Remakes of Japanese Masterpieces Attract Attention in China's New Anime Releases in April [Anime Situation for Chinese Otaku].

My name is Hundred Yuan Kagoyo, and I am introducing this and that about the otaku situation in China.
This time, I would like to introduce the trend of new Japanese anime in April distributed on Chinese video sites and the changes in the distribution environment.

There were no "blockbusters," but there were some "hits" in April's new releases.

In China, it seems that there were no "gorgeous blockbusters" that attracted wide attention for new anime in April, and the atmosphere before the start of April was quiet compared to the January new anime, when there were several "blockbusters".

In addition, "Darling in the Frankis," which was considered one of the "blockbusters" of January's new anime, has maintained its popularity and popularity in various directions even in its second season, and there seems to be no "blockbuster" works in the Chinese otaku community for April's new anime. However, when the new anime of April started, there were no new works that were treated as "big productions.

However, once the new anime for April started, there were works that were unexpectedly interesting and works that exceeded expectations, and it seems that there were quite a few works that were "hits" for Chinese otaku, works that attracted more than a certain amount of attention and appreciation.

Among the new releases in April, "Hina Matsuri" is said to be doing well, with its fast-paced gags and content that can be enjoyed while commenting on it, leading to its popularity.
The mainstream anime viewing style in China is to watch anime on video sites while commenting on them, in a so-called Nico Nico Douga-like environment, and it seems that gag-type works that can be enjoyed while commenting on them are very popular.
Of course, if it does not hit the right spot, it will not be enjoyable, and even in the Chinese otaku community, there are some who say that they do not understand what is funny.

Other works that are currently performing well in terms of popularity, topics, and number of views include "Otaku ni Koi wa Hanaku" (It's Hard to Fall in Love with an Otaku), which is easy to talk about and get into because of its otaku-related topics, and "Megalobox," which has been praised for its high quality and hard-core story and expression, which is rare in this day and age, Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online," an unexpected spin-off of the popular "Sword Art Online" in China, and "PERSONA5 the Animation," which is based on a video game that often fails to make a splash in China, but has received positive and negative reactions. PERSONA5 the Animation," which has received both positive and negative reactions.

In the sequel field, "STEINS;GATE 0 (Steins;Gate Zero)" and"Full Metal Panic: Invisible Victory , " sequels to works that were very popular among Chinese otaku in the past and created an era, are also doing well! Invisible Victory" are also off to a good start.
Both of these two works have been long awaited for sequels, and the early results seem to have been accepted as satisfactory by the fans, and the excitement continues to be led by former fans.

Remake-like works of past masterpieces are getting a lot of attention.

What is interesting about April's new anime trends in the Chinese otaku community is that in addition to the "Megalobox" mentioned above, works based on or remakes of past masterpieces such as "The Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These Encounter" and"Gegege no Kitaro (6th season)" are becoming popular.

In the past, remakes of classic Japanese anime have entered the Chinese market and been distributed as new anime, but in most cases they have not been very popular or talked about in the Chinese otaku community.
This may be due to the quality of the work itself, the fact that there are not as many people in China who have feelings for past masterpieces as there are in Japan, and the fact that the media that local people are exposed to do not cover the works with the same vigor as in Japan, so they are buried among the many new anime. This may be a factor.

Looking at the topics and reactions to the remake-like works in the April new releases, "Megalobox" seems to be well received for its hard-core storyline, which is rare these days, and for its direction that evokes the atmosphere of classic anime from the late 90s and early 00s, and "Legend of the Galactic Heroes" has been well received for its story structure and character design, as well as for its modern CG technology and design. The "Legend of the Galactic Heroes" is attracting attention, for better or for worse, for its major changes in story structure and character design, as well as for its depiction of fleet battles using modern computer graphics technology.

In addition, "Gegege no Kitaro" has become a topic of conversation among Chinese otaku because of the "amazing change in the character design of the cat girl in the anime version" and the fact that the new design suits the tastes of Chinese otaku.

According to a Chinese otaku, the remake-like works among the new anime releases in April were
According to a Chinese otaku, "In addition to the good quality of the animation, the remake incorporates elements that the current Chinese otaku would be interested in and find interesting, as well as elements that would be talked about in China.
He also said, "The quality of the anime is good.
In fact, it seems that in China, in addition to those who have knowledge of and attachment to past masterpieces, new fans who are not familiar with the original works are also being developed.

New Anime Distribution Increasingly Available for a Fee

As for the distribution environment of new Japanese anime in China in April, in addition to sites such as "iQIYI," "YOUKU," and "bilibili" that distribute a large number of Japanese anime every season, there are sites that are distributing new Japanese anime again, although only a few new works are being distributed. The situation regarding the sites that distribute anime is also in a state of flux.

One of the most interesting is "The Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These Encounter".
The Legend of the Galactic Heroes" is said to have the oldest fan community in China, and is said to have a very broad and deep fan base. In mainland China, "Legend of the Galactic Heroes" has been exclusively distributed by the otaku social networking site "Hanjingen," which focuses on creation and exchange of cosplay, illustrations, novels, etc. In many ways, this is an unprecedented trend in distribution.

In addition, we are also seeing a considerable increase in the distribution of new anime titles for advance distribution to paying subscribers and paid distribution.
According to a Chinese otaku who is close to the industry regarding this area
According to a Chinese otaku close to the industry, "The era in which you can watch new anime anywhere for free is over, and it is becoming an era in which most works can only be viewed by members of each site or by paying.
This is the view of some Chinese geeks.
As a result, there have been changes in the treatment of exclusive distribution, and changes in the way topics spread as a result of prior distribution to paying members.

As for new anime in April, compared to January, when the popularity of the works themselves, as well as the surrounding circumstances, for better or for worse, moved significantly, there is a fairly calm atmosphere.
However, there are some movements that have not been seen in China until now, such as the high evaluation of remake-like anime, and it seems that the situation of Japanese anime in China is changing in various directions this season.

(Text by Hundred Yuan Kagoyamo)

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