MLP Japan

[ManaMinori 4,145]

so, Japan is no stranger to My Little Pony. They had its first taste with generation 1 MLP Takara toys http://www.mylittlewiki.org/wiki/Japan , which were more anthropormorphic and bipedal than the quadruped ponies that we're used to seeing. And for the most part, it seems that MLP has been absent from the land of the rising sun (or just really under-reported and just as obscure as the g1 Takara ponies) up until g4. Surprisingly, FiM didn't take off over there, as it did in the U.S., but there was one aspect of it that did- and that's the Equestria Girls spinoff. I feel like this magical girl aspect of pony is what drew the fans overseas, as there's a TON of media in anime and manga that focus on magical girls (and boys), and to some extent, that the bipedal nature of the Takara ponies from g1 is what initially opened the gateway for that.

 

Anyways, what could be in store for Japan, going forward into future ages of MLP, if cute ponies don't resonate with them? Ideally, I feel like there would be more Equestria Girls coming their way. But rather than a continuation of that, what about something that also caters to what's hot in Japan trends? I'm talking Lolitas. "My Lolita Pony" to be exact. I feel like there could be nothing better than Hasbro's Japanese branch to reach out to various Lolita groups to really make this work, by way of promotion.

[Denim&Venöm 19,158]

It's not surprising that MLP hasn't really gained a hoof hold in Japan, cause it has fierce competition with all sorts of anime. MLP has gotten some succsess because animation isn't taken all that seriously in North America, so there's little competition for it to stand out against. In contrast, MLP has all sorts of shows and studios with higher budgets and broader age demographics to contend with in Japan. DHX won't have the resources to compete with Madhouse, Gainax, Trigger, or Kyoto Animation, ect. 

Frankly, I think Japan is a lost cause, and the effort of trying to make a show that would cater more to the Japanese market won't make back it's investment. Equestria girls would be the best shot, but Hasbro haven't really thrown their full support behind the magical girl or 'Maho Shoujo' aspect. Heck, even the movies and special haven't been consistent on what EQG actually is. And whatever direction EQG goes, the magical girl elements are only a minor fixture. 

 

[Goat-kun 2,527]

I'm not sure the OP is fully aware of the forbidden knowledge pertaining to the elusive concept that is the eastern loli.

 

 

Anyhow, it is the other way around. H-Bro will soon get overrun by kawaii lolis and bishoujos of a more voluptuous variety desu.

[Misty Shadow 7,930]

The problem with MLP getting success in Japan also lies in the fact that MLP's rise from rags to riches story is something that could've only happened in America with our different internet culture and Lauren Faust's name actually being very recognizable in the US. I'd never completely count MLP out for finding an audience in Japan though. It's crazy the kind of stuff that can become an overnight sensation in foreign countries, crazy.

[BornAgainBrony 2,398]

14 minutes ago, Goat-kun said:

I'm not sure the OP is fully aware of the forbidden knowledge pertaining to the elusive concept that is the eastern loli.

Anyhow, it is the other way around. H-Bro will soon get overrun by kawaii lolis and bishoujos of a more voluptuous variety desu.

I don't see it happening in the U.S. If you're talking about the Rule 34 aspect, America has a much more "always assume the worst about a person" attitude, and nowhere is that more prevalent than when it applies to anything that looks even remotely childlike. Japan was able to embrace the cute long ago without that fear, and while yes, there is a lot of NSFW content there, America is actually far more hyper-sexualized than Japan is. As just one example: (not saying this is why all women make visual changes to themselves, but of those who do for one specific purpose...) Women trying to get dates in Japan are trying to look younger and more innocent. Women in America are trying to look like vampire Barbie dolls.

Edited September 30, 2018 by bornAgainEquestrian

[Goat-kun 2,527]

1 hour ago, bornAgainEquestrian said:

I don't see it happening in the U.S. If you're talking about the Rule 34 aspect, America has a much more "always assume the worst about a person" attitude, and nowhere is that more prevalent than when it applies to anything that looks even remotely childlike. Japan was able to embrace the cute long ago without that fear, and while yes, there is a lot of NSFW content there, America is actually far more hyper-sexualized than Japan is. As just one example: (not saying this is why all women make visual changes to themselves, but of those who do for one specific purpose...) Women trying to get dates in Japan are trying to look younger and more innocent. Women in America are trying to look like vampire Barbie dolls.

