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What anime franchise had the biggest potential to be a mass merchandise seller but missed out on that potential?

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Dec 12, 11:10 AM
#1

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Jun 2017
6764
Any anime that could've had the potential to be like a GI Joe with a ton of merchandise lines and figures and everything but never reached that potential
My waifu is the most wonderful waifu. Mai Valentine.

We're freaking out that we're running out of time, but to do what? Should i stop and think of that? Is there something i could do to slow it down? Live in a day for once, instead of watch it sprinting by
Dec 12, 11:15 AM
#2

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Oct 2023
439
Akiba Maid Wars, or really any of PA's works whenever they release a good original. That show captured the essence of anime and Akibahara, and most people would be of stable income age, so promising a second season or doing as many merchandise collabs as possible would have done them wonders. Heck they can do a wheelchair collab. They also made Hibimeshi this year, so my fingers are crossed for merchandising potential but again PA works...
Dec 12, 11:18 AM
#3
BIKINI⚔️ARMOR

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May 2019
11139
Yokai Watch could have been the next pokemon craze but the concept of yokais and oriental folklore was too japanese and foreign for a mainstream western audience compared to monsters inspired by animals and objects.

Dec 12, 11:48 AM
#4

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Jun 2013
1960
Eureka Seven immediately comes to mind. The mecha designs were fantastic, the cast memorable, and the story had a clear “hero mecha vs. villain mecha” setup that practically screamed collectability. Yet aside from a handful of toys and some model kits, it never reached mass figure saturation.
Dec 12, 11:52 AM
#5

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Feb 2016
15812
Yuri On Ice has had no followup since it aired, except for a movie that was cancelled.

Astro Boy was popular in the 60s, but nowadays has next to no merchandise outside Japan. So even when they make new anime and movies, nobody watches them.
その目だれの目?
Dec 12, 3:50 PM
#6

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Oct 2017
3701
Reply to tchitchouan
Yokai Watch could have been the next pokemon craze but the concept of yokais and oriental folklore was too japanese and foreign for a mainstream western audience compared to monsters inspired by animals and objects.

@tchitchouan

I feel a big problem also had to do with how long it took for the localized games to come out. Yo-Kai Watch was about 2 years behind with the game releases, which was fine for 1 and 2, but absolutely fucked over 3 which by the time it came out in the West, the Switch had almost been on the market for 2 years, so a late release 3DS game was going to do fucking horribly. The US region copy of the game is one of the most expensive on the aftermarket right now, averaging to around $400 for a loose cartridge. They pretty much abandoned the franchise in the West after that and didn't even localize the Switch port of the first game
This post is brought to you by your local transfem gamer goblin. Will not tolerate bigotry and will fight against "anti-woke" sentiment to make the anime community a safer place.

Dec 12, 4:05 PM
#7
BIKINI⚔️ARMOR

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May 2019
11139
Reply to LSSJ_Chloe
@tchitchouan

I feel a big problem also had to do with how long it took for the localized games to come out. Yo-Kai Watch was about 2 years behind with the game releases, which was fine for 1 and 2, but absolutely fucked over 3 which by the time it came out in the West, the Switch had almost been on the market for 2 years, so a late release 3DS game was going to do fucking horribly. The US region copy of the game is one of the most expensive on the aftermarket right now, averaging to around $400 for a loose cartridge. They pretty much abandoned the franchise in the West after that and didn't even localize the Switch port of the first game
@LSSJ_Chloe Yeah, the long delay between the japanese and western release contributed in its decline and fall of relevancy.
Dec 12, 4:57 PM
#8

Online
Mar 2021
4603
TheBlockernator said:
What anime franchise had the biggest potential to be a mass merchandise seller but missed out on that potential?


This shit isn’t just about timing... it’s about whether someone’s willing to go all-in on marketing. As an example someone could suddenly re-release "Agent AIka" and remaster that shit on Blu-ray in 4K today. Dump millions in advertising, have that shit stream on every platform, sell the Blu-rays wherever physical media still exists, and even go the extra distance to create an action figure line, plushies, mass-produce T-shirts, posters, and wall scrolls. Start selling bed sheets and body pillows, even produce an Aika lingerie line of matching white bras and panties, etc... It’s all about how one goes about fucking effectively marketing shit. lol

I could mass-produce a completely outdated piece of junk, and if I advertised it right, the shit could potentially sell like hot cakes, if I can make people think they absolutely need the shit (Used to sometimes do a similar thing for a brokerage firm in commercial real estate). lol

Fucking "Dragon Ball Z" was nearly reaching a decade old and was barely even on anyone's radar in the West until Cartoon Network started airing the shit completely edited and censored for children to watch. That’s what made the shit a fucking merch powerhouse beyond Japan. lol
ColourWheelDec 12, 5:23 PM


Dec 12, 5:17 PM
#9

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Jul 2013
12968
My answer to the OP's question is Hyperdimension Neptunia and Senran Kagura.....there is never enough merchandise of it.....
Dec 12, 6:15 PM

Offline
Feb 2016
15812
Reply to ColourWheel
TheBlockernator said:
What anime franchise had the biggest potential to be a mass merchandise seller but missed out on that potential?


This shit isn’t just about timing... it’s about whether someone’s willing to go all-in on marketing. As an example someone could suddenly re-release "Agent AIka" and remaster that shit on Blu-ray in 4K today. Dump millions in advertising, have that shit stream on every platform, sell the Blu-rays wherever physical media still exists, and even go the extra distance to create an action figure line, plushies, mass-produce T-shirts, posters, and wall scrolls. Start selling bed sheets and body pillows, even produce an Aika lingerie line of matching white bras and panties, etc... It’s all about how one goes about fucking effectively marketing shit. lol

I could mass-produce a completely outdated piece of junk, and if I advertised it right, the shit could potentially sell like hot cakes, if I can make people think they absolutely need the shit (Used to sometimes do a similar thing for a brokerage firm in commercial real estate). lol

Fucking "Dragon Ball Z" was nearly reaching a decade old and was barely even on anyone's radar in the West until Cartoon Network started airing the shit completely edited and censored for children to watch. That’s what made the shit a fucking merch powerhouse beyond Japan. lol
ColourWheel said:
I could mass-produce a completely outdated piece of junk, and if I advertised it right, the shit could potentially sell like hot cakes, if I can make people think they absolutely need the shit (Used to sometimes do a similar thing for a brokerage firm in commercial real estate). lol

I can't help but wonder why nobody attempts that in the entertainment industry. How would a rube even tell apart the old anime from the new one, if he hasn't seen either of them?
その目だれの目?
2 hours ago
Offline
Jun 2022
18
Sword Art Online. Mostly just had the potential to be great in general, but then it just flopped.
1 hour ago
Offline
Nov 2018
310
Reply to Brookie_Brookie
Sword Art Online. Mostly just had the potential to be great in general, but then it just flopped.
@Brookie_Brookie Congrats for contributing nothing except a mass merchandise seller :)

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