Even if a movie or TV series has elements that give it a broad international appeal, different countries might take very different approaches in marketing it. For example, Disney’s Big Hero 6 had a pretty even mix of exciting and heart-warming scenes, but as we looked at before, U.S. ads emphasized the former, while in Japan Disney relied on the latter to fill theater seats.
Now, we’re seeing that phenomenon running in the other direction. Classic anime Doraemon just got picked up for a second season in the U.S., set to start on June 15. But while in Japan the titular blue robot cat is seen by many as a symbol of relaxed family programming, some American commercials are portraying him as an action star.
Oh, sorry, we meant to say they’re portraying him as an ACTION! ACTION! ACTION! ACTION! star.
It’s been about a year since Doraemon started airing on Disney XD in the U.S., and while it hasn’t yet become a cultural icon like it is in Japan, the show seems to be at least a modest success. While this proves that even non-Japanese children can enjoy the show, Doraemon was created more than 40 years ago, and strictly with a Japanese audience in mind. As such, what’s being shown on Disney XD isn’t a straight translation, but a reworked, localized version of the anime produced under the supervision of the Doraemon franchise’s three Japanese rights holders, TV Asahi, TV Asahi’s animation subsidiary Shinei Animation, and the series’ original creators’ Fujiko F. Fujio Production.
In adapting the show for American audiences, names have been changed to make them shorter and easier to remember. Additionally, certain depicted items, such as Japanese currency, have been changed to some manner of U.S. equivalent to avoid distracting from the episode’s central plot and themes.
Part of the reason Doraemon became such a hit in Japan is because it has a little of everything. There’s a mix of comedy, adventure, science fiction, action, friendship, and family bonding to be found among its hundreds of episodes.
Guess which one of those elements the Disney XD marketing is playing up?
Again, it’s not like the Doraemon anime never has an action sequence (or an accidental decapitation in its stage shows), but this commercial makes it seem like it’s non-stop, with a voice-over informing us, “The new season of Doraemon is gonna be action action action action!” before leaving us with the promise of more by saying, “And that’s just 20 seconds.”
▼ And just in case you were watching with the sound off…
A second ad also bills Doraemon as more of a madcap bundle of frenetic zaniness than comes to mind for most Japanese fans of the series.
▼ And it shows us how freaky a live-action Doraemon would look.
In contrast, here’s a Japanese commercial for the most recent Doraemon theatrical feature, Stand by Me Doraemon
Interestingly enough, the Japanese ad actually seems to be consciously avoiding spending much time on the movie’s more kinetic scenes, since Japanese theatergoers have traditionally shown a fondness for earnest melodrama in films. As such, neither the U.S. nor the Japanese marketing strategy really encompasses all that Doraemon has to offer. They’re both just shining the spotlight on what they think will attract the biggest audience, and considering that the U.S. version of Doraemon just earned itself a second season, it’s hard to take the stance that its marketing team doesn’t know what it’s doing, even if the show is being presented very differently than it is in Japan.
Still, now we can’t help but wonder what would happen if that same action-oriented approach was applied to the Stand by Me Doraemon trailer above.
▼ “Psst! Noby! Hey, Noby, wake up! Come on, let’s go blow some stuff up!”
Thanks to our pals at Anime News Network for tipping us off to the American ads and renewal news!
Top image: YouTube/Doraemon the Movie, YouTube/DisneyUploads, Wikipedia/Anomie (1, 2) (edited by RocketNews24)
Insert images: YouTube/DisneyUploads (1, 2), YouTube/Doraemon the Movie (edited by RocketNews24)
Origin: American marketing turns anime’s Doraemon into an ACTION! ACTION! ACTION! ACTION! star
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