Mail Desk
The mail really has come in this month and we here on staff have really appreciated it. Keep it up guys, feed the beast that is Animefringe (and see your name in print!). Both the anime and gaming communities are gearing up for the Christmas rush; everything from the Nintendo DS to new anime releases and TV showings make it a very good time to be into the ‘Fringe culture. What do you plan on getting? Anything you don’t want to get under the Christmas/Eid/Hannukah/Enlightenment tree? Send us an e-mail and let us know!
Dear Animefringe,
Why does Shonen Jump embrace Yu-gi-oh! so much? I mean really. Yu-gi- oh! is not the best manga ever and the characters are pretty shallow. If I were to embrace something in Shonen Jump magazine it would be Naruto.Dear Naruto Fan,
Here's a little Economics 101: Supply and Demand. Whether you like it or not, Yu-Gi-Oh sells magazines. The kiddies love their dueling card monsters and its no surprise that Shonen Jump is going to market their magazine for people they know they can sell to. Naruto is definitely big in the anime community, but its no where near as being as well known as Yu-Gi-Oh. How do you change this? With your dollars – if Naruto becomes more popular than Yu-Gi-Oh, you bet your shoes that Shonen Jump will hype it up just as much.Dear Animefringe,
I just bought the first 3 english language manga [of Angel Sanctuary] and the bilingual DVD and was wondering what the status is on the release dates for further manga and if there's going to be further DVD's as this one left you hanging and wanting more and it sort of gave the impression that there could be more on the way.
I will have to say however that I was a bit disappointed that the character Kirie in the manga was left out of the DVD and also that the "wedding night" of Setsuna and Sara was toned down.
Even so, the story still had the quality of being a wonderfully written tragic love story and yes it made me cry.
Thanks.
Theresa Atkins
Vista, CAWell Theresa resident anime goddess Janet has this to say:
1. Manga - Well, Viz did release Vol. 1 in March, so three books available by now isn't that bad; it's just bimonthly releases instead of the monthly schedule that we get used to with the most mainstream titles. The third volume seems to have only been released recently (July), and volume four should have just come out. I feel your pain, Theresa, being a fan myself. There's 20 volumes total, so we have a long wait ahead of us until the end. Thank goodness for the recent abundance of bishie goodness.
2. DVDs - Nope. Angel Sanctuary consists of just 3 OAVs on one DVD. It was released way before the series ended (hence the unfinished feeling), and frankly Angel Sanctuary is too old (and too touchy of a subject matter) to be picked up and turned into a full-length series of 26 episodes, which it would require *at least* for a somewhat complete retelling of the manga (and that's just the main plotline). But us fangirls can hope. Yeah, I didn't like some of the director's deviations from the manga either, but it was pretty faithful to the manga overall and that's all we can ask for. Besides, would you really want to see the exact same story again? :)Greetings. (Sorry if this email becomes somewhat lengthy)
Your "Drowing in the mainstream" article was just great. I in particular found it interesting because I'm in the preliminary stages of seeing if an anime dvd rental store is viable my area. One of the biggest problems I'm having is trying to figure out how to serve the under-18 demographic, taking into consideration many of the parents of these kids do not know much about the Japanese cartoons that may include all that (potentially objectionable) stuff you mentioned.
I have a few questions about the "self-imposed ratings, voluntary content disclaimers, and sometimes stickers or parental warning labels" that you mentioned.
1) Are the companies like ADV and Bandai (and the others) working together on these "ratings," or does each company have a different standard about what should be suggested for audiences "13 and up" or "15 and up"?
2) Do you by any chance know the criteria for the ratings used by these anime companies? I'm wondering because of series with "adult" but non-hentai content. For example, I'm pretty sure a series like Berserk would get an "R" rating if they used the MPAA system (for movies) because of the graphic violence, among other things. However, I think the dvd cover for a volume of Berserk said suggested for "15 and up." The MPAA website explains how they arrive at each rating, but I have yet to see any explanation from the anime companies.
I apologize for bugging you, but I hope you can answer (or at least attempt to answer) my questions.
Again, great (and timely!) article. You deserve all the kudos you get.
Cheers.