It's not about R34. It's not about women. It's about future generations of weebs and gamers.

You don't see the invasion happening. It already did.

Edited September 30, 2018 by Goat-kun
kale kale kale

[BornAgainBrony 2,398]

1 minute ago, Goat-kun said:

It's not about R34. It's not about women. It's about future generations of weebs and gamers.

I wasn't using the example of woman to demonstrate the "invasion" itself. I was using it to demonstrate how women have found themselves actively competing with it. In Japan, the shift actually matters. In the U.S. nothing much has changed, and in fact, quite the opposite has happened, and men are being called down to the dirt for it. Even when it involves something so detached from ordinary human females such as pastel ponies.

[TBD 17,256]

well they have started this Kotobukiya figure line

https://www.equestriadaily.com/2018/07/sdcc-begins-kotobukiya-reveals.html

 

[BornAgainBrony 2,398]

5 minutes ago, TBD said:

well they have started this Kotobukiya figure line

https://www.equestriadaily.com/2018/07/sdcc-begins-kotobukiya-reveals.html

 

I had heard a rumor (which is probably sadly just a rumor) that a show might be developed from this. Gosh, can you imagine an E.G. series (hopefully with some trips into Equestria proper) done by a seasoned Anime studio?

Edited September 30, 2018 by bornAgainEquestrian

[Goat-kun 2,527]

47 minutes ago, bornAgainEquestrian said:

I wasn't using the example of woman to demonstrate the "invasion" itself. I was using it to demonstrate how women have found themselves actively competing with it. In Japan, the shift actually matters. In the U.S. nothing much has changed, and in fact, quite the opposite has happened, and men are being called down to the dirt for it. Even when it involves something so detached from ordinary human females such as pastel ponies.

Yes, culture war is harsh. Still, you need to focus on the customers and they have never went away just cause their hobby was looked down upon. Remember prohibition? Anime and gaming community have been resisting all kinds of moral busybodies for ages, and they are the future of toy industry consumers. A company would be wise not to make them into enemies. After all, we are living in a time when a fan-made waifu can set the internet on fire.

[BornAgainBrony 2,398]

22 minutes ago, Goat-kun said:

Yes, culture war is harsh. Still, you need to focus on the customers and they have never went away just cause their hobby was looked down upon. Remember prohibition? Anime and gaming community have been resisting all kinds of moral busybodies for ages, and they are the future of toy industry consumers. A company would be wise not to make them into enemies. After all, we are living in a time when a fan-made waifu can set the internet on fire.

It's actually more complicated than that I think, especially when it's something so focused on social interactions like fandoms do. I could actually argue that it is actually easier to 'dodge' legal ramifications for moral taboos than it is to avoid social ones. And one could make a good argument that social ridicule from the masses is actually WORSE than legal punishment in a lot of scenario (if you're convicted you're treated like an ex-con when you get out, and if you're not convicted, you're treated like you should have been convicted). And the social lynchmobs much worse than the legal system is when it comes to failing to investigate before reacting. Those same social lynchmobs have the ability to threaten the corporations into submission (i.e. the Great Derpy War). The companies are going to find themselves being stuck between appealing to a demographic, or appealing to all of those angry people who despise said demographic. And with the majority of people who are into things like (for your example) Bowsette being male, this presents a problem. Males are currently the supervillains-by-birth of the social landscape. An epic fight over this kind of thing could easily turn into a repeat of the Gamergate fiasco, where while I do not in any way condone what was done to Anita, that whole thing started with people who weren't gamers, dictating to gamers what they were and were not allowed to fantasize about.

