Because those numbers sure do come out of the ether without being backed up by anything.
Hey dude, I'm not arging with you. It's impossible to debate with anyone that holds up a source they like. I'm being 100% non-sarcastic when I say, by all means, go with your Internet info. Why are you still on this though? It really means nothing here.
You
Why would they declare it a new term last year? Blog has been around since 2000 or so. It's even been in dictionaries for the past years.
Out of curiosity, what are some of the more popular blogs over there? In the US, it's political sites like DailyKos and Instapundit. If I recall correctly, Kos is by far the largest political site with a few million visitors a day.
Me
Did you happen to know that 'blog' was declared one of the most popular new terms for 2005 in Japan? Just thought I'd throw that in there to show how popular they are there.
No indication that it is a new word, just a popular new word.
Again, what is the point of arguing that? Blogs aren't Shakespeare, they're not even as intricate as BBS's. Unless of course you consider:
"Today: I kut myself…..it felt good.
My mood is: I h8t everything
I'm Listening to: Anal Cunt"
Provocative reading. I also see lots of people writing them, which regardless of whether you like the content or not is a neat way of expressing creativity, but it doesn't mean everyone is reading them and even if they were, as described above, it's not the most mentally stimulating experience.
Now there are exceptions with people who dedicate themselves to a certain topic. But because something gets a few thousand or even something as pitiful as a million readers a day doesn't mean it's any good, the youth of America are finding a new interest in reading or separate it from reading something like a newspaper.
Again, why is this even here? :laugh: I mentioned way back in my initial thoughts on the topic, reading on the internet, doesn't mean there's a rebirth of reading real material. I'm just responding for the fun of it, but this is getting way off topic and should have been considered a moot point with my initial post.
As for the types of blogs in Japan, they run as trite and as the ones in the US. I just don't see how you can compare a news clip on a blog to sitting down and actually reading a book.
… What in the hell does that have to do with anything?
I'm replying to your statement my good man. You said more people access the Internet in the US. You're forgetting that many people who access the Internet in Japan use their cell phones which have a vast amount of sites and information on them. Ever notice the funky barcode-like objects on MANY Japanese products, those are all for accessing sites on the internet via cellphones. Come now, let's not get huffy.
Well, duh. I mean, what else am I supposed to say?
Now, now, let's calm down. Just because you repeated my point as a response doesn't mean you have to get mean about it.
Here's something for you: manga costs approximately $3.90 in Japan by virtue of being available practically everywhere, correct? At Wal-Mart, Kingdom Hearts vol. 2 currently costs $3.94.
Awesome! You found one example of cheap manga in the US! There's always bound to be a few, especially ones backed by a company that can spare to piss away money. Now go to a bookstore and tell me how much they are. Japanese bookstores aren't one enormous chain and yet they aaaaaall have awesome prices. ^_~
It's the opposite in the United States.
I'm most certainly sure it is and would tell anyone who said otherwise to stick a mushroom in their ear! 10 years ago there wasn't a manga section with DVDs in Brentano's. But just because it's more popular doesn't mean it ever will get to the point where most red-blooded Americans are running to their local bookstores or comic shops for manga.
But even as it stands today, although they're selling, unless it's a huuuuge series (Naruto) they aren't flying off the shelves and just because you push something in a consumer's face doesn't mean they're going to buy it.
Anime is the market to be in. Kahn's point remains solid. Manga is a problem because it can fail easily here. It would be unwise to say that it's as unsteady as it was a few years back because the huge selection (most of which is pure crap that was picked up for pennies) speaks for itself.
IF every anime fan suddenly had the funds and interest in manga, enough to enjoy both products, it would be a totally different story. But since manga publishers here are only preaching to part of the choir, it is indeed an unfortunate problem.
Kahn's problem is still in DVD-Land. He's contradicting his own values by turning down that option. I still thinks something's rotten in Denmark regarding that and it may be more complicated than we know, but the way it appears is that he's missing out on what definitely has a big chance. Turning down manga in general is also missing out on a great opportunity too but with cultural differences in play and certainly cultural preferences on the field, it is an uphill battle regardless of its popularity.
Aaaand since I won most knowledgeable and researcher for OP, and not most articulate I think I'll just let my comments stand as that. Anyone can feel free to disagree or comment as they choose. If you get anything out of this, just remember, think when you read something. The world is more complicated than, "I wanna see this and this person is evil for making it stupid." As I said to e1n once, this isn't just a comment looking down on anyone. It's a comment from experience. Lots of it. This kind actually:
http://www.thegrandline.com/dbzinfo/sigthank.html
A long time ago I held up a battle flag in a stupid and demonizing war against FUNimation. My bitching, moaning, groaning and hate-filled diatribes on FUNimation and 3,000+ supporters changed nothing. Despite the shitty edits, DB was able to stand on its two legs and eventually the uncut (which I will never accept as truly uncut) DVDs showed many skeptical fans what it was all about. The rest is history.
Okay, that's all, I'll go back to OP-world now ^O^