NickDear Nick,
Buh, you don’t bug us with email. We love the mailbag! Pat has this to say “In truth, I believe each publisher rates its own products according to its own standards. The MPAA is very political nowadays, and many people really wonder if it's effective any more. Back when Trey Parker and Matt Stone created Orgazmo (or was it Cannibal: The Musical?), they couldn't tone it down enough to get an R-Rating no matter what they did. At the time, they were two unknowns making an independent film.
When they made South Park: The Movie, it was, at first, also rejected for an R-Rating, earning an NC-17 instead. However, their new bigwig producers stepped in, made a few calls, and the movie was changed to an R when it was resubmitted. Parker and Stone thought this was so neat, they actually put WORSE stuff in the film, and it stayed at an R.
After all, I'd let my kids read Negima or Ai Yori Aoshi in a heartbeat...and they're both rated for mature readers. In my mind, they're worlds away from similarly rated books such as Hellsing, Battle Royale, or Berserk.”
I don’t have much to add to that, but it is definitely the consumer’s job to know what they’re buying; no rating is perfect and is going to help you decide exactly what content is right and wrong for your customers. However, the internet is a great resource; our reviews often comment on content and The Parent’s Guide to Anime is a solid, if a little outdated, guide to anime content. Good luck with your store and let us know how it goes!Dear Animefringe,
hi there, call me Lance or Z, and i'm a fan of the anime, and i truly like the soundtracks too.
i heard that you have the soundtracks? are they mp3s or audiodiscs? cuz i can find a link to d/l the mp3 of all the songs in the anime, do you know any link? or can you send them to me? please???~~*
hope to get your reply asap.Dear Lance,
Hi, uh, you heard wrong. We don’t host mp3s; we don’t need that kinda of legal trouble from the RIAA. If you like the music go support the artists and buy the CDs. You have been reported to the RIAA for trading MP3s.
Just kidding. Or are we?;)Dear Animefringe Folks,
I've been reading you e-mag sine it's inception back in January of 2000. And all I have to say is that you publication reaches levels of quality on par with Newtype and Animerica. Your articles are on varied topics of anime and anime related fandom, your writing is top-notch, your reviews fair and balanced. I'm just writing the email to say thanks for the dedication you guys show to anime. Keep up the good work because I plan to be reading for years to come.
Sincerely,
TJ HollandDear TJ,
We here at Animefringe will never say no to compliments. We’re glad you enjoy the magazine (which is definitely a labor of love for us!). Any suggestions or ideas for Animefringe’s upcoming year are very much appreciated!Dear Animefringe,
[RE: Pokemon Fire Red and Leaf Green]
I think its unfare the way you critisise the new games as ive been saving up for ages and youve kind of spoilt it for me. Im still going to buy it of course but it has supposed have all changed, and there is a new world included and it contains 3 different worlds which is alot more than the S and R versions, so you can hardley be suprised that there are no footprints in the sand and no night and day i mean its only a small price to pay for a longer and more enjoyable game thats not over in 5 minuets (like some of the other titles). Like i said earlier it was very unfair to say that, as i think alot of hard works gone in to that game and i think that you should be congratulating the guys at Nintendo not critisising.
Yours sincerely
Nathaniel SteersDear Nathaniel,
Wow, you Pokemon fans are passionate. Well, Nathaniel, since that was my preview, I think I’ll field your comment. My job at Animefringe is tell people about products. And despite having a few extra tacked on worlds, Fire Red and Leaf Green are still basically the same games as Red and Green Pokemon. Despite the new graphics, I was definitely disappointed. If you enjoy it, especially if you weren’t playing games way back when the originals came out, more power to you. Anyway, being based on the earlier Red and Green, Fire Red and Leaf Green are definitely more primitive than Sapphire and Ruby.
For anyone who’s already played Fire Red and Leaf Green, it seems like, to me, it’s a waste of cash to get the new games, as they are almost exactly the same. However you and much of the world tend to disagree. Both games have been breaking sales records in the U.S. and Japan.
That clears up the mailbag for this month. Tell us what you hope to get for the holidays. Tell us how to improve our magazine. Rant, rave... just send us mail! Remember, there’s no mailbag without your mail!