http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2010/04/18/national-hockey-league-considering-anime-partnership/
i know.. it is blasphemy.. but even asa montrealer and member of a hockey fanatic family.. it never appealed to me as a sport, as entertinament on TV or in games.
but what with the winter olympics, and stanley cup playoffs all over TV recently.. I occurred to me to ask why it was that Japan hasn't produced a notable Hockey anime.
Doomed to failure of course if it has any american influence.. since it wouldn't be anime, and doomed to failure without input from the NHL.
There are just so few anime that aren't sumo heavily influenced by Japanese culture, meaning they could be enjoyed by all audiences.. that it's highly doubtful any studio would (bother to) create what should be the first good anime that wasn't explicitly Japanese. They just don't work. And it isn't as if there are any american studios that could do it without it ending up being some ludicrous saturday morning cartoon.
Where would it fit? certainly not primetime. but in that afterschool 4pm slot most adults vaguely remember.. you know when they used to air GI JOE. After school but just before the news.
Also what would they even focus on? games last an hour. That's more than enough filler for a 22 minute anime/cartoon but how much story can be bookended on around each game? Which teams should be represented? should real NHL players voice their likenesses?
If so what appeal would there be for a Japanese studio, and the japanese audience to care for something so western?
i know.. it is blasphemy.. but even asa montrealer and member of a hockey fanatic family.. it never appealed to me as a sport, as entertinament on TV or in games.
but what with the winter olympics, and stanley cup playoffs all over TV recently.. I occurred to me to ask why it was that Japan hasn't produced a notable Hockey anime.
Doomed to failure of course if it has any american influence.. since it wouldn't be anime, and doomed to failure without input from the NHL.
There are just so few anime that aren't sumo heavily influenced by Japanese culture, meaning they could be enjoyed by all audiences.. that it's highly doubtful any studio would (bother to) create what should be the first good anime that wasn't explicitly Japanese. They just don't work. And it isn't as if there are any american studios that could do it without it ending up being some ludicrous saturday morning cartoon.
Where would it fit? certainly not primetime. but in that afterschool 4pm slot most adults vaguely remember.. you know when they used to air GI JOE. After school but just before the news.
Also what would they even focus on? games last an hour. That's more than enough filler for a 22 minute anime/cartoon but how much story can be bookended on around each game? Which teams should be represented? should real NHL players voice their likenesses?
If so what appeal would there be for a Japanese studio, and the japanese audience to care for something so western?