WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.800 There is way too much fucking anime being made right now 00:00:03.800 --> 00:00:10.300 According to the seasonal chart on MyAnimeList, literally sixty new shows started this Fall season 00:00:10.300 --> 00:00:14.100 Everytime a new season starts, I go over to MyAnimeList to look at the chart, 00:00:14.100 --> 00:00:17.500 organized by how many members have each anime on their list 00:00:17.500 --> 00:00:21.100 And usually it's the first twelve or so that people really care about 00:00:21.100 --> 00:00:24.460 You've got your sequels to already popular franchises: 00:00:24.460 --> 00:00:26.220 Shokugeki no Soma season 2, 00:00:26.220 --> 00:00:27.980 Kekkai Sensen season 2, 00:00:27.980 --> 00:00:30.240 Himouto! Umaru-chan season 2, 00:00:30.240 --> 00:00:33.220 Kino's Journey season 2? Where the fuck did that come from? 00:00:33.220 --> 00:00:36.360 Then you've got the adaptations of already popular manga. 00:00:36.360 --> 00:00:37.800 Mahoutsukai no Yome 00:00:37.800 --> 00:00:40.000 Black Clover, which is the new big shonen 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:42.640 Inuyashiki, the new thing from the guy who made Gantz 00:00:42.640 --> 00:00:47.720 Other stuff tied to popular creators, like Juuni Taisen, which is the latest Nisioisin work 00:00:47.720 --> 00:00:49.644 And usually as the season goes along 00:00:49.644 --> 00:00:54.400 we'll see the original shows that people develop hype about rise to the top of the charts 00:00:54.400 --> 00:00:57.180 currently just because it's sitting towards the top 00:00:57.180 --> 00:01:02.000 And as you scroll below those you'll see a few cult favourites going on here and there... 00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:03.540 Girls' Last Tour 00:01:03.540 --> 00:01:04.900 Houseki no Kuni 00:01:04.900 --> 00:01:08.300 Maybe a few sequels to shows that not as many people are watching 00:01:08.300 --> 00:01:11.200 like another fucking season of Gintama and Love Live! 00:01:11.200 --> 00:01:19.320 But from there you just dive into this endless cesspool of bullshit that no one gives a fuck about 00:01:19.320 --> 00:01:21.380 This show is called Two Car 00:01:21.380 --> 00:01:25.580 It's about cute girls on motorcycles 'cause that hasn't happened yet 00:01:25.580 --> 00:01:29.240 Oh, but there's side cars in it so, y'know, that's unique! 00:01:29.240 --> 00:01:31.220 Is it any good? Hell no! 00:01:31.220 --> 00:01:34.240 It looks like garbage; half of it's just panning shots 00:01:34.240 --> 00:01:38.480 We don't even like see a main character for minutes into the episode 00:01:38.480 --> 00:01:43.500 Did anybody ask for this? Does anybody like this? Does this have a reason to exist? 00:01:43.500 --> 00:01:47.880 Now I know what you're thinking: "How can too many shows possibly be a problem?" 00:01:47.880 --> 00:01:51.420 I mean, if you're not somebody who has to make anime analysis for a living 00:01:51.420 --> 00:01:54.520 You're probably just gonna ignore most of these shows anyways 00:01:54.520 --> 00:01:57.400 And, hey, maybe somebody out there likes it? 00:01:57.400 --> 00:02:00.280 Why would we deprive them of these shows? 00:02:00.280 --> 00:02:03.100 Well, for the consumer, it really isn't a problem, 00:02:03.100 --> 00:02:06.760 but for the anime industry it's definitely worth looking at 00:02:06.760 --> 00:02:10.560 After all, what are the big problems we're always hearing about the anime industry? 00:02:10.560 --> 00:02:13.640 Animators are constantly being overworked and underpaid, 00:02:13.640 --> 00:02:18.300 Anime studios are constantly bleeding money because they make shows that don't sell. 00:02:18.300 --> 00:02:23.240 Minor shows are just being pumped out by the dozens and then flying straight under the radar 00:02:23.240 --> 00:02:25.000 where they honestly belong 00:02:25.000 --> 00:02:28.940 Recently, a non-profit organisation called the Flying Colors Foundation 00:02:28.940 --> 00:02:31.120 teamed up with YouTuber TheAnimeMan 00:02:31.120 --> 00:02:34.200 in order to run a gigantic poll trying to collect 00:02:34.200 --> 00:02:39.060 the top 100 anime of all time according to the western fanbase 00:02:39.060 --> 00:02:45.360 Over 132,000 people submitted their top 5 favourite anime to this poll 00:02:45.360 --> 00:02:48.800 And as