Harry Potter Vs. Japanese Entertainment

[Natsu-chan]

Hello everyone
There's something that I have been asking myself for a long time but couldn't find many convincing answers. As many of you would agree with me, there are countless GREAT Japanese productions, from anime to drama, that have become great hits inside & outside Japan. Such hits (from anime) include Fushigi Yuugi, Death Note, One Piece... (etc) & from J-drama: Liar Game, Hana Yori Dango, Nodame...(etc, I'm sure that each one of you has something to add to the endless list).

My question is: Why haven't any of these Japanese Entertainment productions (anime, manga, drama, movies..) gained public or global acceptance, or at least the fame that they deserve, just as Harry Potter has gained?
Please don't get me wrong. I am a big fan of Harry Potter (books + movies), many J-dramas & anime, I am just using Harry Potter as an example to show the fame that these Japanese productions deserve.

Of course universal acceptance is a myth, but I'm asking: What do these great Japanese productions lack when it comes to fame (outside Japan)?

I have seen many intelligent and thoughtful answers to various threads here, so I'd like to see what you think of this topic

[battlegirlai]

well, i think you are wrong that there hasn't been any japanese media icons that have made it global. Godzilla is one that instantly comes to my mind. harry potter right now is a fad. there aren't going to be anymore books (unless JK Rowling really needs to scrape the bottom of that barrel) and there are only a few more movies left. Godzilla on the other had, has had 28 movies, almost all of which have been translated into nearly every language around the world. books, tv shows, clothing lines, toys, you name it. if harry potter has put their name on something, then so has godzilla.

pokemon, tamagotchis, powerrangers, etc...there are plenty.

[nikochanr3]

there are currently between 300 and 400 published manga titles (in english) in the US. 300-400. Think about that. A normal (large) book store has an aisle now deovted to comics from japan.

id say japanese things are pretty musch as widespread here as harry potter.

[battlegirlai]

natsu was speaking globally....not just in america.

[Natsu-chan]

battlegirlai: "i think you are wrong that there hasn't been any japanese media icons that have made it global"
You're right I only noticed the childish stuff like Pokemon & others, but thanks for pointing that out I'm still wondering why other icons (like J-drama such as Hana Yori Dango for instance) haven't made it global.

nikochanr3: 300-400 wow! I didn't know that there were so many in the US! Thanks for sharing the info.

It's really intresting to know what other people think. I don't have much knowledge in this area so any ideas are welcome ^__^

[LukiaWhitney]

I think there are two main reasons. First, tv drama dvds with English subs aren't widely available in America (if we're talking about dramas and such). However, anime and manga are gaining a lot of popularity, and are often referenced to.

The second reason, I think, is just the culture. There are so many different quirks about Asian culture that is different from, say, American culture. Why do we take our shoes off? Why would we ever want white skin instead of tan skin? What's with all the politeness? Stuff like that~ It's hard for them to understand, I think. Also, based on these reasons, it's not promoted as heavily as something like Harry Potter is promoted.

[battlegirlai]

well, Hana Yori Dango...doesn't really cover a large range of fans like Harry Potter or Godzilla. Godzilla covers all ages and genders. Harry Potter is the same. children to old people, men and women. Hana Yori Dango just...doesn't. its a romance aimed mainly at female teens and 20-something yr olds. it isn't on the same level as harry potter or godzilla at all. no merchandizing, no mass marketing advertising. stuff that goes globally tends to be stuff that you can slap on a cereal box or shirts or whatnot.

[ktnew]

to be honest id rather japanese culture wasnt too global...its what makes it have something that you cant find in the west! ...I much prefer that im the only person I know who watches jdramas and many of my friends/relatives are baffled as to why i spend so much time downloading programmes to watch with subtitles lol!

Im a huuge fan of the harry potter books but look at what the western entertainment industry turned them into...the films are awful in comparison!! And hollywood films are gettin more and more boring...the same old storyline...the same stupid emphasis on money spent on the film rather than on the quality of it!

Keep J entertainment as it is!!...because as LukiaWhitney says..with "some" Americans (and western in general) inability to understand cultural differences such as shoes off/white skin/politeness etc. it could tempt changes in jdoramas to make them more understandable to those unaware of japanese culture and this would ruin what they are all about!!

