| Let's say I decide to adapt an ongoing manga or light novel into an anime. Without thinking too much about it this is what seems logical to me:
I can, to a certain extent, predict the profit fairly early: from the sales of the first BD volume, previous arcs, merchandise, popular reception, etc. In other words, once I acquire the rights of a popular franchise I keep adapting it with as little interruption as possible. That way I maximize my ROI by minimizing the costs of right acquisition, market research and marketing as well as the risk of adapting a flop or the franchise losing popularity before I can milk it. Obviously, if the franchise lose popularity, consumer demand shrink (like in a recession) etc. I can pause the adaptation, keep an eye on the market and, if appropriate, resume later. The reality is obviously different as there are a lot of popular franchises that get a series only every few years. At the same time, every season there is a number of new anime, some of which don't do too well (this is the impression I got by reading about anime sales). I came up with some answers based on the limited TV-slots, resources, purchasing power or the hope to find the next big hit, but none seemed too convincing. As I know there are some people here far more knowledgeable than me about the anime industry and Japanese market I decided to ask here. |
| Are you asking why they don't release more episode at a time? If so the way i see it is an episode a week gives time for the manga to continue, it also always time for that episode to get more hits prior to the next release. I guess suspense also increases demand to some extend. |
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| Reason is that all that mnatter is money and make a profit. Thats the sad world we live in. |
9988 said: Reason is that all that mnatter is money and make a profit. Thats the sad world we live in. I don't think you would work by free, or losing money, at least I won't, it's depressing when you have a company and you work as hard as always and you only get lose. Really if you have a company is to take profit, later there are companies who only takes care of the profit and others that like to do the things welll, and take some profit. Anyway after seeing some of the popular shows in Japan my sense of quality differs so much of their taste sometimes. I really love dark, suspense, action, seinen, and this is not the biggest selling in Japan, while MOE, shoujo and some kind of that is more popular. But this is the taste there and for that reason the market demans that and the companies offer that. Anyway something that seems is so good later the sells are not as good as it seems! |
9988 said: Reason is that all that mnatter is money and make a profit. Thats the sad world we live in. Really ironic coming from a person who doesn't support the industry. |
Jordooee253 said: I'm not talking about the time between an episode and the following one, but between a season and the following one.Are you asking why they don't release more episode at a time? 9988 said: Wouldn't continuing well-received series be more profitable than adapting new ones?Reason is that all that mnatter is money and make a profit. Thats the sad world we live in. Let's take Bakemonogatari as an example. Bakemonogatari is the best-selling anime series and has aired in 2009. Its sequel, Nisemonogatari, came out in 2012 (and is now the 4th best-selling series). Why did Shaft take three years to put out the sequel to such a successful anime? The Monogatari novels spans 11 stories so far, if I were Shaft I would animate one of them every six months. It's pretty sure they are going to be profitable, instead they choose to animate other stuff in the mean time. Madoka had great success, but it was an unknown at the time, why create that instead of a safe bet as, say, Kizumonogatari? |
| Someone said that it isn't up to the people who adapt--it's up to the owners of the original material to decide whether they want their stuff to get animated. I don't know where this information came from, so I can't really say if this is true. Even if that was the case, though, we would still be asking the same question, only we would be questioning the original creators instead of the people who make the anime. |
This topic has not been locked and is still available for discussion. |
Arararraragi-kun said: 9988 said: Reason is that all that mnatter is money and make a profit. Thats the sad world we live in. Really ironic coming from a person who doesn't support the industry. Oh you know me. I take it as fact then. I will remember that for my next trip to Japan and remember to not spend a single yen on the "industry". Jalasupi said: 9988 said: Reason is that all that mnatter is money and make a profit. Thats the sad world we live in. I don't think you would work by free, or losing money, at least I won't, it's depressing when you have a company and you work as hard as always and you only get lose. Really if you have a company is to take profit, later there are companies who only takes care of the profit and others that like to do the things welll, and take some profit.! And who says you cant not run a company and have respect for the fans, for the creators of a series, you know, do right thing, risk sometimes too for pure love or respect? What I said stands, the leyword is ALL that matters...is money, because so far companies dont give a crap about fans or the love a creator has out to it, all the care is about series. However I know very well the people with no vision, same as those companies that believe the way to do thing and generate money is with absolute practices and maxing profits above all, beside that nothing else matters for the great majority of companies. I felt right like ANN, it would be nice if you quote me saying work for "FREE", even doing things for "free" ==notice the free =/= "free"== can generate proiftsi...but again, too shy to make risks and people with no vision, more like a perfect combination of the two. Thanks the heavens not all anime studios are there for money profits, I love anime airing on NHK like Bakuman or Major, they were only able to finish an almost perfect and full adaptation of the manga thanks to them airing on NHK. NTV is also very respectable in the sense they support airing even not really profitable anime, you know for the love of it: Chihayafuru. All greatest artists in history(real artists) share in common doing things for love first, money if any second, many poor or not rich, yes, but immortal in name, others do make big amounts of money but money for those people was not the primary objective...today all is money money and maximum profit, this is worst for companies: its all maximum profit, with the least effort, least resoruces and maximum profit possible in minimum time, anyone tat works for a company know this iron rule, even worst companies that run via investors. |
