a few fansub views who read the magazine.

And i agree, a cover art for everything i buy is important as if anything it gives you a first impression of what the rest of it might be like (for anime and manga also)
 
i've become quite impressed with the latest issues of NEO actually, and the last two or three issues have been particularly interesting. while it's easy to criticise the mag from an insider's point of view (i.e. as an established fan), it could do great things for introducing new fans and it's improving all the time.

as for the thing about opinions on the same topics differing, it just comes down to differing members of staff with their own individual opinions adding their input, which i see as a healthy thing. maybe it's just jealousy that they are getting paid to write about anime all day? ok, mybe that's just me...
 
I quite enjoyed the magazine, considering that was the first time that I found anything like that in England. I even considered at one point subscribing to New Type: too expensive though.

I'd love to be paid to write about anime. It would rock, but then everyone wants to share their opinions on things like anime. In a way for me it would be a means of infecting everyone else with my taste in anime and manga which appears to be different to what appears in the magazine, that or I've seen it already. Damn ebay!

Mad#
 
it is so hard to find Neo for sale anywhere i have only ever got one issue and that was issue one. i found it in canterbury in HMV but i cant find it anywhere else?
 
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