[TeAsEy0shi]

Yeah I have to agree people in America would definitely say that kind of stuff. I still see a lot of racism around.
I guess its the whole cultural thing that people just wouldnt understand.
And yeah anime and manga are really popular here. Too bad people dont realize where it came from.
As for Movies, people here are really lazy [some] they truly dont want to read the subs, therefore either they remake the movie or audio translate it.
There are a whole number of movies they remake from japan movies but im not going to get into that right now
And why Japan Production lacks when it comes to fame in America?
I guess its because America have so much Multicultural stuff coming from all over the world it kinda loses the attention of japan's creation.
IDK this is just my opinion.


EDIT: haha have no idea what i just wrote here i must have dose off LOL....fallin asleep

[Natsu-chan]

LukiaWhitney, BattleGirlai, ktnew: thanks for sharing your opinions (impressive & deep thoughts) & yeah, money & publicisty can really ruin any story..

TeAsEy0shi: racism + not accepting different culture/traditions I had that in mind but I wanted to know what others think ^^ so thanks for bringing that up ^^

[battlegirlai]

i hardly think that japanese entertainment is all about elitism. i don't believe there is anything wrong with any cultures media getting wider exposure as long as its interesting.

yes, as things get more exposure they do run the risk of changing but there are many other pluses that far outweigh the minuses, i think. the actors that you like get more roles and make more money, the shows and merchandise become easier and cheaper to obtain legally and you can discuss the shows that you like with more people.

i'd rather buy a series legally on dvd with subtitles than just download a fansub. not to downplay a fansubbers hard work, but the video quality will just be that much better to watch on tv. heck, even if i don't buy it, i like to watch it on tv stations like azn! but also, the japanese companies that make the shows will start to see that people from other countries appreciate their shows and work as well. showing appreciation to the people who actually make and star in the shows is never a bad thing!

[LukiaWhitney]

Yeah, really. If it was more popular here, we'd be able to obtain subs and dvds and all that legally.
Like in China, it's easy to get dvds with Korean dramas subbed in Chinese, but you can't get them in English here.
Well, technically, Japanese culture has already been "tainted" by American culture, with all the Western clothing and some customs and all, but most of it is still retained.
Yeah, battlegirlai, I agree with a lot of your points.

[TeAsEy0shi]

lol i kinda do like the fact that just me or a few other people watches these movies/dramas, it kinda makes all asians mysterious "unknown" and talking about racism, if asian dramas were to be public I really wouldnt want people to say "asian this, asian that", kinda piss me off. I have heard enough of that already but it would be nice to show how addictive/funny/romantc japan shows can be.

[ILoveKoyuki]

Yeah, really. If it was more popular here, we'd be able to obtain subs and dvds and all that legally.
Like in China, it's easy to get dvds with Korean dramas subbed in Chinese, but you can't get them in English here.
Well, technically, Japanese culture has already been "tainted" by American culture, with all the Western clothing and some customs and all, but most of it is still retained.
Yeah, battlegirlai, I agree with a lot of your points.

I agree especially with the comment about japanese culture being tainted by american culture
personally i think that a lot of american culture is like a hedonistic cancer (now dont get me wrong i still do like sum other aspects but not for tha same reasons)
it seems like a lot of whut is made in america is jus to make a quick buck and is all sexed up
now i realized that all shows and stuff is used to make money and that sex is human nature but i feel that american culture puts it into overdrive
sum good examples

Grey's Anatomy- a lot of it is just unrealistic situational boning and them (to me) whut seem to be the main character narrating and overly sappy story of sumthing or other thats wrong with her life
the way its done a cant get attached to the characters because they seem so insincere (sry for spelling)

Desperate Housewifes- now i used to watch this show but umm. . .man um. . . well you've seen it i guess, the ladies have sex go to bed, wake up have a morning quikie go to work, end up in sum crazy situation where they were in the middle of a lustful encounter and sumone got murdered or ran over by a car . . . lol. . . i just dont kno

to me a lot of american shows to me are so oversexed in situations where you wonder
"how would that happen in real life?"
a lot of it seems insincere (sry for spelling) in their attempts to be introspective and retrospective

[ktnew]

I do agree that there are some benefits for asian actors etc if there was more exposure in the west BUT i still cnat help but feel that it would ruin some aspects of asian entertainment if it was so popular in the west....i think the best solution wouldbe if eng subbed dramas/movies and even just asian music was more readily available...although everyone keeps referring to america i live in the UK and its practically impossible to find any asian entertainment unless you order it off the wed.

My preference would be to leave it as it is BUT make it easy for people to buy subs etc in the west....

