27 Jul, 2007
The Anime Blog Poll: Who Do You Feel, Ultimately, Should Have the Most Influence On the Anime That Gets Produced?
Posted by: Rachel In: Polls
Who Do You Feel, Ultimately, Should Have the Most Influence On the Anime That Gets Produced?
Approaching this question from an artist’s POV, I’d love to say, “The Creator - duh!” but I also know, from an artist’s POV, that what I like to make might not necessarily sell as well as what other people want me to make. For example; while I loved making elaborate pieces that I pulled out of my own imagination, I also took commissions and made stuff I really didn’t want to make and I made pieces that followed what was fashionable at the time in order to put food on the table. It galled me and made me feel like a sell out but, them’s the facts of life.
© 2007 Studio Ghibili
Keeping along that train of thought, is “them’s the facts of life” that we have so much fanservice heavy anime lately? Is “thems the facts of life” that moe is becoming more prevalent in anime? Or is it just that we have a dearth of producers with independent ideas and creative concepts? Are the studios listening to what the fans want or are they truly producing someone’s “unique” vision?
It’s such a long drawn out process to make anything these days, from conception to completion. First comes the idea, then comes the planning, then the actual process, and during that process come changes, then implementing said changes, then tweaking the final product, then marketing the product, and then distributing the product. In that long assembly line of processes, who gets to have a say in what gets made? How many people get to whisper in the creator’s ear and get to put their 2 cents in? Who should get to put their two cents in?
Some things fans might want to mull over when considering the question are:
- Do I want something new?
- Do I like the direction anime is headed?
- Is the status quo my bestest friend in this situation?
- Do I value creativity?
- Am I an anime literaist or visualist?
After answering those and, hopefully, other questions to your satisfaction: Who do you feel, ultimately, should have the most influence on the anime that gets produced?
