Your Name's popularity was confined to China.
This was thanks to the screenwriter, Jiangnan, who had produced countless acclaimed works. It was the benefit of reputation; once a foundation was laid, fans would support a film regardless of whether it was their preferred genre.
However, the competition at this anime festival was still fierce.
With the involvement of two major anime companies, Dong Ling and Kao, securing a good result at the festival would be incredibly difficult.
Japan's anime culture was indeed well-developed, exporting numerous anime works to the world.
When mentioning Japan, besides the early influential figures, anime culture was a prominent association.
Dong Ling Entertainment was a very established anime company in Japan, focusing solely on the anime industry without venturing into any other fields. In terms of professionalism and industry standing, it was considered top-tier in Japan.
Kao Entertainment, on the other hand, was a younger company. It was even more specialized, focusing exclusively on anime films and having won the championship at the previous anime festival.
These two companies were the twin titans of Japanese anime.
They held significant prestige in the industry.
Even Nevi Entertainment, the largest entertainment company in Japan, couldn't compete with them in the realm of anime.
"From the information released, Nevi Entertainment plans to rely on Ting Yu's story to compete with the two companies?"
"That should be the plan. Otherwise, there'd be no reason for them to approach Ting Yu for anime, and they even allowed Xing Hui Entertainment to be credited, indicating significant concessions."
"I think it's rather difficult. Anyone in the anime circle knows how formidable Dong Ling Entertainment and Kao Entertainment are."
"Indeed, most hit anime in recent years have been produced by these two companies."
"I do feel that with Jiangnan's involvement, at least the story aspect is guaranteed."
"The storytelling methods in anime differ from traditional film and television, as the target audience is different. Scripts require youthful imagination. Jiangnan's stories often carry a sense of national righteousness and profound depth, which I believe will be a significant challenge for him."
Chinese netizens naturally hoped for Jiangnan to achieve success in anime, as Japan had long dominated this field. If Ting Yu could win this anime festival, it would be incredibly inspiring.
They also understood the magnitude of the challenge. While both anime and traditional film and television tell stories, their audiences have differences. Traditional film and television cater to the general public, whereas anime targets audiences who enjoy the "two-dimensional" world. This demographic is characterized by youthfulness and vitality, sometimes even with a touch of "chuunibyou" (middle school syndrome).
Their preferred plots also significantly diverge from those in traditional film and television.
In recent years, anime trends have leaned more towards imaginative concepts and lighthearted stories.
This genre requires astonishing settings, and the dialogue in anime also differs greatly from film and television, often leaning towards a more passionate style.
For Jiangnan, who was accustomed to conveying profound messages, this indeed presented a challenge.
...
The anime festival lasted for five days, featuring exhibitions and the sale of merchandise.
Merchandise typically included popular anime figures, cushions, and similar items, representing a crucial monetization method in the two-dimensional industry chain.
As for the exhibitions, they featured cosplay of various anime characters. This circle also boasted numerous celebrity cosplayers, with popular ones rivaling top-tier celebrities.
Japan.
Dong Ling Entertainment Headquarters.
Several meetings had been held to prepare for the upcoming anime festival.
"This year, we cannot let any company snatch the championship!" Chairman Aida stated with great solemnity.
While exhibitions and merchandise sales were important,
movie box office revenue was the most critical component.
It was also the key area of contention among the companies.
When a company reaches this scale, enhancing its reputation is necessary to capture market share, and box office success is the best way to achieve this.
Winning the championship would significantly boost both the company's popularity and reputation, which in turn would be crucial for capturing market share.
Kao Entertainment served as a prime example.
This company was founded only five years ago. Three years prior, a single anime film secured the box office championship at the anime festival, propelling the company to stardom within the anime community. Leveraging its reputation and popularity, it quickly solidified its position in the industry and experienced rapid growth. Over the years, they had become capable of challenging the established Dong Ling Entertainment, securing their place as one of Japan's anime titans.
This was the benefit of winning the anime festival's box office championship.
"Judging from the trailer released by Kao Entertainment, their story this time is also of the passionate genre, clashing with ours." someone commented.
"The clash is for the best, as we've hired Ms. Sakurako to write the script, allowing us to completely crush them in terms of imaginative creativity."
Passion was a vital element in anime, but so was imagination. Imagination was always the most crucial factor in captivating imaginative teenagers.
Sakurako was a highly acclaimed screenwriter in Japanese anime, renowned for her excellent imaginative concepts.
Her works were of high quality, and her creative ideas consistently impressed. Therefore, despite the stylistic overlap, Dong Ling Entertainment felt not only no worry but also saw it as a rare opportunity.
"I heard Nevi Entertainment has ambitions for the championship this time and has even invited that Jiangnan from China as the screenwriter." someone suddenly interjected.
They still needed to show basic respect to Nevi Entertainment, as it was Japan's largest entertainment company. Although not as strong in anime as themselves, this information was worth noting.
"I know Jiangnan; he was the winning editor at the last film festival." Aida nodded upon hearing this, but a dismissive smile played on his lips. "He indeed has talent, but I don't believe he understands anime."
Jiangnan's film "Initial D" had won the box office championship at the last film festival, earning him an opportunity to participate in international film festivals. This had greatly impacted the Japanese industry, as part of this honor also belonged to Japan's Nevi Entertainment. Now, Nevi Entertainment and Jiangnan were collaborating again, attempting to gain a foothold in the anime sector, which Aida considered overestimation of their capabilities.
Anime and film and television had significant differences. Jiangnan's approach, in their view, was akin to a highly successful singer attempting to become an actor; while both were within the entertainment industry, their target audiences were fundamentally different.
"We should focus more of our energy on Kao Entertainment. If they win the box office championship again, it will affect our position in the industry."
Previously, they had not paid enough attention to Kao Entertainment, allowing them to grow to their current scale. This time, it was imperative to take them seriously, as this box office championship was directly related to the market share of the two major anime companies, leaving no room for underestimation.
Therefore, they had neither the time nor the energy to research Nevi Entertainment and Jiangnan, nor to target them.
Let them flounder on their own; they wouldn't cause any significant waves anyway.
...