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PA #95: Letter From The EditorGreetings, Protoculture Addicts! IÕve been once again tasked with writing the letter from the editor this month, and itÕs difficult to come up with anything relevant to say that doesnÕt directly deal with the overall health of the R1 anime industry. I have to admit Š things arenÕt looking good. Geneon went south, and now ADV is showing some troubling signs Š yanking a whole load of new titles, virtually everything theyÕve announced since Sojitz invested in the business Š off of their website, cancelling shipments, Newtype, and the linear Anime Network service. A simple tightening of the belt, or is it more than that? We donÕt know (as of press time), but after ICv2 reported that the anime market in American has shrank over 40 percent in just the last two years, you have to wonder why weÕre not all running around like chickens whose heads have been cut off and then their heads were told the sky is falling, causing further panic. Well, the simple matter is, many fans Š especially on internet forums Š are behaving that way. Whether or not itÕs justified remains to be seen, but itÕs all in all a troubling situation, one with no real end in sight. So what else is there to say, other than weÕre all a little nervous? There are a few things to be happy about Funimation, Viz and Media Blasters (the latter of whom recently opened new offices in New Jersey) all appear to be thriving, and the manga market is still expanding (although at a slower rate than was previously known). There are more anime fans than ever, as we can see with convention attendance still on the rise after all these years. The mainstream anime series that drive the industry Š shows like Naruto, Blood+ and Death Note Š continue to do very well in America, selling loads of manga and DVDs. So itÕs not all hopeless, but the market is changing. WeÕre seeing less of a focus on titles that only appeal to tiny niches within anime fandom, and more of a focus on shows that might have some general audience appeal (you know, shows that donÕt require an insane mastery of Japanese pop culture or a reliance on drippy moe girls). More and more weÕre seeing a shift in the way business is done, and anime companies appear to be moving forward into the digital frontier, realizing that anime can no longer sustain itself as a business that relies entirely on DVD sales. Anime has become standard TV product, and is going to start being sold like standard TV product. Which can only be a good thing. The reality is, however, that things are changing. 2008 will probably bring a little bit more bad news for the industry as a whole. In other words, things are probably going to get a little worse before they get better. The market is undergoing a massive corrective shrinking right now, after the giant bubble it enjoyed starting all the way back in 2002. By 2009, the anime industry may not even resemble what we have now. But nobody really knows what the future holds, and no matter what your position Š industry employee, journalist, fan Š itÕs a little scary to be facing such massive change. So what does this all mean for Protoculture Addicts? Well, at the very least, weÕre still here Š still chugging away, cranking out issues for your bimonthly reading pleasure, reporting the news, giving you info on brand-new shows happening in Japan and our trademark reviews that pull no punches. We will continue to make every issue the best it can be (and hopefully get them out the door on time!) Until next time, Zac Bertschy You can give your comments on this issue either on the magazine's forum or via e-mail at comments@protoculture.ca |