LazYSlackeR said: Jordooee253 said: I'm not talking about the time between an episode and the following one, but between a season and the following one.Are you asking why they don't release more episode at a time? 9988 said: Wouldn't continuing well-received series be more profitable than adapting new ones?Reason is that all that mnatter is money and make a profit. Thats the sad world we live in. Let's take Bakemonogatari as an example. Bakemonogatari is the best-selling anime series and has aired in 2009. Its sequel, Nisemonogatari, came out in 2012 (and is now the 4th best-selling series). Why did Shaft take three years to put out the sequel to such a successful anime? The Monogatari novels spans 11 stories so far, if I were Shaft I would animate one of them every six months. It's pretty sure they are going to be profitable, instead they choose to animate other stuff in the mean time. Madoka had great success, but it was an unknown at the time, why create that instead of a safe bet as, say, Kizumonogatari? Er, maybe Shinbo doesn't want to just be working on Monogatari anime constantly? Same with his team? You also don't want to over saturate, or have all your profits clumped into one short time frame. |
LazYSlackeR said: Wouldn't continuing well-received series be more profitable than adapting new ones? Let's take Bakemonogatari as an example. Bakemonogatari is the best-selling anime series and has aired in 2009. Its sequel, Nisemonogatari, came out in 2012 (and is now the 4th best-selling series). Why did Shaft take three years to put out the sequel to such a successful anime? The Monogatari novels spans 11 stories so far, if I were Shaft I would animate one of them every six months. It's pretty sure they are going to be profitable, instead they choose to animate other stuff in the mean time. Madoka had great success, but it was an unknown at the time, why create that instead of a safe bet as, say, Kizumonogatari? The monogatari series has 13 volumes currently with 3 more coming this year, vol 14 coming out this month on may 22. Depends. Your question is kind of ambiguous then, first you ask why studios adapt one arc at a time, and if profitable then do more, the answer to it you gave it yourself, if profit it continues, oif no profit...nak, more like not enough attractive profit then no go, hence my answer. What you ask then is another thing entirely. So what you are asking is why very successful series dont continue without interruptions? Auntil they are completely done? Impossible. Most successful series are based on manga or light novels, anime adaptations run in parallel and usually catch up soon enough to the source material, you cannot hope to have the series continue with no source material to adapt. This ia what applies to very successful anime, others are simply get the original ending/route and they are over or cut never to see them again, hence my asnwer too, no profit no go. Why Railgun took 3 years to have second season? Because at the time of first seasont here was no more source material to adapt, as years go by and it build up, now in 2013 there was enough to make another season. Why Kuroko no basket did not run longer if enough source material (manga) was available? Because Kuroko anime success in the levels it achieved was not predicted, again, all that matter is profits, it was a riskto go further, what if it was not as good and successful as it was? Noone belived in the series big success and planned for a 2 coour series, seeing its success a second season had to be planned for later as the time slot was already compromised for another series or two. Magi also had enough success via ratings and decent to good disc sales, most likely noone beloved it would be successful enough for a second season or more than 2 cours and the series was ruined at the end, branching out form the manga, only to have a continuation announced later and people wondering why the hell it was ruined for in the first place. You mention the Bakemonogatari... this kind of series are not long running, you cannot hope them to run a la naruto lol, or a la Major for series airing 6 months and 6 months off, I dont think it fits this kind of series airing almost back to back, also who knows what market research says. It could also mean you have to build up hype for them or that its not healthy to have ones series after another, of this kind. Circumstances are different for each series, however in general what I said is true, lot of series go by arc because companies hate risks, you do one cour or two and if successful you continue, how that continuation works depends, if it is an original anime?, not enough source material?, time required for prep work for the new adaptation?, Since companies dont take risks you cannot hope that a new adaptation is done in the next 6 months even when enough source material available, chances are a studio only prepared for one or two cour with NO work on a possible sequel yet and already have other projects at the door that also need to be done ..so yea, it can take a lot of time to do a sequel depending on so many factors... including when anime has proved its worth already like Monogatari series AND that has already 13 volumes already with 3 more coming this year (the lack of source material does not apply here), my guess on this is that it takes time to prepare and adaptation and its unhealthy to saturate the market and tire the fans with back to back adaptations. |
9988May 13, 2013 9:03 PM
