Journal Entry – Week 10

A movie that comes to my mind is definitely Wreck-It Ralph 2. When I saw the trailer for the movie, I remember being blown away by the number of references the movie had to social media platforms like Instagram, Youtube, and Twitter. When I saw how the movie was centered around Ralph and Venelope trying to buy something from eBay, it made me laugh and actually look into the movie just to see how many more references they would have. 

Early product placement animation, I only remember Popeyes shown on TV when I was a kid. I don’t know much about the recent TV show, instead, I have seen many product placements in movies.

The most impressive one in recent times for me would be the Disney animated movie released in 2018, Ralph Breaks the Internet. What I remember most is the series of company logos that appeared when Ralph and Vanellope landed on the Internet world through the network route. After I watched it, I went home to search for the specific companies that appeared in the film. There is also the subsequent appearance in the film of search platforms, shopping sites, video sites, etc… All of these can automatically remind the audience of the actual Google, eBay, and Youtube platforms.

The most popular anime in the US is Demon Slayer. The genre of the anime is mostly action and adventure. The story of the anime is about the main character trying to fight off the demons and save people including his sister. The anime is distributed on Netflix or 9anime or Crunchyroll which are popular platforms in the US to watch anime. Demon slayer is very popular in Japan as much as in the US because the Japanese already read the visual novels before the anime is released on TV.

There’s a lot of popular anime between 2019-2022, like Attack on Titan, Demon slayer, Jojo, and etc… . The Genere those anime is mostly action+advanture. The general story is mostly about fighting with amazing effects added to it and travels to solve the hidden story. I think it is mostly on Netflix or 9anime for people to watch it, since I quit anime a long time ago I don’t really know. It resonates with American audiences probably just the anime culture and memes. I say half and half because anime in Japanese culture is on another level when compared to other countries.

Prompt-2: What is today’s most popular (in term of audience) Japanese animated TV show in the US? What genre does it belong to? What is the general storyline? On what platform is it distributed? Why do you think it resonates with American audiences? Is it as popular in Japan?

Attack on Titan is a Japanese dark fantasy anime television series adapted from the manga of the same name by Hajime Isayama that premiered on April 7, 2013. It has aired on NHK General TV in Japan, and Aniplus Asia in various Asia-Pacific countries. In the USA and Canada, the series has streamed on Crunchyroll, Funimation, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu, in addition to airing on Adult swims’s Toonami programming block in the U.S.
Main storyline: Set in a post-apocalyptic world where the remains of humanity live behind walls protecting them from giant humanoid Titans, Attack on Titan follows protagonist Eren Yeagar, along with friends Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert. When a Colossal Titan breaches the wall of their hometown, Titans destroy the city and kill Eren’s mother. Vowing for vengeance, Eren joins the elite Survery Corps, a group of soldiers who fight against Titans. Attack on Titan chronicles Eren’s journey with the Survey Corps as they fight against the Titans while investigating their origin and history. According to the popularity chart listed on the official website of IMDb, Attack on Titan is the most in-demand show currently airing in the United States. I love the thrilling and intense storyline of it, unlike most other anime this anime shows the ultra-realistic consequences, psychologically complexed with a lot of twists and most importantly no good or bad sides.