Edited September 30, 2018 by bornAgainEquestrian

[Goat-kun 2,527]

16 hours ago, bornAgainEquestrian said:

It's actually more complicated than that I think, especially when it's something so focused on social interactions like fandoms do. I could actually argue that it is actually easier to 'dodge' legal ramifications for moral taboos than it is to avoid social ones. And one could make a good argument that social ridicule from the masses is actually WORSE than legal punishment in a lot of scenario (if you're convicted you're treated like an ex-con when you get out, and if you're not convicted, you're treated like you should have been convicted). And the social lynchmobs much worse than the legal system is when it comes to failing to investigate before reacting. Those same social lynchmobs have the ability to threaten the corporations into submission (i.e. the Great Derpy War). The companies are going to find themselves being stuck between appealing to a demographic, or appealing to all of those angry people who despise said demographic. And with the majority of people who are into things like (for your example) Bowsette being male, this presents a problem. Males are currently the supervillains-by-birth of the social landscape. An epic fight over this kind of thing could easily turn into a repeat of the Gamergate fiasco, where while I do not in any way condone what was done to Anita, that whole thing started with people who weren't gamers, dictating to gamers what they were and were not allowed to fantasize about.

Oh, make no mistake: another Gamergate is on the horizon along with Cartoongate. It's gonna feel good to be called racist again.

 

Anyhow, unlike Disney which is too big to fail, smaller companies that get woke also get broke. They don't have to cater to us and we don't have to buy their products. There are enough indies (Comicsgate) and foreign companies outside the West that do make the "wrong" stuff. And sometimes that "wrong" stuff also punches through. Just look at how regressive Crunchyroll had to acknowledge Made in Abyss despite how it treats lolis. And if they fail to provide or move to censor MiA's second season (Best Dad Bondrewd arc) they get rekt by fansubbers.

 

These leftist preachers also forget that the more they advocate for globalism, the more they open the gates for companies outside their influence to ship their shit to us. Why would you want a statue of the new trap She-Ra if you can have Type-Moon's Nero? But Goat-kun, She-Ra is for kids. Yes, but the physical toys are not selling like they used to. Soon enough you'll have toys for the very young and collector dolls for the adult fans, with kids in between preferring online entertainment. Classic toys like we have in MLP will die out. Funny thing, none of the remaining toy groups will be popular among leftist who neither have many children nor much money or genuine love for any franchise they latch onto.

 

The Bowsette question: the best part about her is not that she is gender-swapped but that she exposes what the "community" at large thinks about best waifus. Peach, the stereotypical damsel in distress, got cucked so fast it's not even funny. They won't talk about this cause it's not part of the narrative. They'll probably just focus on the boobs. Can't wait for that new Anita video. Any day now. Either way they'll make themselves look like idiots again. Internet has a long memory.

[Sepul-Coloratura 762]

21 hours ago, Nightmare Muffin said:

I'm talking Lolitas. "My Lolita Pony" to be exact. I feel like there could be nothing better than Hasbro's Japanese branch to reach out to various Lolita groups to really make this work, by way of promotion.

You know Lolita is the exact counterpart of pedophiles, right? I have nothing against perverted sexual taste on fictional characters, but it also means MLP being marketed sexually. Some of negative impression on MLP fanbase is because it subconsciously tickles the idea of manchildren and pedophiles. It ain't gonna happen.

By the way, I'd like to see Japanese remake of MLP. Just like on Powerpuff girls, but done better.

Edited October 1, 2018 by Sepul-Coloratura

[ManaMinori 4,145]

22 minutes ago, Sepul-Coloratura said:

You know Lolita is the exact counterpart of pedophiles, right? I have nothing against perverted sexual taste on fictional characters, but it also means MLP being marketed sexually. Some of negative impression on MLP fanbase is because it subconsciously tickles the idea of manchildren and pedophiles. It ain't gonna happen.

By the way, I'd like to see Japanese remake of MLP. Just like on Powerpuff girls, but done better.

I have done research on the Japanese culture of lolita. In no way are they connected to sexual deviants that the term originated from, and is, in fact, heavily inspired by the modest and elegant clothing style of pat eras of England. 