gamer2710 said: You have to buy that right off of them. I think you buy the rights to the whole franchise and not one volume at the time, but even if that was the case all my other points would remain.it's up to the owners of the original material to decide whether they want their stuff to get animated. Sakura_jp said: That's a good point, I guess directors aren't interchangeable and good ones have bargaining power.Er, maybe Shinbo doesn't want to just be working on Monogatari anime constantly? Same with his team? Sakura_jp said: How is having a lot of profits in a short time bad? As for saturation, I thought about that, but it didn't convince me. The market is limited, but putting out, say, Madoka instead of Kizumonogatari doesn't change that, just don't release two strong series at the same time.You also don't want to over saturate, or have all your profits clumped into one short time frame. 9988 said: I didn't ask why they to that, but why they wait so long between a series and the following (and I implied I'd put every arc in a different series, but that's irrilevant). Sorry if I can't expose my thoughts well... it's because English isn't my first language.Depends. Your question is kind of ambiguous then, first you ask why studios adapt one arc at a time, and if profitable then do more, the answer to it you gave it yourself, if profit it continues, oif no profit...nak, more like not enough attractive profit then no go, hence my answer. 9988 said: With little interruption, I concede that having some interruptions is most often a necessity.What you ask then is another thing entirely. So what you are asking is why very successful series dont continue without interruptions? Auntil they are completely done? 9988 said: That's obvious, but it was my impression that many successful series aren't constricted by a lack of original material (Monogatari, To aru Majustu no Index, Haruhi, etc.)Impossible. Most successful series are based on manga or light novels, anime adaptations run in parallel and usually catch up soon enough to the source material, you cannot hope to have the series continue with no source material to adapt. This ia what applies to very successful anime, others are simply get the original ending/route and they are over or cut never to see them again, hence my asnwer too, no profit no go. Why Railgun took 3 years to have second season? Because at the time of first seasont here was no more source material to adapt, as years go by and it build up, now in 2013 there was enough to make another season. Why Kuroko no basket did not run longer if enough source material (manga) was available? Because Kuroko anime success in the levels it achieved was not predicted, again, all that matter is profits, it was a riskto go further, what if it was not as good and successful as it was? Noone belived in the series big success and planned for a 2 coour series, seeing its success a second season had to be planned for later as the time slot was already compromised for another series or two. Magi also had enough success via ratings and decent to good disc sales, most likely noone beloved it would be successful enough for a second season or more than 2 cours and the series was ruined at the end, branching out form the manga, only to have a continuation announced later and people wondering why the hell it was ruined for in the first place. 9988 said: This is something I hoped people working in a similar industry would know. I don't think anime fans would get tired of them as light novels and manga fans don't, but maybe they want to push the inpatients ones to buy the original source? You mention the Bakemonogatari... this kind of series are not long running, you cannot hope them to run a la naruto lol, or a la Major for series airing 6 months and 6 months off, I dont think it fits this kind of series airing almost back to back, also who knows what market research says. It could also mean you have to build up hype for them or that its not healthy to have ones series after another, of this kind. 9988 said: Does anyone have any idea how much time is needed to prepare for animating an arc? There are various long-running weekly shows so I didn't think it's take too long. What about the time needed to deem a series as profitable?Circumstances are different for each series, however in general what I said is true, lot of series go by arc because companies hate risks, you do one cour or two and if successful you continue, how that continuation works depends, if it is an original anime?, not enough source material?, time required for prep work for the new adaptation?, Since companies dont take risks you cannot hope that a new adaptation is done in the next 6 months even when enough source material available, chances are a studio only prepared for one or two cour with NO work on a possible sequel yet and already have other projects at the door that also need to be done ..so yea, it can take a lot of time to do a sequel depending on so many factors... including when anime has proved its worth already like Monogatari series AND that has already 13 volumes already with 3 more coming this year (the lack of source material does not apply here), my guess on this is that it takes time to prepare and adaptation and its unhealthy to saturate the market and tire the fans with back to back adaptations. As for the risks, that's exactly what I don't understand. I'd guess that animating the third season of a successful anime would be less risky than adapting or creating a new one. So far respecting the preferences of the director and pushing people to also buy the original material seem the most probable to me. Market research and formalities are the kind of stuff I hoped someone more familiar with those industries could clarify. |
LazYSlackeR said: How is having a lot of profits in a short time bad? After they run out of Monogatari, their financial reports will show that they are significantly down YOY, unless they find a new cash cow, because they aren't making crazy money off the series any more. Investors don't like it when profits decrease. That's why it is good to try other things in the interim and build up more strong series that you can pull income from. For example, they make Bakemonogatari, it is a smash hit and makes a ton of money. But rather than immediately follow it up with another one, they try a new show, like Madoka. That turns out to be a hit too, and now they have increased their profile and make themselves look like a stronger company to investors, and they have more high selling series to pull from. |
Sakura_jp said: From what I read anime studios aren't publicly-traded companies, they use their own money and/or look for sponsors for each project separately. YOY should be meaningless for them.LazYSlackeR said: How is having a lot of profits in a short time bad? After they run out of Monogatari, their financial reports will show that they are significantly down YOY, unless they find a new cash cow, because they aren't making crazy money off the series any more. Investors don't like it when profits decrease. That's why it is good to try other things in the interim and build up more strong series that you can pull income from. |
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