Once Again, On Adaptations
Onemanga.com has just uploaded a "Lassie" manga series. So far, it's good and rather heart-warming and distinctly Japanese in terms of story-telling and location. But if you've seen a Lassie movie before, there are plenty of themes that come from the original material. Loyalty, acceptance and friendship being the most prevalent.
I'm also reminded that, like America, Japan has co-opted several of our icons into their own culture, and in a larger variety of media. Spider-Man and Batman being the major properties over the last fifty to sixty years. Batman had a manga during the sixties, including a massive merchandise rollout (Google "Bat-Manga!"). Spider-Man had an Ultraman-like television series in the sixties and in the eighties, spawned a manga series which took place in Tokyo (and got a short-lived translation for Americans). More recently, The Powerpuff Girls added a "Z" to their names and became a "magical girl" series a la "Sailor Moon."
Once again, I don't completely understand the vitriol that accompanies adaptations of Japanese series made by Americans. It doesn't happen that often and to be quite frank, can survive localizations if fans would support the thematic elements more than the aesthetics.
Japan welcomes this sort of shit with open minds and open arms full of money. Why can't we do the same?
I'm also reminded that, like America, Japan has co-opted several of our icons into their own culture, and in a larger variety of media. Spider-Man and Batman being the major properties over the last fifty to sixty years. Batman had a manga during the sixties, including a massive merchandise rollout (Google "Bat-Manga!"). Spider-Man had an Ultraman-like television series in the sixties and in the eighties, spawned a manga series which took place in Tokyo (and got a short-lived translation for Americans). More recently, The Powerpuff Girls added a "Z" to their names and became a "magical girl" series a la "Sailor Moon."
Once again, I don't completely understand the vitriol that accompanies adaptations of Japanese series made by Americans. It doesn't happen that often and to be quite frank, can survive localizations if fans would support the thematic elements more than the aesthetics.
Japan welcomes this sort of shit with open minds and open arms full of money. Why can't we do the same?