Disney + Japan = American anime?

In a move sure to reignite the debate over weather American anime can exist Disney Studios announced Thursday that it would begin producing animation specifically in Japan in an attempt to appeal to local tastes and expand their market. Disney has never tried to match its content to other countries before usually just exporting the stuff seen in America. Since the Japanese have been keen on Disney programing it seems a logical move – as Mariko Hisamitsu, a person in charge of Disney TV programs in Japan said: “Disney characters are well recognised in Japan and we believe providing contents catering to consumers is necessary to expand the market.”

The most interesting part of all this is how close Disney will be getting to the Japanese anime industry – they will be working with Toei Animation Co Ltd. – the company that made Dragon Ball Z and the first working place of Hayao Miyazaki – to produce a short TV film. They will then work with Madhouse, which helped produce such series as Ninja Scroll, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, Trigun and Di Gi Charat, to make a “Japanized” version of Lilo and Stitch featuring a Japanese setting and Japanese characters. With this immersion of Japan and America one cant help but wonder if Disney will move more formally into the anime industry and perhaps start producing anime type programing on its own. They may start moving into this area as they made the following statement: “”The main target is Japan but we don’t deny the possibility” of exporting Japan-made products to other Asian countries.” If thats true what is to stop them from becoming their own force? I know that its obvious that Disney has been influenced by Japan in the past but now mabey we’ll see some original material. I’ll be interested to see if influence rubs off either way in a more pronounced format than in the past.

To read some articles check out these:
International Business Times
NDTVmovies.com

~ by madphoenix on March 7, 2008.