Chinese Otaku Anime Situation] January New Anime in China and Trends of Chinese Domestic Anime Entering the Japanese Market

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

This time, I would like to introduce the trends and reactions to the new Japanese anime released in January on Chinese video sites.

In China, the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) is celebrated, so January is like the year-end and New Year holidays in Japan, before the long vacation. Therefore, Chinese students, who are the main viewers of anime, are also busy with the end of the semester and their homecoming, and contact and interaction with people of the same age group is decreasing.

Perhaps due to these circumstances in Chinese society, the otaku community in China tends to be less active when discussing new anime in January, before or immediately after they begin airing, and existing "big productions" and "highly rated works with many episodes" that can be watched in bulk during the vacations tend to be stronger. and so on.

However, looking at the works distributed on Chinese video sites, we can see new and worrisome developments this season.

Distribution of blacklisted works and other worrisome works

In addition, Chinese video sites that distribute Japanese animation are expanding into the production of Chinese animation using Japanese staff and studios, and this has led to the temporary disappearance of the Japanese animation distribution bubble. As a result, the movement to buy and distribute Japanese animation seems to have calmed down compared to a period of time.

Nevertheless, there are still more than 30 new Japanese animations distributed on Chinese video sites in January, and a variety of works are being distributed. However, among these works, there are some that are a little worrisome.

The first thing that strikes me as "worrisome" about this season's new releases is

GATE: Self-Defense Forces, This Is My Ground

is being distributed on several video sites.

This is a work in which the Self-Defense Forces go to a fantasy-like other world and play an active role, but considering the recent situation between Japan and China, there is no doubt that it is a very "dangerous" work in Chinese society.

The distribution of "GATE" is not titled "GATE Qigensai Sekai" with the word "JSDF" in it, which has been used in Chinese otaku circles, but "GATE Qigensai JSDF" in Chinese, and the distribution of "GATE" will start from the 13th episode of the 2nd season without distributing the 1st season part. However, there are still some elements of concern, such as the extreme nature of the subject matter and content.

In addition, the local otaku community tends to be very rough when discussing this work, and the possibility of flames coming from directions other than the video site is a scary possibility.

Another thing that concerns me is that "Assassination Classroom," which was blacklisted at the time of the crackdown at the end of March last year and distribution was suspended, is now being distributed in Chinese under a new title, "Kyokusoku Kyokusho Sensei.

In October's new anime as well, the blacklisted "Shinkage no Kyojin" related work, "Shinkage! Kyojin Junior High School," a related work to the blacklisted "Shinkage no Kyojin," was distributed on a Chinese video site, but that was a spin-off work. As for "Assassination Classroom," it is exactly the same work, and I am wondering if it is acceptable to distribute it only by changing the title, no matter how much it has become the second season.

As for this area, perhaps

'Since the season has changed, it is not within the scope specified in past notices or blacklists.

"But we will change the title to something safe and see how it goes.

But we will change the title to something safe and see how it goes.

However, it has been proven that the judgment of the Chinese side cannot be relied on too much during the crackdown at the end of March last year, and it is difficult to say at this point whether it is safe to distribute.

Although the subsequent economic recession in China and changes in the structure of the industry have had a large impact, the direct trigger for the cooling down of Japanese anime distribution in China was definitely the crackdown at the end of March last year, and looking at the lineup of new January anime distributed in China, we are certainly concerned about a number of things. I am sure that the direct pull of the money will be enforced at the end of March last year.

Expanding distribution limited to paying members

The Chinese video site "tudou" started distributing "Ushio-Tora" in July last year and "One Pan Man" in October, both of which are popular works, but in January, "Bless This Wonderful World!

Bless This Wonderful World!

"Boku dake ga inai machi" ("The Town That Only I Am Not In")

"The Phantom World of Achilles' heel"

"Laquen Logic"

are available only for paying members in January.

In the past, when distribution was limited to paying subscribers, the diffusion of topics about the limited distribution works slowed down, and there was a noticeable movement to hit the sites offering paid distribution. However, we do not know at this point whether the Chinese otaku community has become accustomed to this or whether it is due to the trend of the works, but it appears that there has been a reasonably active fan movement this season.

In China, the business model based on Internet advertising is becoming more and more difficult,

"It's not enough to just earn views.

In China, the business model based on Internet advertising is becoming more and more difficult, and it is said that "just earning views is not enough.

In terms of animation distribution, there is an active movement to explore and develop ways to link with social games and paid services, and the expansion of limited distribution to paying members is an interesting move in terms of how the animation business on video sites in China will take shape.

Distribution of works by Japanese animation production companies based on original Chinese works has begun.

Although it may not strictly speaking be a new Japanese anime slot, a new anime based on a Chinese Internet novel, produced by China's Tencent and Japan's Studio Deen, is now available on the Chinese video site.

The distribution of "Lingjianshan: The Banquet of Stardust"

produced by China's Tencent and Japan's Studio Deen, based on a Chinese Internet novel, was also a major event on Chinese video sites in January.

The Chinese government had been advertising "Ling Jian Shan" extensively since last year, and the fact that both Chinese and Japanese versions were produced and aired on Japanese TV had raised expectations for the work. However, the first episode that was actually aired did not meet the expectations of Chinese viewers, and various problems have been brought to light.

However, although the first episode was disappointing, there have been comments that it has picked up since then, and the number of views on Chinese video sites has been good.

Since it is a Chinese-language anime based on a popular Chinese Internet novel, it seems to be able to attract not only Japanese anime fans but also general Internet users, and it may not be so bad when considered as a work for Chinese viewers, especially the current Chinese Internet users.

In addition to "Lingjianshan," other Chinese-made animation productions employing Japanese staff and studios have been announced since the latter half of last year, and "Chinese-made animation with Japanese involvement" is expected to increase in the future.

As mentioned above, even just before the Chinese New Year, various new developments are taking place, and it is likely that the otaku community in China and the anime situation will continue to change in various ways in 2016.

(Writing by Ba Yuan Luo Yuan)