this post was submitted on 16 Dec 2025
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Anime & Donghua

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57
“Everything has become shallower.” Tokyo Godfathers, Lain producer says the Japanese corporate mindset is why 90% of anime just adapts existing works - AUTOMATON WEST (automaton-media.com)
submitted 3 months ago by Yuritopiaposadism@hexbear.net to c/anime@hexbear.net
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[–] Awoo@hexbear.net 15 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (4 children)

Are we sure it isn't that the industry expanded and that industry expansion massively targets the easiest profits?

Like, if you go back to the golden era and look at the total number of animes that were being produced per season, I am willing to bet that it was 10% of what is produced per season today.

Also like, I don't completely hate the adaptation stuff? Adaptations can be very good. Delicious in Dungeon. Land of the Lustrous. Etc.

I feel like we've never complained that non-animated movies adapt literature too much.

[–] Civility@hexbear.net 9 points 3 months ago

The japanese corporate mindset and the material conditions of japanese industries have a base superstructure relationship.

[–] purpleworm@hexbear.net 6 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Yeah, I think if anything it's a similar issue that the literature being adapted is itself very frequently uninteresting and the adaptations, though certainly they usually add things, do not add nearly as much as they could.

Part of the reason for the huge emphasis on manga adaptation specifically is that you practically have the script and storyboard right there already, and it is rare for an anime to heavily emphasize elements requiring a lot of new storyboarding (exceptions include Bleach TYBW and Mob Psycho, and even still they are mostly the same).

But also of course another reason that applies to both cases is that capital is risk-averse, so producers overwhelmingly gravitate toward work that already has fans.

[–] KobaCumTribute@hexbear.net 3 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

I feel like we've never complained that non-animated movies adapt literature too much.

Film and TV adaptations have consistently been widely panned as terrible across the board, at least by critics and people who have read the originals.

Anime used to be the same way, but now adaptations are actually pretty good most of the time as a result of sort of weird convergence of the LN, manga, and anime industries where it's almost like a pipeline for workshopping scripts in prose form.

[–] CriticalOtaku@hexbear.net 14 points 3 months ago

The truth is, reactions from the audience are not something that can be predicted, and the ‘difficult-to-understand’ works are there precisely to foster an audience. Back in the day, there was a culture of watching ’slightly complex films’ at small arthouse theaters, and that’s what gave us some room to take on new things ourselves. But now, there are no such spaces, and I feel everything has become a bit shallower.

The most relevant quote from the article. Emphasis mine.

[–] Ilixtze@lemmy.ml 9 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Shit is just getting less weird; I have yo delve into the old archives to get my fill of magical gay frogs killing god =C

At least we have that show about the volcel revolution this winter.

[–] Awoo@hexbear.net 7 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (3 children)

Shit is just getting less weird; I have yo delve into the old archives to get my fill of magical gay frogs killing god =C

Weird shit and magical gay frogs killing god? You want Sarazanmai. Trust me.

https://youtu.be/X84o2BaXYjg

[–] Ilixtze@lemmy.ml 8 points 3 months ago (1 children)

FUCK YEAHHHH!!!!!!!

[–] Awoo@hexbear.net 6 points 3 months ago

It only gets weirder.

[–] KuroXppi@hexbear.net 3 points 3 months ago

I will check it out... kero

[–] HexReplyBot@hexbear.net 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:

[–] JustSo@hexbear.net 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

At least we have that show about the volcel revolution this winter.

What's it called?

[–] Ilixtze@lemmy.ml 2 points 3 months ago

Nukitashi: the animation; But be warned i hear it's almost a full on Hentai Anime and i haven't watched it myself I just find the concept very amusing!

[–] i_drink_bleach@hexbear.net 7 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Hear me out before you crucify me. You're going to crucify me, but hol' up, just listen. Spirggan was pretty bad. Why was the special forces operator in high school? If he's so amazingly good, why does he also have to go to high school? Surely the military can teach him to only eat the red crayons when he wants a spicy fajita night. Why, anime? Why does everyone have to be in high school? I hate it so fucking much.

Hey, anime, I'm old AF, I don't want to watch shows about kids in high school. High school sucked. I hated it and I'm glad it's over. Until I transferred over to the Montesori School for "bad kids" high school was the worst thing in my life. The school for "bad kids" was actually the good school for good kids that weren't fucking idiots that didn't suck the main line dick. All the "bad kids" that got kicked out of regular high school (like me) flourished when they weren't constricted with bullshit rules and cliques and social standards. Yeah, all the people I used to scrap with, used to get in fights with, turns out it was fine. Who would have guessed?

Then I grew up and had to have a real job, then capitalism was the worst thing in my life. Baby steps though, y'know.

[–] WokePalpatine@hexbear.net 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)
[–] i_drink_bleach@hexbear.net 3 points 3 months ago

Yep. Totally fair. I get it.

Spriggan could have been so much better though if MC wasn't a high school kid who lives on his own and rides a motorcycle and is also an elite oper8tor. Can he not just be that guy but also not be in high school? "Oh no! I have to do this combat op against supernatural beings, but if I miss another day of class I'll get detention!" WTF is this?