Review: "Anime, the Next Generation" article on Wired

Recently, Wired published a write-up on the emergence of anime as mainstream program. Well, true, it has emerged "from the back corner of your local comic book store", and being shown almost everyday on TV, but I have to comment on a few points mentioned.

Anime also continues to make inroads on the airwaves, both network and cable. Kids' programs like One Piece and Shaman King are some of the most popular on Fox's after-school toon lineup. And more grown-up fare like InuYasha fills out Cartoon Network's highly rated, late-night Adult Swim programming block.

Grown-up? Kids's program? I say, "There is no age group in anime." Everyone's entitled to watch, unless of course there are some sensitive issues you might disagree with (i.e. same-sex relationships, teacher-student relationships, fanservice.

"Things have never been better for anime fans in America," said John Ledford, president of Houston-based ADV Films, which published 189 anime DVDs last year. "No matter what channel you look at -- retail, broadcast or theatrical -- more anime is available in more outlets than ever before."

Heh. You bet!

Amid all these new releases, the industry is searching for the next Dragon Ball. The over-the-top martial arts action series exploded into a worldwide phenomenon whose television ratings made even mainstream media stand up and take notice. The series has never disappeared off the Lycos 50 list of top internet searches since the feature's inception six years ago.

One possible successor to the throne caught the eye of Lycos 50 two weeks ago. It's another martial-arts comedy, called Naruto, that premieres Sept. 10 on Cartoon Network's Toonami programming block. The site noted that the popularity of the series in web searches has risen dramatically as the release date draws near.

What? How is it no different from, let's say Dragon Ball?

Action series is more like it, like what you mentioned about Dragon Ball earlier.

"Naruto, the main character, is a ninja who is host to a powerful demon," said Nick Civitello, a fan of the show who lives in Connecticut. "The people in his village have come to think of him as the demon that he houses. In spite of it all, Naruto wants to prove everyone wrong.

"He represents resolution and hope. Eventually, everyone starts looking to him for strength and guidance. At the time I discovered Naruto, I was deeply depressed. Watching it just made me happy."

The show promises to attract viewers who grew up with Dragon Ball but now find its kid-oriented content a bit tiresome. "Naruto takes everything that was great about Dragon Ball and cuts out all the crap," said Civitello.

Kid-oriented? How about mentioning a few of these "kid oriented" themes, huh?

That guy (underline mine) said it better. Being an inspiration for everybody is not kid stuff.

"There's way too much supply and not enough demand. Publishers overshot their estimates and had way too many returns. Target just started scaling back their anime section, and I don't blame them. They got burned," said Tibbey.

Also, if people weren't so biased about anime in the first place, the demand would increase, right?

Well, that's all I have to say. I know some of the people might disagree with me, but this is what I have to say.