much fun as it is to actually have that top 100 list, 00:02:48.800 --> 00:02:52.040 the most important piece of information from this 00:02:52.040 --> 00:02:55.000 (and the one which the Foundation was most trying to find) 00:02:55.000 --> 00:03:00.400 is that the top 100 anime took up 70% of all of the votes, 00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:04.080 while the top 10 anime took up 18%, 00:03:04.080 --> 00:03:06.820 showcasing that anime fans' interest in the medium 00:03:06.820 --> 00:03:11.900 is overwhelmingly geared towards the shows that are considered to be the best 00:03:11.900 --> 00:03:15.620 That is to say, most people just want to watch good and popular anime 00:03:15.620 --> 00:03:19.800 Ask yourself: what are the two main reasons that any show gets watched? 00:03:19.800 --> 00:03:22.520 Either because it's really fucking good, 00:03:22.520 --> 00:03:26.960 Or because people want to be a part of the conversation surrounding the show 00:03:26.960 --> 00:03:31.180 Now, obviously, plenty of shows that you and I might consider to be total dogshit 00:03:31.180 --> 00:03:34.300 make it to the top of these MyAnimeList charts anyways, 00:03:34.300 --> 00:03:37.260 just because they happen to hit the perfectly right sweet spot 00:03:37.260 --> 00:03:39.800 of what is popular in anime at the moment 00:03:39.880 --> 00:03:43.180 this is how we get shit like the Asterisk War and Eromanga-sensei, 00:03:43.180 --> 00:03:47.180 and A1 pictures are very specially attuned to hitting this mark 00:03:47.180 --> 00:03:52.260 But it's a lot harder to accurately and cynically capitalize on a trend 00:03:52.260 --> 00:03:54.620 while making a terrible product, 00:03:54.620 --> 00:03:57.160 than it is to just make a good product 00:03:57.160 --> 00:03:59.240 and try to draw attention towards it 00:03:59.240 --> 00:04:01.920 And we're living in a time where this is easier than ever 00:04:01.920 --> 00:04:04.960 Several of the best-ranked anime to come out this year 00:04:04.960 --> 00:04:07.000 were not hyped before their release, 00:04:07.000 --> 00:04:10.740 but became super hyped over the course of their runs because they were so good 00:04:10.740 --> 00:04:13.520 Made in Abyss started around 20th place 00:04:13.520 --> 00:04:15.460 on the Summer 2017 MAL chart, 00:04:15.460 --> 00:04:20.060 and now it's hovering at #4 with one of the highest scores on the website 00:04:20.060 --> 00:04:22.460 Word of mouth is working now 00:04:22.460 --> 00:04:26.520 And, yes, you'll still have stuff that stays cult like Mahoujin Guruguru, 00:04:26.520 --> 00:04:31.140 which, everyone who actually watches it seems to think is the greatest anime ever made, 00:04:31.140 --> 00:04:33.280 but they can't convince anybody else to watch it 00:04:33.280 --> 00:04:37.440 But that show also would probably never have been successful in the West in the first place 00:04:37.440 --> 00:04:38.660 just given its style 00:04:38.700 --> 00:04:42.140 (I can't tell you whether or not it's successful in Japan, I don't have the numbers for that) 00:04:42.140 --> 00:04:44.900 But hey, here I am signal-boosting it right now, 00:04:44.900 --> 00:04:47.380 so, uhh, y'know, youcancheckthatoneout 00:04:47.380 --> 00:04:53.040 Meanwhile an incredible wealth of effort and money and talent is being poured into: 00:04:53.040 --> 00:04:56.440 My Girlfriend is a Faithful Virgin Bitch, 00:04:56.440 --> 00:05:00.140 which wouldn't even be charting if it didn't have Bitch in the title 00:05:00.140 --> 00:05:01.900 (and even then it ain't doing so hot) 00:05:01.920 --> 00:05:05.240 You see, while some of these shows might appeal to some people, 00:05:05.240 --> 00:05:10.600 "some people" isn't enough to put money in the pockets of the people making the shows; 00:05:10.600 --> 00:05:15.820 "some people" isn't enough to justify the insane amount of anime getting made 00:05:15.820 --> 00:05:17.860 that no one cares about 00:05:17.860 --> 00:05:22.600 Imagine if we consolidated all of that talent and effort from all those lackluster shows, 00:05:22.600 --> 00:05:27.620 and put them into the good shows, boosting them to even greater heights 00:05:27.680 --> 00:05:32.720 Shows like Mahoutsukai no Yome and Black Clover had big marketing pushes behind them, 00:05:32.720 --> 00:05:36.800 But imagine if we took all the marketing for all these dogshit shows that nobody cares about 00:05:36.800 --> 00:05:38.520 and put that into them as well. 00:05:38.520 --> 00:05:40.860 If you want anime to crack the mainstream 00:05:40.860 --> 00:05:44.740 and make way more money than it currently is, this is the way to do it 00:05:44.740 --> 00:05:48.320 Don't be satisfied with these being the biggest shows of the season, 00:05:48.320 --> 00:05:50.720 big fish in a tiny pond 00:05:50.720 --> 00:05:55.900 A new anime should be a big event for everybody, in the world! 