Wao World Produces Original Anime For Elderly Audience

Think Corporation and Wao World have announced original anime movie & TV series "Showa Monogatari". The movie will be premiered on January 29th and the TV series will start next April. The target audience are elderly people in their sixties or older.

Showa Monogatari official website

In order to overcome the stagnation of the anime industry due to the declining birthrate and the isolation of the core-fan-oriented titles, the producers took four and a half years to create a slow-paced and easy-to-watch animation. It's a human drama taking place in Tokyo in 1964.

Staff
Director of the movie: Murakami Masahiro ("8-gatsu no Symphony: Shibuya 2002-2003")
Director of the TV series: Kugimiya Hiroshi ("Sugar Bunnies")
Character Design & Animation Director: Yanagino Tatsuo ("First Kiss Monogatari")
Production Studio: Wao World

Cast
Matsumoto Yasunori
Fukuen Misato
Takagi Wataru
Tsukada Masaaki
Yoshino Hiroyuki
Kyouda Hisako
Tamagawa Sakiko
Aoki Makoto

Source: Think Corp.

Sounds interesting. Never have I seen something that's for that old demographics.

Will try and watch - mainly because of Yoshino Hiroyuki.

I am sorry to report that I am not of that age demographic yet, or will be, anytime soon. How unforunate, are they going to have a bunch of 50's puns and references?

This show may turn out to be more boring than Aria.

I'll probably try giving it a chance, if nothing more then out of curiosity to see how they approach elderly viewers.

Sounds interesting, let's hope they didn't make it in black and white .

I'm sure they'll attract much wider audience than just the people in their 60's.
At the very least, I'm going to watch and, most certainly, enjoy this, as long as it will receive an english translation.

They've put 4 and a half years of effort into this, unlike current anime which seem to be rushed off the drawing boards barely done (or not done at all *cough*Bakemonogatari*cough*). I'm sure that, while they say it's aimed at an older audience, they're just trying to break out of the hardcore otaku demographic and have made something that will appeal to a much wider audience. I'm gonna check this out.

Since Spring 2011 doesn't look promising at all (I have 4 on ptw, but I would be surprised if even one turns out to be better than half-decent), I might as well take a chance and watch this.

Also, I think it will be the culture gap more than the age gap that will isolate western watchers. Being aimed at older people, I think that traditional Japanese values will feature strongly in this anime, values that western viewers might not able to link with fully.

But as I said, with Spring 2011 shaping up pretty badly, I looks as good as anything announced up to this point.

Every season is a shitty season, am I right?

Anyway, I'm waiting for 8-gatsu no Symphony to get subbed, it looks like an interesting movie.

OMG is this why the animation of Bleach and Naruto are not so action packed as its used to be because japanese are getting old and that they cannot follow fast action sequences???

just kinda a prejudice interpretation in my part

Oh, how right that is.

I think it may actually be pretty interesting. I'm definitely going to try and watch it if it gets subbed.

well wellwell iwill still give it a try

looks interesting ^o^

I wonder if their target audience will end up liking it.

And here's another anime I'll never touch. Ever.

This looks like exactly the sort of anime I enjoy.
I'm 18.

I feel really old now, OTL

Hmm, need to check this out. It sounds really promising without the usual anime cliche.

As far as you know, it could have to potential to be a masterpiece.

This is interesting, I'll take a look at this :)

Age/gender demographics never are a deciding factor when I decide to watch an anime. Looks like a good amount of effort was actually put into this one, so I'll give it a try, it looks interesting for sure.

>20 year old

this could be interesting... its something thats not made for perveted-idoited-minded-teen-freaks...

1964...mm, post-war/family drama?

Yasunori and Takagi *_*

Is there some kind of differences between the kind of shows the elderly in Japan vs. America enjoy?

Because my grandma liked Higurashi and Darker Than Black when she watched them with me :I

Either way, I think I'll be watching this~ |D

Don't like the premise of the "human drama taking place in Tokyo in 1964" but will check it out nonetheless. As far as I understand the creators took their time for making a worthy anime.
The actors are great: Matsumoto, Yasunori (Darker than Black - Kurasawa, Gai, Fullmetal Alchemist - Havoc, Jean), Takagi, Wataru (Tobi - Naruto, Great Teacher Onizuka), Tsukada, Masaaki - let’s hope that in this anime he will be as fit as Yamamoto... and maybe together with Kyouda, Hisako as Kaede (InuYasha) they will kick some asses from 60's (in slow motion :)
It also seems that it would be a meeting place for the cast of Darker than Black, 3 Seiyuus were part of it (Yin, Gai and Sakurai, Kenji), and both new and old Fullmetal Alchemist (Havoc, Elicia Hughes, Grumman and Kimblee).
It’s always interesting to see some new approach so I’m really happy to hear this news. Will be waiting!

I'm not even 30 yet and the post war story is not to my taste (stories with that premise may become a tearjerker or worse depressing really quickly due to possible flashbacks from characters), but I'll still watch it since the creators actually took the time to make this.

Just because it's aimed at an elderly audience shouldn't stop anyone from checking it out. If anything, this will probably be just the kind of show we need to start seeing more often.

No more "WACKY HIGHSCHOOL ROM-COM BASED OFF THE HIT VISUAL NOVEL" crap, please.

indeed. 90% of VN rom-com adaptions are shit. i may check this out for freshness sake.

This looks awesome.
I could use some historical drama on my list.

so..is the movie a sequel or prequel?

The '60 were a pivotal time all around the world. I am very interested to view it from the Japanese stand point. It wasn't exactly "post war" but things marked "Made in Japan" didn't denote the excellence but carried the same stigma "Made in China" does today.

And just who decided the demographic was "elderly"? Older adult, yes. Elderly, no. Had to make it slow so the old folks could keep up, huh? What they are really talking about is slice-of-life without all the silly school kid stuff. While you are looking down your noses at the slow old fogies they are shaking their heads at your inability to appreciate some of the deeper, darker, more complex series.

I look forward to more sophisticated, realistic offerings. But don't worry. It will hardly replace the stuff you have gotten accustomed to.

Anyone knows if Hadena is at least planning to continue subbing it? Or any other group? Such a shame, I was really looking forward to this.

Lol, I'm 16 and I think I'll be watching this. :D

Couldn´t agree more.

Seems like Gotwoot picked it up. So much win!
When they finished subbing I'll definitely watch this, looking very much forward to it!