AVN Online article - primer (?)

Visual Novel Community Archive, 2000-2009
#1

The first article is a fairly responsible and articulated description of what anime in general and hentai in particular are. Although it is not a highly sophisticate analysis on the unique characteristics of Japanese animation, the article is nuanced enough for an educated American to understand the nature and reality of anime/hentai. I would recommend the reading to anyone who is interested in knowing more about the adult manga and anime.

About the second article, I just have one question. Is the online merchant mentioned in the article a legitimate business?

Phi

#2

I found the first article to be well written. Information was fairly accurate, but a little skimpy on info on certain genres. It would have been helpful to have have links to the sites that legally distribute / make the products. It’s one thing to tell people about it, it’s another to help them find it, I guess.

#3

Unfortunately, the aspect you’re overlooking is that “things such as friendship, love, and many other non-physical, emotion and mental aspects of maturing” are entirely anathema to the vast majority of porn enthusiasts in America. Check the tenor of the conversation at http://www.adultdvdtalk.com to see just how coarse their idiom is.

I still think you’ll have far better luck in targeting anime enthusiasts than looking to collect followers from that other crowd. I concur with Phibrizzo that you have a potentially huge market if you can put out a non-adult game.

#4

Oh, yes, I know how bad foreign dismissal of the American market can be! A decade ago, I watched the Hong Kong film industry blaze into a nova of dazzling brilliance, then fade away and die, all the while their overseas distributor kept the titles trickling to Chinatown video shops with exorbitant prices and crippling contracts. Now the prime titles are starting to come to American theaters, but arbitrarily mangled, badly dubbed, and a decade too late.

I can also see what you’re saying about needing to break into the adult video market. But I just wish I could envision how it will happen. It’s hard to imagine that somebody who can look at Japanese AV and focus solely on the matrix blur, or express discomfort with Japanese “quirks” and then turn around to ask what the best fisting videos are, will seek to be entertained by the focus on storytelling, complexity of emotion and minimal flash that these games are offering.

And actually, what’s drawn me to bishoujo games for the first time ever, was the discovery that you’re using the original Japanese voices! I’m just hoping you don’t try to seek the wider market by “Americanizing” the product to the point where it loses its identity.

Thanks for pointing out that deal on GRADUATION to me, too!

#5

One practical question, Kumiko…would Peach Princess prefer that we buy your games directly from the company (since I presume you make a little more profit from it that way), or from retailers in order to encourage them to carry more copies?

#6

Hey Mozart,

It would be my opinion that Kumiko would actually prefer you buy from online stores like Amazon, or Anime-Castle. I say this because, sure Peach would get a few lesser bucks, but Amazon would notice that game XYZ is selling well, and would put one of those “if you liked this anime, you might like this game” kinda links to it (getting more people exposed to the product.) Not to mention that the game would also show up as a “Top Ten” buy. (You’d be suprized just how many people will pick up a game to try it, just becuase it’s a “Top Ten” game.) And thus, Peach would then be able to sell even more units.

I think that is one of the big problems. A lot of people would like these games because they do have very good stories, and great graphics (even if they don’t know anything about anime)… but they just don’t know about them. So, that’s why it’s very important to put up thoughts and opinions and posts to all kinds of places and BBSes. So people who have the interest in playing a game, and not just the next RTS or FPS clone, can see what else is out there.

Lastly, not to exclude our non-native English speaking friends, but the usuall language of the net, and of business is more and more becoming english. Even web-sites not written in English still usually have a disclaimer saying “this website is not currently available in english.” That’s why there is a huge potential for the market. If a game that is only released in Japan, or the Asian rim market sells 100,000 copies; imagine how many more it could sell if translated (legitimally) into English and offered to the world market!

And that’s why I would think that Peach would rather you buy from Amazon, or Bob’s Anime Corner Store, or Anime-Castle, or TSRI. So more people (including the business commounity) will realize just how large the market could be.

I hope that made some sense.

Now, these are just my thoughts, I don’t mean to speak for Kumiko or Peach Princess. Just this supporters 2 cents.

Mike

P.S. Oh, shameless plug, if you’d like to help get the word out by posting to BBSes, Mailing LIsts, and gaming sites, feel free to email me. I already have a few people who are interested, but we could greatly use the help.

#7

Wow, I had no idea the words “shojo” and “shoujo” have such important differences. Further, I was surprised by my appearent ignorance after I read your in-depth analysis on the bishoujo universe. Thanks for the interesting information.

On the other hand, I can understand why AVN Online did not contact you or anyone in PeaPri before the article was written. Given that the column was intended for readers with only superficial knowledge on Japanese erotic art forms, your elaboration, so painstakingly and meticulously presented, was simply too complex for an introductory level piece of journalism on J-erotica.

I do agree with you on the need of further researches before publishing an article. Still, I am really curious to know how much time you have spent on writting that fabulous post earlier.

Phi

#8