00:05:55.980 --> 00:05:59.100 if Inuyashiki is supposed to be such a good show, 00:05:59.100 --> 00:06:04.340 why isn't it on television, or, at least, being advertised at the start of a YouTube video? 00:06:04.340 --> 00:06:08.560 In fact, why haven't the producers of the show tried to offer YouTubers like me 00:06:08.560 --> 00:06:11.780 some kind of endorsement deal so we can promote their shows? 00:06:11.780 --> 00:06:13.900 We've got the reach, we've got the willingness 00:06:13.900 --> 00:06:18.120 You pay me to talk about a show I like? Oh, I'm never gonna shut up about it! 00:06:18.120 --> 00:06:20.500 Would be a hell of a lot easier than, say, 00:06:20.500 --> 00:06:23.900 removing my videos from YouTube after I just told 100,000 people 00:06:23.900 --> 00:06:25.880 that your show was the best show of the year! 00:06:25.880 --> 00:06:28.280 (The number of views on my Girlish Number video 00:06:28.280 --> 00:06:31.500 is more than twice the number of people who have it listed on MyAnimeList 00:06:31.500 --> 00:06:33.560 and it almost killed my channel!) 00:06:33.560 --> 00:06:37.500 I think you get my point. If we want the anime industry to be successful, 00:06:37.500 --> 00:06:39.960 there needs to be more faith in anime 00:06:40.060 --> 00:06:44.220 there needs to be more faith in good ideas being able to succeed 00:06:44.220 --> 00:06:46.700 and being marketed so that they can succeed 00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:51.140 Less throwing a thousand plastic darts at the wall and hoping something sticks to the target, 00:06:51.140 --> 00:06:53.560 and more crafting a fine metal dart, 00:06:53.560 --> 00:06:56.000 putting it in the hands of a professional darts player, 00:06:56.000 --> 00:06:58.060 and having him hit the fucking bullseye 00:06:58.060 --> 00:07:01.400 Of course, this would require effort on the parts of lots of people 00:07:01.400 --> 00:07:03.960 in lots of different parts of the anime industry 00:07:03.960 --> 00:07:08.060 Thankfully, the anime industry is incredibly insular and incestious, 00:07:08.060 --> 00:07:10.260 and word gets around very quickly 00:07:10.260 --> 00:07:13.960 A lot of the industry is attached to old ways and business models 00:07:13.960 --> 00:07:16.520 But as more and more young people join the industry, 00:07:16.520 --> 00:07:20.120 making their own studios, trying to forge their own path forward; 00:07:20.120 --> 00:07:24.380 and fans become more and more informed about what's really going on in the industry 00:07:24.380 --> 00:07:26.320 and are desperately seeking to help; 00:07:26.320 --> 00:07:29.760 I think it's time for communication to be opened up in a bigger way, 00:07:29.760 --> 00:07:32.740 and for the anime industry to develop a fucking game plan 00:07:32.740 --> 00:07:36.080 This is exactly what the Flying Colors Foundation is setting out to do, 00:07:36.080 --> 00:07:37.820 and I really hope that they succeed, 00:07:37.820 --> 00:07:42.080 and that anime companies will start wisening up about what the hell they produce 00:07:42.080 --> 00:07:45.520 Less of this shit that nobody asked for and nobody's going to watch, 00:07:45.520 --> 00:07:48.460 and more of the stuff that we're all hoping for. 00:07:48.460 --> 00:07:50.720 I hope you enjoyed this ranty-ass video 00:07:50.720 --> 00:07:55.880 I'm covering a pretty broad topic here, but hopefully I've made all my different points clear 00:07:55.880 --> 00:07:57.980 If you want to hear more of my ranting and raving, 00:07:57.980 --> 00:08:00.720 you should be watching my, like, 19 different channels, 00:08:00.720 --> 00:08:05.800 or just subscribe to my Patreon, and every week I put out a content round-up which sums it up very nicely 00:08:05.800 --> 00:08:08.640 Thanks again for watching, and I'll see you in the next one.