[battlegirlai]

but its having the asian stuff as "mysterious" and "unusual" that lends itself to racism. the more elitist people act about something, the more other people begin to dislike it because of that. when its not well known is when they refer to it as "oh, those asian cartoons" "oh, that asian movie/tv series". the more accepted they become, the less they will be labeled negatively.

it can only be good if more people know about it and are getting educated about aspects of asian life and history and interests. japan has managed to have many animes become globally successful and it didn't seem to impact how they made any animes since then or change how they write them or market them.

there are just as many crazy shows on japanese tv as there are on american tv. its all about what we choose to be exposed to.

[mazerius1st]

Just to add a new point to the discussion, although since the early '90s Japanese TV shows (mainly anime) & manga have started to gain momentum and popularity in the west still I think that there is a long way until we can talk about being popular in a global scale.

For me the main reason that they have not achieved this yet is the way the licensing companies act. There are too many examples that I could state here but I am going to give only one for reference.

I think all know or have heard about ADV films. They are one of the biggest distributors of anime in the west.
Also I do not think that anyone that grew up in the '80s has not seen at least one episode of Robotech (based on edited footage stitched together from 3 unrelated shows: Super Dimensional Fortress Macross, Climber Mospeada & Southern Cross Cavalry). My point is that when they announced the release of all 85 episodes in DVDs many people here in Europe got exited only to be disappointed shortly afterwards.

Instead of releasing the DVDs in both regions simultaneously (Robotech has a greater fanbase in Europe than in US) , the region 2 DVDs were released 3 & 1/2 years later and without the 3rd disc that the region 1 version had.

And the list goes on. furthermore there are many great shows that are licensed and never released here. (Captain Harlock, the original Macross series, Black Jack, etc.)

On the manga front thankfully happens the exact opposite, because there are no restrictions like the DVDs it is easier to find the same titles either here or in the US.

The TV dramas have started to gather quite a following in the west in the past 3 to 5 years. As more people are introduced to them through the great work of the fansubbers and as the buzz in the internet gets bigger the companies will realize that there is a viable market outside Japan/Korea/Taiwan and add English subtitles to their DVD boxsets.

At the moment the only ones that have realized this are the Koreans. A quick look at YesAsia and you can find boxsets for TV shows with English subtitles.

For icons that have made it big in the west i think we have to add "Hello Kitty". You can find almost every product you can think in a "hello Kitty" version

[seirin]

I think the main point is most people are lazy to read subs. That's why everything taken from Japan is dubbed. I don't see Americans or whatever country feeling a need to dub Japanese to English. If so, they just tend to remake it. Because they also have to cater to the taste of other countries. There are a lot of culture from Japan that others just don't know or don't want to know. Basically, the interest is not there. If you notice, American entertainment are going in a certain direction because that is what the audience overseas wants. I don't think Japanese entertainment would suit their needs unless it was porn or whatever.

Also, there's a certain amount of racism. Even though countries might be a multicultural country, certain racism still exist that certain people behave a certain way.

[ktnew]

I totally agree that most people are too lazy to read subs and it angers me soooo much....there are so many dramas/movies etc that poeple really have to see and they dont because of their refusal to read subs!! And then to make matters worse theres often a western remake and everyone runs around rating the movie and saying how good they are!! grr!!

I have a select few friends that are into "foreign entertainment" and its those people that actualy bother with subs...but theryre so few, most people i know use the common plhrase "Oh you're watching your chinese stuff again!"...complete dismissal and of course often completely inaccurate...i sould be watching korean/japanese anything ...they just dont want to know.

Im just grateful for the fansubbers work and sites like this that enables great asian entertainment to be appreciated by those who arent lazy and actually read subs/learn the language!!

[nikochanr3]

I totally agree that most people are too lazy to read subs and it angers me soooo much....there are so many dramas/movies etc that poeple really have to see and they dont because of their refusal to read subs!! And then to make matters worse theres often a western remake and everyone runs around rating the movie and saying how good they are!! grr!!

I have a select few friends that are into "foreign entertainment" and its those people that actualy bother with subs...but theryre so few, most people i know use the common plhrase "Oh you're watching your chinese stuff again!"...complete dismissal and of course often completely inaccurate...i sould be watching korean/japanese anything ...they just dont want to know.

Im just grateful for the fansubbers work and sites like this that enables great asian entertainment to be appreciated by those who arent lazy and actually read subs/learn the language!!

people who are totally anti-sub are beyond me. dubs basically take all the emotion out of the medium, unless they are done fantastic, which is so rare. (we also have the new snobs who will watch, say a french film dubbed as its artistic, but not asian films)

its beyond me.