The popularity of July's new anime in China. Popularity moves with the encouragement and opposition of fans of the original works.

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 popularity trend of the new Japanese anime of July distributed on Chinese video sites, and the surrounding circumstances.

July's hottest titles that attracted attention as well as confusion and dissatisfaction due to differences from the original works.

In China, "Welcome to the Classroom of Ability Supremacy" and"Fate/Apocrypha" seem to have been the hot new works in July, and the number of views of these two works seems to be growing at a high pace due to active exchanges related to the works.

Firstly, "Welcome to the Classroom of Ability Supremacy" has been rapidly gaining popularity since its distribution began, and seems to have acquired a very dedicated fan base.
This work seems to have divided tastes even among Chinese otaku, with those who are into it and those who are repulsed by it or find it hard to follow extremely divided.
The main character, Kiyotaka Ayakoji, is also said to have a strong quirky character that some people have fallen in love with, and has become the new image of the "otaku's favorite main character" in the Chinese otaku community.

And then there's the setting of this piece.
"Students are rewarded with points equivalent to cash based on their school evaluations.
This is an interesting point, as it is one of the aspects of the setting of the film that really sticks out to Chinese geeks.

The pressure on Chinese students to study is even more severe than in Japan, but since the study is mainly for higher education, it does not lead to immediate benefits for the student. In addition, recently in China, the perception that one can get by if one studies hard and gets into a good school is fading due to the difficulty in finding a job,
Many people are anxious that "studying alone is not enough, but there is nothing else you can do besides studying.
It is said that not a small number of people in China are anxious that "studying alone is not enough, but there is nothing else to do besides studying.

Perhaps because of this background, Chinese students are very attracted to the idea that their evaluation at school will immediately become a monetary one, and they sometimes feel as if the work is based on their own fantasy. And the story goes that quite a few people started watching the show because they felt interested in the setting and became addicted to the main character and the brainstorming-based storyline.

Next is "Fate/Apocrypha," which was introduced in the previous article, but because of the rushed development in the early stages, as well as changes from the original work and the addition of original elements, not only viewers without prior knowledge, but also Chinese Fate fans found it hard to keep up. However, as the story progressed and the characters were introduced, it became difficult to keep up.

However, as the story progressed, the characters were introduced, and the battle scenes became more exciting, the reaction of fans seemed to have calmed down.
And as the fans have come to understand the central characters in the work, the position of "Fate/Apocrypha" and its anime in the Fate series, and the treatment of the characters in the anime, the communication about the contents of the anime has become more active, and now, in addition to the contents of the anime, there are other things that appear throughout the anime. In addition to the content of the anime, the depictions of other Fate series' works that appear throughout the anime have also become a major topic of conversation.

The excitement of these two works is largely due to the support of fans of the original works, and in exchanges related to the works in Chinese otaku circles, there are comments such as "People with knowledge of the original works are actively involved.
"People with knowledge of the original works are actively participating.
"There is a strong awareness of the differences from the original work and elements unique to the anime.
and "there is a strong awareness of the differences from the original work and elements unique to the anime".

However, fans who started with the original work often react against the differences between the anime and the original work, and there are often harsh reactions to changes made to the original work in the anime, or flames from criticism of the differences from the original work.
In fact, "Fate/Apocrypha" has seen a noticeable backlash against the differences from the original work in the early part of the story, and "Welcome to the Classroom of Meritocracy" has also seen strong backlash against the anime's unique structure and accompanying changes and service times in the middle part of the story. The original work's fan activities are expected to continue for a long period of time.

The activities of the fans of the original work have a large impact on the long-term popularity and buzz of the work, and since it also affects the growth in the number of views after the anime version is completed and the popularity of the sequel anime, it has become an element that cannot be ignored in China today, and it seems that the popularity of these two works continues to be a situation that cannot be taken away from. The popularity of these two works seems to continue to be a situation that we cannot take our eyes off of.

Gag-type works that are strong when they hit the mark. This season, "Aho Girl" is a hot topic.

In China today, the mainstream style is to watch anime with many comments on video sites with comments, such as Nico Nico Douga.
In such an environment, it is difficult to find the right point of laughter for gag-type works that can be watched while making "tskkomi" in the comments, but if they are successful, they are expected to gain long-term popularity among a wide range of people, including not only otaku but also the general public.

Gintama" (Gintama: Gintama) is a representative example of this type of gag series, and "Saiki Kusuo no ψ-difficulty" (Saiki Kusuo no ψ-difficulty) has also become popular in recent years. This season, "Aho-Girl" is the winner of this gag genre, and is reportedly being enjoyed on Chinese video sites with a barrage of comments.

In addition to its content, "Aho Girl" seems to be well received locally due to its short length (15 minutes per episode).
Recently, Chinese video websites have been showing videos that are several minutes to a dozen minutes long, and Chinese domestic animations are also mostly in the format of a dozen minutes per episode, and some people feel that Japanese animations, which are about 30 minutes long, are a little too long.

As mentioned in a previous article, one of the reasons for the popularity of "Saiki Kusuo no ψ-difficulty" is that it is distributed in installments as a short animation, and it is possible that shorter works, such as gag-type works that can be easily watched and enjoyed, are more suitable for Chinese viewing styles. The end of the season and the next season are also popular in China.

Tsuki ga Kirei" is expanding its popularity and buzz near the end and in the next season.

Although it is a new production from April instead of July, "Tsuki ga Kirei" is gaining popularity in an interesting way in the Chinese otaku community these days.

The April season coincides with the end of the school year and the entrance examinations in China, so "Tsuki ga Kirei" is a love story that may cause psychological damage depending on the storyline, and "Tsuki ga Kirei," which involves a career path, is easily avoided.
However, toward the end of the production, the number of viewers who had a break in their studies and could afford to watch the show increased, and the popularity and reputation of the show gradually increased as more and more people began to talk about it and watch it later.

The popularity of "Tsuki ga Kirei" is unusual in China in recent years in that it is a latecomer catching up.
In addition, the popularity of "Tsuki ga Kirei" is characterized by its reputation as a "rare type of romantic work.
In addition, the popularity of "Tsuki no Kirei" is said to be due to the fact that it is a "rare type of romance film.

In recent years, in China, there are many masterpieces that can be talked about in terms of romance anime.
"There are many masterpieces that can be talked about, but there are also many heavy works and depressing works.
There are not a few works that have a sordid storyline or a stomach-churning plot that turns upside down just when you think they're getting together.
Some people avoid watching "Tsuki ga Kirei" from the standpoint of mental health, while others take certain precautions when watching it.

However, although "Tsuki ga Kirei" had certain obstacles in the process of romance, there were no stomach-churning developments until the very end,
It is a straightforward, gentle, and sweet romantic work, which is rare among recent romance-based anime.
It is said that the popularity of the series has led even those who had previously shied away from romance anime to start watching it.

Perhaps due to the fact that it coincided with the summer vacation, the otaku community in China was experiencing and talking about these works at a pace different from other times of the year.
The reactions to these activities also revealed some interesting trends in the recent changes in tastes and fan activities in the Chinese otaku community.

(Text by Baigen Kagoyamo)

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