Is it Hard to Go the Great Anime Success Route Anymore? China's new anime releases in April and the Chinese otaku who are very particular about "as original".

Past Serials

⇒The situation in China, which may actually be a Dragon Ball void zone

⇒China's unique image of "Elf of Japanese works" and the situation of China's 2024 winter anime which seems to end without vigor.

April new anime with little movement and the big hit of the theater version of Spy Family, which we do not know if there will be a next one.

As we reported in our previous article, there seems to be little activity in the new Japanese anime released in China in April, possibly due to the recent tightening of regulations on the entertainment sector in China. However, some Chinese otaku are also saying that the situation seems to be more stable than in the past season.

In contrast to new anime distribution, Japanese anime films released in conjunction with China's Golden Week are doing well.

Regarding new anime releases in April, " Hibike! Euphonium 3," which is said to have a dedicated fan base in China, has been consistently popular, and " Yuru Cannon △ SEASON 3," which began distribution after the last article was written, has also been well received and has been gaining favorable reviews and viewer numbers.

Among new works, " Jellyfish Can't Swim at Night " has attracted attention and gained enthusiastic fans, and " Grandma and Grandpa Rejuvenate " is in solid demand as a work that can be watched casually.

In addition, " Dungeon Mei" continues to be popular among viewers who have been watching the previous season. Dungeon Rice" has many dedicated fans in China who have been following the original story for a long time, and it has become a work that is the subject of intense discussions, both good and bad, that go beyond fun and taste, such as the differences between the anime and the original story, and discussions about the worldview.

And among Japanese anime films, " SPY x FAMILY CODE: White the Movie " and" Howl's Moving Castle, "both of which were released in April, are said to be big hits. As of this writing in early June, "Spy Family" and "Howl's Moving Castle" have become quite popular, grossing approximately 280 million yuan (approximately 6.6 billion yen) and 160 million yuan (approximately 3.5 billion yen), respectively.

Some geeks in China have commented on the success of the "Spy Family" film.

Spy Family" is the most popular Japanese animation in China in recent years. The anime has been distributed officially in China and has become very popular not only among otaku but also among the general public, and ithas become an easy subject matter for 2-dimensional events inChina.The popularity was maintained through the distribution of sequels and dubbed Chinese versions, which led to the blockbuster success of the theatrical version in China, which was truly ideal for the development of Japanese anime in the Chinese market!

And so on.

But with that.

But given the current tightening of regulatory control and the economic downturn in the country, it is hard to say whether the Spy Family way of doing things will ever work again. ......

And so on.

Considering the current situation surrounding the distribution of new Japanese animation in China, it is difficult to expect the same kind of success not only for "Spy Family" but also for other works that became very popular in China in the past, and it is difficult to feel very optimistic about the future.

The "magical transformation" and obsessive "original work party" disliked in anime adaptations

There are many otaku-related terms that have spread from Japan to the Chinese otaku community, and one such term is "demon modification" or its shortened form, " demon revision.

Although this "Ma-kai" is not as widespread at the general level as the word "taku" (which was converted from "otaku" to mean indoor hobby, etc.) or "2-D" (which refers to all works and genres in the stream of Japanese anime, manga, games, etc.), in China, it is a word that has been used to refer to a variety of otaku-like activities. However, in China, it has become a word that we are often aware of when we engage in otaku-like activities.

According to what Chinese otaku people have told me, this word "Ma-Kai" is sometimes used in the sense of "magical modification of figures" used in Japan or modification of plastic models in "Plastic Model Kyoshiro," which is said to be the source of the word, but in the current Chinese otaku community, it is mainly used to refer to "modification in visualization," especially " modification of the story or characters different from the original work," and "modification of the story or characters different from the original work. In Chinese otaku circles today, however, the term is mainly used to refer to " alteration in visualization," especially " making a story or character different from the original, or changing the setting such as the worldview.

This term has also spread as an easy-to-use term in relation to the strong " visualization should be based on the original work " concept that exists in Chinese otaku circles, and is often used in a context that is critical of anime with an original story.

In an otaku term originating in China, the term "original work party" is used to refer to people who have an attitude that places importance on the original work, whether good or bad, when it comes to works developed in other media, but in recent years, criticism from this "original work party" stance, especially criticism that the anime adaptation is "magical revision", has become quite prominent. In recent years, criticism from this "original work party" stance has become quite noticeable, especially when it comes to the anime adaptation.

When I talked with Chinese otaku about this kind of attitude of emphasizing the original work, they said, "In China, there is even more emphasis on the original work than in Japan.

In China, there is a stronger emphasis on the original work than in Japan, and when an anime is produced based on a manga or a novel, there is an atmosphere in which it is correct for otaku to think that "the original work should be made exactly as it is" or "the original work must be made exactly as it is" and to insist on it as an otaku.

This emphasis on the original work is also influenced by the cultural background of China. In China, there is a traditional belief that classic works must remain original and unaltered, and even today, there is strong criticism of "alterations" and "adaptations" of masterpieces. For example, this idea is one of the reasons why, unlike in Japan, Sanguoku Yanyi was rarely used as a subject of entertainment in China.

Some opinions, such as the following, have also emerged.

And in recent years, perhaps because of the increase in the number of ways to access original Japanese content from China and the accumulation of information translated into Chinese, the degree of emphasis on the original work has become even stronger in the Chinese otaku community with regard to Japanese anime adaptations, and the frequency of criticism of "magical revision" has also increased.

A Chinese otaku once told me about this.

There have always been people who were part of the "original work party," but in the past, they would only express their thoughts and opinions, such as "the original work is better here," and there was not such a strong criticism of "magical revision" as there is today.

I have heard such stories.

In addition, regarding this kind of "magical revision" criticism in the Chinese otaku community, I have heard such stories as the following

In China, when a film is made into a movie, not only the people involved in the production, but also the original author who is said to have been directly involved in the production can be criticized for "magical revision". In some cases, fans do not tolerate the original author's involvement to a certain extent, as in Japan, but become angry at the author, saying that it is unforgivable to ignore the original setting or destroy the characters and world view.

However, it is not always the case that an anime adaptation of the original work as it is will be popular and appreciated, and the interpretation of "anime adaptation as it is" or "expression beyond the original work" differs from person to person, making the "treatment of the original work" difficult even in the current Chinese otaku community. Of course, if the modifications are made to suit the media, it is not a problem as long as the original work is respected and understood, but there are no clear standards in this area, and in China, it is possible to "report" such modifications to the government, which is extremely aggressive, even on an individual level. In China, it is possible to "report" to a very aggressive country even on an individual level.

There was also a discussion about the risks involved.

I think there are some problems in Japan as well regarding the alteration of original works in film adaptations, but looking at the mess that occurs in the otaku community in China, I feel that it is not easy to handle original works that are popular and highly regarded in any country.