[Sepul-Coloratura 762]

Just now, Nightmare Muffin said:

I have done research on the Japanese culture of lolita. In no way are they connected to sexual deviants that the term originated from, and is, in fact, heavily inspired by the modest and elegant clothing style of pat eras of England. 

...Um, You know what Lolicon is, right?

[DonMaguz 1,023]

1 hour ago, Nightmare Muffin said:

I have done research on the Japanese culture of lolita. In no way are they connected to sexual deviants that the term originated from, and is, in fact, heavily inspired by the modest and elegant clothing style of pat eras of England. 

Maybe it would be better to specify about the 'Gothic Lolita' fashion trend. That's what I understood reading your OP, but apparently it isn't clear to some users...

Edit: I just quickly searched about the topic and it appears the Gothic theme is only a particular style of the whole Lolita fashion trend. Lots of anime and manga characters are designed under this trend.

Edited October 1, 2018 by DonMaguz

[ManaMinori 4,145]

On 10/1/2018 at 9:52 AM, Sepul-Coloratura said:

...Um, You know what Lolicon is, right?

The name Lolita has nothing to do with pedophillia. It was chosen by Japanese designers in the 70’s because it sounded old fashion and European so it fit the style. Due to a language barrier they did not know what connotations it had outside of Japan

The Lolita fashion community is very anti pedophillia, please do not try to say that they are fetishists for using the terminology their community has used since the 70s.

[Sepul-Coloratura 762]

2 hours ago, Nightmare Muffin said:

The name Lolita has nothing to do with pedophillia. It was chosen by Japanese designers in the 70’s because it sounded old fashion and European so it fit the style. Due to a language barrier they did not know what connotations it had outside of Japan

The Lolita fashion community is very anti pedophillia, please do not try to say that they are fetishists for using the terminology their community has used since the 70s.

From what I know, Lolita comes from the famous novel Lolita(1966) written by Vladimir Nabokov, Lolicon is a abbreviation of Lolita Complex, which is a book title written by Russel Trainer.

When Lolita was published in Japan at 1969, the whole concept of 'Lolita Complex' also came through. The early example of when it was used in manga was in June of 1974 at the magazine Margaret. The name of manga was 'It Stumbled in the Cabbage Field (キャベツ畑でつまずいて)' written by Shinji Wada.

The abbreviation term 'Lolicon' was abroad by Hayao Miyazaki's Lupin the Third : The Castle of Cagliostro, where Count Cagliostro tries to marry 16 years old Clarisse and Lupin calls the Count "Count Lolicon" and this particular part was on a magazine cover with a feature article of it.

It didn't had that much negative nuance then, but at the 1980s, when the term deteriorated into something blatantly pornographic like in mangas like 'The Rapeman', 'Ikenai! Luna Sensei' Miyazaki himself criticized it.

When it's about Lolita fashion, it has a Rococo/Baroque style with a motif of 'dresses royalty wears which young girls yearn for'.

Nowdays 'Lolita fashion' and 'Lolicon' has a different meaning, but the word has the same origin, the novel. And when it comes to Anime, it means Lolicon I just explained. Clearly there was a misunderstanding, but at least you should know what it sounds like when you put a word 'Loli' in a anime related sentence. Sorry for the misunderstanding. I apologize.

Edited October 4, 2018 by Sepul-Coloratura

[BornAgainBrony 2,398]

I always had this feeling of "What the buck were they thinking?" when someone decided to use any variation of the word, "lolita" to describe something that is in no way seedy or illegal. Worst... marketing... ever. It's like saying, "Hey, let's make a candy company. We'll call it 'The Opium Den'"

Edited October 4, 2018 by bornAgainEquestrian

[Sepul-Coloratura 762]

@Nightmare Muffin I sincerely apologize for misjudging you based on half-baked knowledge. I am sorry for saying something you related with pedophiles.

I am embarrassed.

Edited October 4, 2018 by Sepul-Coloratura

[EpicEnergy 23,222]

I wonder if G5 will become known in Japan.