Chinese Otaku Anime Situation] New Anime in China in July, Uneasy Future and New Forms of Anime Distribution

My name is Hundred Yuan Kagoyo, and I am here to introduce you to all things related to the otaku situation in China.

Following on from my previous column, this time I would like to introduce some of the new anime works that have become popular and are showing interesting trends among the new anime works in July that are being regularly distributed in China.

Dried-up sister! Umaru-chan

In terms of otaku-oriented works, this is one of the most talked-about new anime of July, along with "A Boring World Where the Concept of Undertones Doesn't Exist," which I introduced in my previous column.

The main character's name, "Doma Umaru," is written in Chinese as "Doma Buri," which has a greater impact than in Japan, and the various otaku stories, facial expressions, and deformation depicted in the work, mostly in the wrong direction, have become a topic of conversation and excitement.

Umaru-chan" is distributed on several video sites, but what is interesting is that the number of views on each site is quite different. Specifically, there is a noticeable difference in the number of views between "bilibili," a so-called Nico Nico Douga-like video service with comments, and other video sites.

While "bilibili" is at the top of the ranking of new animations on the video site and the number of views has increased considerably, the other sites seem to have a medium level of views.

When watching on sites with Nico dynamic comments, in addition to the pseudo-synchronous viewing experience provided by the comments, there is also the sharing of knowledge of otaku-related topics and comments about the material in the work, so works that require knowledge of otaku-related topics are strongly accepted in understanding material that is easy to talk about in the Chinese otaku community. It is said that works that require knowledge of otaku-related topics are more likely to be accepted in China, and this seems to be clearly the case with "Umaru-chan.

With this background, it could be said that "Umaru-chan" is a work that shows the difference in the environment in which viewers in the Chinese otaku community enjoy works in terms of popularity and the spread of topics.

Charlotte

Charlotte" attracted the attention of Chinese otaku even before its distribution began, as it is an anime written by Jun Maeda and produced by P.A. WORKS, a creator and production company that is also highly regarded in China, and has steadily gained popularity since its distribution began.

It is said that "Charlotte" may be the first work in a long time to be as popular as the previous reputation, especially as expected due to the attention paid by the creators and the production company.

It is said that "Charlotte" has also been gaining popularity through multiple video clips.

Charlotte" has also been distributed on several video sites and has been the topic of conversation, both good and bad, regarding its storyline and other aspects. What is also interesting is that the popularity of "Charlotte" on video sites differs from that of "Umaru-chan" in that it is popular on video sites other than "bilibili" and has a high number of views.

I talked to some Chinese otaku about this difference,

Whenwe talked to Chinese otaku about this difference, they said, "It could be that the old style of watching, where you watch carefully and exchange opinions, is better suited to discussing thestory, foreshadowing, and sci-fielements.

There is no doubt that"Charlotte" also has a positive aspect in the sense of unity of pseudo-synchronized viewing through bullet comments, but it can also be enjoyed without bullet comments.

However, it can also be enjoyed without the use of the barrage commentary.

Looking at the popularity and play count trends of works distributed on Chinese video sites, not limited to "Umaru-chan" and "Charlotte," we can also see the influence of the user demographics of each video site and the compatibility of the distribution system.

As for the popularity of Japanese anime in China, perhaps we should be aware of the influence of "the environment in which anime is viewed" and "the community in which anime is discussed" in addition to the preferences of Chinese otaku people.

Jailhouse Gakuen

Jailhouse Gakuen" has been attracting attention as the most anticipated and problematic work in July even before its distribution started, since the original manga is very well known among Chinese netizens and it is a sexy work that can earn access numbers. Currently, it appears to be one of the most viewed new animations in July, and its popularity is spreading not only among Chinese otaku but also among the general public.

However, despite its popularity

"There is a strong element of eroticism.

"There is a lot of dangerous material.

It is also well known that "there are a lot of dangerous stories,

"There is a high risk of being subjected to strict controls from the top.

Fans and the industry alike are concerned that there is a high risk of being subjected to strict controls from the top.

In fact, it may have been deemed difficult to distribute without taking any countermeasures, so the title "Gentlemen's Academy" is now being used on Chinese video websites instead of the original title "Jail Academy.

Gentlemen's Academy.

(In Chinese otaku circles, "Gentleman's Academy" is also distributed as "Gentleman's Academy.

(Even in Chinese otaku circles, the word "gentleman" has the added meaning of "gentleman in the name of perversion.)

Anime with sexy elements distributed on Chinese video sites tend to have a steady increase in the number of views even if they do not become a topic of conversation, and judging from the current momentum of "Jail Academy," we can expect a long-tail increase in the number of views in the future. However, it is also true that we don't know what will happen depending on the social climate in China,

How long will it be available?

However, we are not sure what will happen depending on the social climate in China, and we are also concerned about "How long will it be available?

DIABOLIK LOVERS

Although not strictly speaking a new work, Tencent is distributing a Chinese dubbed version of "DIABOLIK LOVERS" as one of the new anime titles for July.

The Chinese dubbed version seems to be getting quite a lot of views, and although it is not clear whether it is a linkage effect with the Chinese dubbed version, the number of views of the original audio version, which is also distributed on Tencent, seems to be increasing again here.

While there are a fair number of Chinese dubbed versions of Japanese anime distributed on video sites in China, it is very rare for a work such as "DIABOLIK LOVERS," which is clearly aimed at otaku and has a clear fan base, to be distributed in a Chinese dubbed version.

In the current Chinese otaku community

"If you are an otaku, you should watch the original Japanese audio version.

However, the Chinese dubbed version is expected to be effective in cultivating new fans among the lightweight segment and the general public who "sometimes watch anime".

Although this kind of Chinese dubbed version would basically require an approach from the local side rather than a move by the Japanese side, it would be an interesting attempt to utilize and expand the popularity of the work.

In addition to the works mentioned above, the works introduced in my previous column also seem to be doing well, and various popular and talked-about new animations were released in July.

However, regardless of the popularity, the distribution of Japanese anime in China seems to be facing a bit of a difficult situation.

Since the crackdown on Japanese anime distribution that took place at the end of March, the Japanese anime distribution business has cooled down, and in addition, there is talk that the recent economic downturn in China is having an impact on the content industry. There is no doubt that demand for Japanese animation exists, but it is also true that the business outlook has become uncertain.

Therefore, the future of Japanese anime distribution in China remains as unpredictable as ever.

(Writing by Baigen Kagoyamo)