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![[EDITORIAL]](/file/35716/EX CD Rom.iso/issue3_1/images/section_editorial.gif){kind=small}  |
 No, that's not a typo. Sometimes it seems like it's all been done when it comes to television and movies. It has recently become so bad that I hear that Congress is attempting to pass legislation that will outlaw the making of movies from 1960's TV sitcoms. I have no desire to relive GILLIGAN'S ISLAND on the big screen, unless they let Cameron direct the wreck of the S.S. MINNOW. Recently, anime is no exception. One look at a recent television schedule will reveal that. This last season saw an overwhelming number of television series that were based on previous anime. Sure, these were great the first time around, and probably even original. But now, it's just old hat. And it's hard to get excited about something you've essentially seen before. Honestly, did we really need another WATARU or a new and improved DR. SLUMP?This new season looks little better. The cover of last month's Newtype
proclaimed the arrival of the CAT
GIRL NUKU NUKU TV series. Another anime television series
based on an old OVA favorite, RECORD OF LODOSS WARS, is
slated to begin airing in April.But after a while, these
new shows all start to seem more and more like copies;
rarely has a television show been better than the
previous anime that spawned it. And more and more, the
general feeling seems to be that these new shows are
missing something that their predecessors had. One of the
strengths of a remake is the fans' love for the previous
version. If the remake is done well, the end result is
very positive; if not, the results can be less successful
than anticipated.Originality and
creativity are key concepts in the entertainment
industry, but it always boils down to the almighty
dollar. Who among us does not remember when FRIENDS
became a hit? The following year we were deluged by
insipid shows trying to capture the same audience (and
money)—six people in a bar, six people in a bus station,
five people in a supermarket, eight people in a foxhole.
It seemed endless. But at last the copies died away.We need more variety in
what we watch, lest we turn away from anime because it
lacks the variety and originality that drew many of us to
it in the first place. While I am certainly not saying
that all of these proposed "remakes" or
"successors" of past successful anime will be
bad, I do believe it is important for the industry to
keep one eye fixed firmly on the future while looking
back to the past for inspiration. Otherwise, anime as an
industry will find itself slamming into a brick wall. If
we do not proceed cautiously, one day we will find
ourselves watching the fourteenth remake of GOLGO 13.
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  Charles McCarter
All contents submitted to EX are submitted and published on the basis of full assignment of copyright, unless otherwise agreed in advance and in writing. EX recognizes all copyrights and trademarks. Where possible, we acknowledge the copyright holder. Please contact us if we haven't credited your copyright and we'll correct any oversight. EX is a publication of The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation. EX: THE ONLINE WORLD OF ANIME & MANGA © 1996-1998 EX, The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation. All Rights Reserved. |
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