One of my favorite modern-day adaptations of shonen manga produced and serialized in the 1980s-90s, Hiroko Araki’s ” Jojo Bizarre Adventure,” comes to mind when thinking of product placement within an animated series. This series is no stranger to incorporating certain brands and commodities into its plot, whether through smartly displayed backdrop art or the designs of the original characters. Hiroko Araki, the creator of Jojo, has always been known for his artistic eye and love of fashion, and this aspect of his personality really does shine through the distinctive and captivating style of his many illustrated characters, which made his work easily distinguished and authentic; considering that most of the apparel and styles he encompasses within his characters designs are inspired from socially significant reference materials such as Versace, Moschino, and even Vogue. Funny enough, in 2013 there were marketing visuals for GUCCI’s spring fashion line that included Araki’s Jojo characters donning Gucci clothing, shoes, and accessories. Araki even created two special one-shot mangas that feature Jolyne Cujoh, the female protagonist of Part 6, and Rohan Kishibe, a supporting character from Part 4, embarking on journeys that incorporate Gucci-related items, definitively establishing this fashion brand as canon within this fictional universe. Some of the designs were also included in the anime’s promotion, which was a brilliant marketing move given the fact that the anime adaptation was still relatively new at the time. Believe me when I say that the anime was no stranger to product placement either. In 2016, for Part 4 segment of the story, near the climax there is a visible billboard in the back, advertising the soft drink Pepsi. Even before the present anime version, an older Ova special for Part 3 in 1993 used the same advertising tactic but instead used a 7UP billboard.

Product placement is a very effective way to market a product and especially in this day in age on an animated TV show given the huge audience base it would have. One of the more recent examples I can think of comes from one of my favorite shows from childhood, Curious George. Being a monkey, Curious George would eat a lot of fruits and especially bananas in the PBS TV series and I very vividly remember DOLE being on the wooden crates where Curious George would get his bananas from. As I grew a little older I also started noticing that some bananas I got at the supermarket in real life had Curious George stickers on them. The DOLE company was very smart to do this since I remember wanting to always get bananas at the supermarket because it reminded me of Curious George – I had an emotional reaction to the product. Companies want to create a following and loyalty and attaching themselves to an animated TV show which targets kids, teens and young adults primarily helps them build loyal customers from an early age.

Todays most popular Japanese animated TV show in the US is anime. anime is a different kind of art style compared to the US where we have 3D animation and 2D but our drawing style is completely different to Japans. I think the reason why anime started booming in America was for their art style/drawing, but mostly the plot of each anime. most US shows don’t have the same plot or is even intriguing enough compared to Japans which is why it is very popular, such as demons, hunting, super powers, romance. I think it had gotten more popular in the US most recently because most people don’t like how dumb and clingy some shows here in the US can be, and some don’t prefer the 3D animation most productions are trying to use for the next generation.

In the popular adult swim cartoon Rick and Morty, Rick drives up to a McDonald’s and orders some of their Szechaun sauce and states that it was a “promotion for the Disney movie Mulan”. This moment became so viral that McDonald’s actually brought back their Szechaun sauce that they had discontinued for a limited time. If product placement is done properly, it almost becomes imperceptible. If done poorly, like in Transformers 4 (2014), it felt as though the entire movie was a long commercial for all the brands and completely funded by ad money.

Star Wars Visions is one of the product driven show that has been recently streamed on Disney+. the animated anthology series eschews canon and the Star Wars house style and instead spotlights the work of a number of Japan’s top animation studios. The series expands the definition of what a Star Wars tale can look like with its complex storytelling. It utilizes some key iconography, and presents the mythology in a brand new way. “Lucasfilm”, the production company recruited seven top tier anime studios and tasked them with creating nine short films. All of them stand on their own and none of them were required to adhere to any pre-established canon.

Japanese animation also known as “anime” become popular in America in the 80s known as Japanese animation, popularly known as “anime,” became famous in America during its “golden age” with a great burst of genres and interest in the 1980s. Pokemon is one of the world’s “most influential anime” and the “number one” anime for people of all ages. Pokemon began as a video game franchise and evolved into an anime television series with over 24 seasons. The show debuted in the United States in 1999, and it features legendary animals who live with their human companions, known as “trainers,” and go on adventures together, growing stronger via battle. Pokemon may be found on a variety of streaming platforms, including YouTube, Hulu, and Netflix. It connects with American fans, in my opinion, since it was created as competitive gaming. The anime is enormous in Japan, with a larger viewership than in the United States due to the availability of in-person Pokemon-themed activities for its citizens.

https://nerdbot.com/2020/02/03/top-5-most-influential-japanese-anime-in-the-us/

https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-episodes/pokemon-tv-seasons/