John UM
On March 8 this year, Fuji TV held the animation strategy conference in the same year, publicized the new late-night animation file “+Ultra” and publicized three works of the striker. The first part is “INGRESS THE ANIMATION” (hereinafter referred to as “INGRESS”), which will be broadcasted late at night and adapted from the popular mobile social game “INGRESS”. .
The long animations currently broadcast on Fuji TV are “Conch Miss”, “Cherry Maruko” and “ONE PIECE”, which are all Japanese-level animation works. They are also popular among overseas audiences. There is “noitaminA” out of the blue. NoitaminA, commonly known as “inverted A file”, was established in 2005, has a history of more than ten years, from the initial “Honey and Clover” “Nodame Cantabile” to “Tombyard Ghost Taro” “not heard of the name. “PSYCHO-PASS” and other works, its unique style has also been loved by audiences at home and abroad. Nowadays, Fuji TV has once again set up a new brand and a new schedule, which has also triggered discussions in the industry. Nowadays, the rapid development of the Internet era can be said to be the transition period of late-night animation. Why is it a new schedule in this period? The current editor of noitaminA and the founder of +Ultra, Sen Binjun, accepted an interview with mantan-web and answered various questions. .
+Ultra From the beginning, it was the stage of looking at the world. The first day of the first game “INGRESS” was broadcasted on the second day after the first words, that is, on the 18th, Netflix will deliver the whole message. .
Sen explained that noitaminA has always been a “heretical” in late-night animation. In recent years, the next challenge has been considered in the process of growing up. In the past, these works aimed at local Japanese audiences will be targeted overseas. In the 14 years since noitaminA was established, it can be said that a group of core audiences have been cultivated and mature. Not only Japan, but also overseas. Most of the animations, after being broadcast in Japan, can be seen on overseas distribution websites, and even in the past few years, there are still cases that are seen or seen earlier than Japan. The feeling of animated audiences around the world has become closer to the Japanese audience. .
The past noitaminA also broadcasted two works a week, but it was reduced to a work after April 15th. So is there a choice to “let noitaminA broadcast two more works and not set a new schedule?” Sen’s consideration is, no. The two schedules are like brothers, while noitaminA adopts the strategy of “inside”, and +Ultra avoids conflict with noitaminA. It adopts the strategy of “being at home and abroad” and emphasizes overseas. Of course, noitaminA will not relax in the future. .
In Japan, the number of late-night animations for adults continues to increase, and there is also the saying that such an economy has come to an end. However, Sen believes that “it is better to say that it has improved, from subculture to culture.” In Europe and the United States, there is also an animation that has been shown to children, and there is also a change in consciousness for adults. Anti-culture.” The establishment of +Ultra is to transform the overseas anti-culture into the main culture in the future Japanese night animation. .
Animation for adults, in recent years there has also been a trend from TV broadcast to network distribution. For example, Netflix’s “DEVILMAN crybaby”, “B: The Beginning” and “AICO Incarnation”, which were released this year, are all in the form of “exclusive distribution”, and abandoned the TV broadcast in the past, then the +Ultra aimed at the world. Why still haven’t abandoned the TV platform. .
Sen answered that this is mainly because domestic TV is still the strongest media in Japan, and the audience has demand for it. In the past few years, Sen also has a deep understanding. Although the network distribution is in full swing, many viewers will eventually choose to return to the TV media. Although the network is more convenient than TV. But TV has a wider audience for the Japanese audience and is still the mainstream media. Will choose the network distribution works, more because the content is too radical, not suitable for broadcast on TV. In the future, you might consider separating web-based animations from animations that are broadcast on TV.
In the past, late-night animations often used TV broadcasts as a propaganda original and a pedal for selling optical discs, so that the sales volume of CDs and originals could be increased to recover production costs. Today, however, this business model is not fully applicable to the present. In this regard, Sen believes that the commodity economy of BD and DVD is indeed worse than in the past. This is a fact. There is also a very small chance that it can be successfully adapted into a game, and it will be sold as a product other than a CD, so the market has not shrunk. The model that is not used twice has changed, it is only changing. .
+Ultra’s first part is an adaptation of “INGRESS” which has a high popularity both at home and abroad. The second part of next year is the original animation “revisions” supervised by Taniguchi, which is directed by “Code Geass Rebellion Lelouch”. The Carol & Tuesday, which was launched in April 2019, is also The original work of the world-famous Watanabe Shinichiro. .
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“Revisions” main visual map.
Sen said that the three works are the common point of the new period “+Ultra”, which is a world-class quality. “NoitaminA’s “PSYCHO-PASS” has a great response overseas. At the time of production, it also has the worry that ‘this is too sharp.’ This is mainly because the target at that time has been aimed at overseas, so I didn’t deliberately step on the gas pedal. This also made them know that overseas audiences like not only science fiction works, but also daily life works. The original works adapted from comics also work.” The type of works will not be limited in the future. For a specific range, everything needs to be tried. .
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“Carol & Tuesday” main visual map.
Can make everyone realize that “this is the work of ‘+Ultra’”, and it is also the goal of Sen and others. Whether or not “+Ultra” can become a typhoon in the transition period of this animation industry, please wait and see. .
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- フジテレビ：深夜アニメ枠を新設する理由「＋Ultra」で世界に向けた戦略