Anime Situation of Chinese Otaku] Japanese Animated Movie Series Shown All at Once in China and October New Anime Trends

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 some Japanese anime-related movies that were screened in China, as well as new Japanese anime releases in October that are available on video sites.

A series of Japanese anime-related films were released, but the difficulties in China became clear

From early to mid-September, three Japanese anime-related movies, the live-action "Gintama ", "The Form of Unknown", and "Sword Art Online -Ordinal Scale-", were released in China in rapid succession.
According to data currently available on Chinese movie websites, the box-office revenues of these three films in China are approximately 81 million yuan (approximately 1.4 billion yen) for "Gintama," 45 million yuan (approximately 760 million yen) for "聲の形" and 54 million yuan (approximately 920 million yen) for "Sword Art Online".

Regarding these figures, the local media commented
The local media reported that " Sword Art Online" grossed about 54 million yuan (about ¥520 million). Gintama" is barely passable, while the other films are not.
The other films are also rated as "disappointing".
The comparison is to "Kimi no na wa" which was a big hit in China last year (box office was about 5.5 million yen). (box office: 570 million yuan) and "Doraemon: Nobita's Great Adventure in the South Pole " (box office: 150 million yuan), both of which were released in China this year.

In contrast, among the local otaku community and those who watch Japanese anime,
"All of them are doing well, considering that they are mainly for otaku.
"Not bad for a season when school has already started.
and "Not bad for the time of year when school has already started.
It is interesting to note that the above three works are in the same category as "Japanese anime" in China, but it is also interesting to note that the evaluation of each work is unique.

First of all, "Gintama" is one of the most popular and well-known works in Japan-related genres in China today, with a wide fan base, and it has also received considerable treatment in the Chinese media.
However, in China, there is strong opposition to the live-action version of a popular anime work, and unlike in Japan, not many people have strong feelings for the actors.

In addition to that
Fans of the original work will enjoy it.
"The film does its best to reproduce the atmosphere, characters, and laughter of the original work.
"The film is a good recreation of the atmosphere, characters, and laughter of the original work," but
"The important thing is that the audience cannot understand the funny parts, and there are too many parts that the local audience does not have the knowledge of.
This is why the live-action version of "Gintama" was not well received by some people in China.
For this reason, the live-action version of "Gintama" was rated as "the most geeky" of all the Japanese anime films screened in September.

Next is "Unamplified, " which has been controversial and has caused a bit of a firestorm on the Chinese Internet regarding opinions of the film.
Some were upset because the themes of bullying and stories about people with disabilities were unfamiliar to Chinese anime viewers, and others were unconvinced by the effects of bullying and the depiction of the characters' actions and emotions in response.
There were also objections and defenses of the work, and for a while, the debate about "聲の形" was quite heated in the Chinese otaku community.

Incidentally, the backlash against "聲の形" was as follows.
Some people went to see the film expecting to see something like "What is your name? The Form of Unknown" was also affected by the unique situation in China, where "many people went to see the movie expecting a work like
The result of this was that the film was not as well received in China as it had been in the U.S. The result,
As a result, the film was able to create an exhilarating but they were shown a film with a heavy theme, which made them feel uncomfortable.
The film was not as good as "Kimi no na wa" (Your Name), which was intended to be an uplifting film.
Despite these circumstances, it is said that "Shōgun no Katachi" is one of the most discussed works in the recent Chinese otaku community, and for better or worse, it seems to have "stuck" with Chinese anime fans.

Finally, "Sword Art Online" has had a reputation for being "for otaku and for fans" from the beginning, and many people recognize that it is "for fans" when looking at the impressions after the screening has started, In addition, there were clear problems such as the sluggish storyline and the subtle motives of the enemy characters in the theatrical version. However, along with that, there were also some comments such as
The battle descriptions are exhilarating, and if you have been a fan up to now, you will enjoy it and be moved by it.
Some said, "There are a few glaring flaws, but I enjoyed it.
I enjoyed it," and "There are a few minor things that stand out, but I enjoyed it.
What was interesting was that even among those who evaluated the work positively, there was no denial of the problems mentioned above, which was in contrast to "Form of Undeclared," which was a flaming argument with two sides of the same coin.

Overall, "Sword Art Online" seems to be receiving positive reviews, and currently has the highest user poll score among the three films on Chinese movie sites. Although there are a number of problems for Chinese animation fans, those who actually went to see the films seem to have found them more enjoyable than expected.

The above are the evaluations and reactions to each of the films in China. Looking at the outside of the Japanese anime films screened in China in September, we are reminded of the difficulty of advertising in China and the instability of the schedule up to the local screenings.
The fact that the availability and start date of the screenings of the films screened this time were uncertain until just before the start of the screening in China has been viewed by some as having dampened the enthusiasm of local fans and those interested in Japanese anime-related genres.

In addition, the screening dates were also uncertain until the beginning of September, which resulted in a disadvantageous timing for the release of the films.
In China, the new school year begins in September, which is a busy time for students, who make up the majority of the local otaku population. In addition, it is not uncommon in China for movie theaters to show only a small number of films, except for so-called "blockbusters," so even if there are many screens showing the film, it may be difficult to see the film if you miss the weekend immediately after its release, depending on the location.
Therefore, it is heard that the screening of films in September may have been quite negative for films related to Japanese animation, since the time for students, the main target audience, would be lost.

New Anime in October Drawing Attention, Especially Sequels

Although a variety of Japanese animations were distributed on Chinese video websites in October, it seems that there were no new works with outstanding popularity in China this season, and sequels to already popular works are attracting attention.

Among October's new anime, "Umaru-chan R !Umaru-chan R" seems to be gaining popularity from a wide range of viewers. The back and forth between the characters, the way they are covered up, and the otaku-related stories are being enjoyed and enjoyed in many different directions in China today.
Other popular sequels include "Shokugeki no Soma: Sansan-no-sara," "Bloodline & Beyond," and "Onikan no Retsu (2nd season).

As for new works, "Twelve Taisen" seems to be doing relatively well at this point. The original creators, Ishin Nishio and Hikaru Nakamura, both have a fixed fan base in China, and the development of the characters' deaths and exits is also attracting attention.
Also, "The Land of Jewels" and"Travel to the End of the World for Girls" have been gaining popularity since they started airing in China.
It is said that "The Land of Jewels" has been well received mainly by enthusiasts for its character portrayal, strong pull, and high quality action scenes, while "Shoujo Saikyū Ryoko" has been well received in China for its military elements and post-apocalyptic worldview, as well as its surprising development in the manner of a daily life work. The "Shoujo Saikyū Ryoko" has been accepted in China for some time now.

For some time now, there have been many new developments related to Japanese animation in China, other than the distribution of movies on video sites, but the confusion of information that has been transmitted to the local market and the reaction of fans to it have made us realize once again the difficulty of following the schedule in relation to China.

(Text by Hyakumen Kagoyamu)

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