DVDizzy Forum

[quote="2099net"]Personally I doubt after the Lion King fiasco, Disney would 'rip-off' another Japanese animated series again. After all, Disney animated movies are released in Japan as well. It's not as if they could do it in secret. I think it must be a co-incidence.[quote]

What was the Lion King fiasco? Did a Japanese company also have a movie where lions play out the story of Hamlet?

In a two words - yes, apparently.

(I added the apparently to keep Disney's lawyers happy )

http://www.kimbawlion.com/rant2.htm

2099net, YES!!! Japanese cartoons do get a LOT of airtime out of Japan, maybe not so much in Europe, but that crap is being flooded into America (sorry to all you Anime/Japanimation fans, but it really is too much) !

Also, supposedly, the Lion King ripped off a Japanese cartoon, called Kimba: The White Lion.
If you watch the Simpsons there is an episode where Bleeding Gums Murphy, voiced by James Earl Jones, dies and his ghost vists Lisa in the clouds, but not before his alter egos surface in the clouds... Darth Vader, Verizon/Att spokesperson, and Mufasa who says, "Kimba--Ah ah, I mean Simba..." -- Get it.

Prince Phillip wrote:2099net, YES!!! Japanese cartoons do get a LOT of airtime out of Japan, maybe not so much in Europe, but that crap is being flooded into America (sorry to all you Anime/Japanimation fans, but it really is too much) !

I have to agree with Phillip on this one. Japanese cartoons indeed get a lot of airtime outside of Japan. They are shown in syndicated televison here in the US, also anime series are on almost all the time on the Cartoon Network and now there is an all new Anime Network that, yes, shows anime from Japan 24 hours a day. In addition, Nickelodeon even shows one of their kiddie cartoons, Hamtaro. Every Suncoast video store has a huge anime section and a lot of other stores are getting them as well. There are even many anime conventions all over the country. Anime does have a large and devoted fan following here.

The first anime series I recall seeing here on TV way back in the seventies was Kimba the White Lion, Speed Racer (Mach Go, Go, Go!), Battle of the Planets or G-Force (Space Ninja Team Gatchaman), Captain Harlock and my personal favorite, Star Blazers (Space Battle Cruiser Yamato.)

This is getting way off topic I swear this will be my last post on this topic on this thread.

Anyhow, while I don't dispute what you guys are saying, it's all aimed at a minority audience (and minority audience which, apparently, spends $4Bn a year). Generally I get the impression the audience is quite small, but also very devoted.

There's a few exceptions - Pokemon has done big business, as has Battle of the Planets/G-Force/Gatchaman, and recently Cowboy Bebop and that wierd wrestling cartoon thing who's name I can't remember. I'm sure that they're are others. Power Rangers doesn't count as that is changed substantially for the Western audience.

Look at the sales of the Animatrix - it pales in comparison to the sales of the Matrix DVD over the same time period. The same for Cowboy Bebop - if I understand correctly the Cowboy Bebop only played on a limited number of screens in America for a limited time. And that's an Anime with a regular slot and following on Cartoon Network. Other tv animations to film have taken more money on more screens (such as the Rugrats or Wild Thornberries movies). Even a quality Oscar winning film like "Spirited Away" only did modest business throughout both of its cinematic runs.

Ask the average American in the street to name 3 or 4 anime (or Japmation which may mean more to them) shows and I doubt that they could do it. Ask them to name 3 or 4 Disney films and I'm sure that they would have no problem.

Prince Adam stated "Atlantis" must have been better than "Nadia" as more people had heard of Disney's "Atlantis". But quality has nothing to do with how many people have heard of a property when (as far as I know) "Nadia" is only available on expensive DVD releases in America. Even if "Nadia" runs on a 24-hour anime channel it means nothing because the average American will quite simply not watch a 24 hour anime channel. And then of course, "Atlantis" got a full-blown theatrical release with the whole Disney marketing maching behind it. ADV (who release "Nadia" in the US) only advertise in printed publications which are likely to be seen by consumers who buy anime in the first place.

I've nothing against "Atlantis" - I do enjoy it enormously, as I do some Anime (I only dip my toe into Anime every now and then). But you must accept that people like us, on this board, are the exception - not the rule, when it comes to mainstream entertainment choices.

I also don't think that "Atlantis" is an intentional rip-off of "Nadia". Simply because I think that (whether "Lion King" is or is not a rip-off of "Kimba") Disney would not be stupid enough to risk being accused of copying from an existing property again. The similarities are stunning, but for the reason I've stated, I'm prepeared to give Disney the benefit of the doubt.