China VS Ultraman!

[Batmaniac]

This is one of those things I was surprised to see in China. I don't think Ultraman has been seen in the US since the mid-80s maybe and never had much of a following here AFAIK.

 

http://www.variety.com/article/VR111800340...d=2523&cs=1

 

http://io9.com/5246895/china-versus-ultraman

 

It's the battle you never expected, as China's Prime Minister Wen Jiabao has unleashed the hounds of war on Japanese superhero Ultraman, as well as the entire non-Chinese animation industry. And his country is following.

 

According to Variety, Chinese audiences are boycotting Ultraman after Chinese PM Jiabao complained that his grandson spent too much time watching the show during a recent visit to a Chinese animation studio:

 

I sometimes take care of my grandson, ut he always watches 'Ultraman.' He should watch more Chinese cartoons... [Chinese animators] should play a leading role in bringing Chinese culture to the world ... Let Chinese children watch more of their own history and its own country's animation.

 

The effect of the comments has been weird and widespread; Chinese broadcasters have moved non-Chinese animation later in their schedules, replacing it with homegrown fare in order to snare audiences when they're young, although some see the move as something approaching racism - and a sign of strained relations with Japan. The solution to the problem may be for the Chinese government to support the country's animation industry with more than just words; production of animated movies in the country was up 66% last year from the year before, but Jin Delong of the State Administration of Radio, Film and TV, feels that progress needs to be made in more than just quantity:

 

There is a long way to go before the animation industry prospers. We still have a lot of issues to resolve, for example, encouraging creativity ... and combining creativity with the market.

 

It's the kind of problem that would take a superhero to fix... as long as he's from China, of course.

 

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs006.snc1/4167_1155424558182_1004730250_446825_370951_n.jpg

[IllinoisDave]

So much for cultural diversity.

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

[Chinese animators] should play a leading role in bringing Chinese culture to the world ... Let Chinese children watch more of their own history and its own country's animation.

 

Sounds like a legitimate parental concern.

[GZBILL]

So much for cultural diversity.

 

Ditto.

 

Nationalism is alive and well. And to make it even sadder, just over the two or three sentences uttered by a leader.

[GZBILL]

[Chinese animators] should play a leading role in bringing Chinese culture to the world ... Let Chinese children watch more of their own history and its own country's animation.

 

Sounds like a legitimate parental concern.

 

If only it were that simple.

 

Let's replace a violent Japanese cartoon with a violent Chinese cartoon.

 

Remember the Chinese cartoon, The Blue Cat? That was removed from TV because of violence -- even more violence than Ultraman.

[Batmaniac]

Last summer there was a poorly animated Chinese cartoon featuring the Olympic Mascots going on Olympic adventures through time travel. Ying said one of the villains was meant to represent the Dalai Lama according to Chinese Netizens!

[Smitty]

I would say let the market handle it, but I don't really know if Ultraman is very Japan-centric. I never thought it was when I was a kid. Even take Starblazers(the US dubbed version of Space Battleship Yamato), most of the anti-American content was removed to make it more marketable in the US.

 

But yeah, if you are in government and you want more of your home grown media for people to watch, then you might have to support it with more than words.

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

[Chinese animators] should play a leading role in bringing Chinese culture to the world ... Let Chinese children watch more of their own history and its own country's animation.

 

Sounds like a legitimate parental concern.

 

If only it were that simple.

 

Let's replace a violent Japanese cartoon with a violent Chinese cartoon.

 

Remember the Chinese cartoon, The Blue Cat? That was removed from TV because of violence -- even more violence than Ultraman.

 

 

Sounds fair. If you're kids are going to be battling evil, they should be on your side....

 

[whome?]

When I read the report about Wen JiaBao comment I do not see the PM bashing Ultraman or Japan but rather stating that the domestic cartoon industry needs to be improved and should provide more/better cartoons to the Chinese children that includes elements of their culture and history. He also said they should be playing a leading role in bringing chinese culture to the world via their cartoons.

 

Interesting here is a link from the same source regarding children's programs in Australia's and the requirement for domestic content. Similar story but much different slant than the China story. Why?

 

http://www.variety.com/article/VR111800340...ref=ra&cs=1

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

When I read the report about Wen JiaBao comment I do not see the PM bashing Ultraman or Japan but rather stating that the domestic cartoon industry needs to be improved and should provide more/better cartoons to the Chinese children that includes elements of their culture and history. He also said they should be playing a leading role in bringing chinese culture to the world via their cartoons.

 

Interesting here is a link from the same source regarding children's programs in Australia's and the requirement for domestic content. Similar story but much different slant than the China story. Why?

 

http://www.variety.com/article/VR111800340...ref=ra&cs=1

 

I didn't see anyone suggesting that bashing was going on. Rather, a Western entertainment magazine whining about what they think China should do with its cartoon programming. When you consider how the Japanese treated the Chinese people in recent history, it's no small wonder that Chinese parents and government officials wouldn't want their kids seeing Japanese cartoons.

[Jeikun]

Of course to back it up China has to make some cartoons that don't suck.

[georgeandli]

Cars or cartoons. It's all about keeping the benjamins at home.