Frugal Baka Test Fans versus Silent Queen's Blade Gentlemen

by dtshyk
May 8, 2010 8:31 PM | 44 Comments

Komoto Sachi, the assistant producer of Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu, gave her analysis on the relationship between the nature of the fanbase and the media sales. She said the cheap goods of Baka to Test priced around 1,000 yen have been sold quite well, but its enthusiasm doesn't extend to the DVD & Blu-ray priced at 6,000 ~ 7,000 yen. In contrast, the DVD & Blu-ray of Queen's Blade as well as Ikkitousen have been sold constantly for years although she has scarcely heard of the excitement of the fans. The interviewer and Komoto called them "Silent Majority Gentlemen", who never speak out but quietly support the titles.

Ishii Tomohiko, the producer of Higashi no Eden, also found out that the 1,400 yen Eden novel was sold considerably better than the DVD & Blu-ray. He realized the difficulty for the young fans to spend 4,000 - 5,000 yen x four volumes.

Sources: Scan of Animage, Scan 2 not sure of the magazine name, Business Makoto[/i]

Interest BD DVD

20 of 44 Comments Recent Comments

Got to love paying 75$ per 2 EPISODES!!

I was actually reading about this a few days ago and I gagged on the price. I'm not sure if its just two epidodes per volume for every anime, but that seems to be the norm.

People actually buy Queen's blade at these prices??? Seriously???]

May 11, 2010 6:48 AM by Llama765

Not surprising. I mean, would you openly admit that you watch animes about busty girls ripping each others' clothes off with swords and titty acid? I wouldn't. >_>

May 10, 2010 8:49 PM by Gamer4life

ukonkivi said:
*snip*

Proof, the article was rite.

May 10, 2010 10:19 AM by fertygo

windy said:
Yeah, no matter how funny BakaTest was, I wouldn't pay 7,000 yen/volume...

DAMN RIGHT

May 10, 2010 5:21 AM by Mr_Gutts

Well, I do at least have one good thing to say about Queen's Blade in comparison to Baka Test that I have seen so far.
Queen's Blade tries to bring sometime psuedo-classy to Queen's Blade along with it's titservice. It fails it, but at least it attempts. Baka Test is at best only more than a mildly generic comedy anime.

It has a nice packaging and looks like it's going to be something interestingly serious and dark behind all the fanservice. It also has a history and seems like something "official", and has a really nice theme song.

Unfortunately under the surface it's absolutely no different than Koihime Musou. So I have a hard time appreciating it's failed seriousness more than Baka Test or rating it in any way higher. Baka Test is more generic, but at least it manages to have a good pacing and random funniness for a generic cheesy school comedy show.

It's okay for Queen's Blade fans to enjoy fanservice. But you can say the same about Moetan fans. For some of us T&A doesn't make us detest your taste or feel superior, but we are, in fact, scared of T&A and would rather have fanservice of a different kind. And understandably shy away from it or find other fanservice-y shows to be better(for us).

I like Baka Test better because it's fanservice has greater variety. They have a "trap" character just for us Transgender fans, they have the flat loli-esque, they have the oppai, they have gay/yaoi references. I prefer Baka Test's multiple demographic appeal and funny success rather than Queen's Blade's serious fail.

May 10, 2010 1:56 AM by ukonkivi

Are you guys seriously implying these shows are even made for the same demographic or age groups??

Take a guess which one has ACTUAL purchasing power in the first place.
The comparison is not balanced at all, while the prices are kind of crap too.

Siva said:

AlexSadist-sama said:
People are suckers for fanservice. Screw them.

By "fanservice" it could mean many things in many difference way and it doesn't have to be boobies or panties.

Damn straight. Baka Test caters to at least an equal amount of niches and fetishes most people don't even recognize. Heck, more even (!)

May 10, 2010 12:42 AM by 108s9001

Ranivius
Woah! Down, boy. A little hot under the collar for T & A discussion. FYI, I love Ikki, QB and others of their ilk. I rate them high too. And I watch every incarnation of their respective series. Who doesn't love tournaments with lots of action?

I take it though that you're not one of those gentlemen; as apparently, you cavalierly designate GITS fans as douchebags and quite dismissive about some things by labeling them as BS. Lest you forget, Motoko has great T & A.

May 9, 2010 8:42 PM by TsukikageRan

Ikki Tousen was....
But I really enjoyed Queen's Blade. Fans shouldn't be so hyperactive and loud anyway.

May 9, 2010 4:34 PM by MrOnsen

Couldn't get over the term "Silent Majority Gentlemen" LOL. It needs to make it into a dictionary eventually.

May 9, 2010 3:13 PM by ArcticMech

i Would rather spend to buy a lot of tonkatsu than a dvd

May 9, 2010 2:29 PM by Cordelia

I wonder how much a series must sell to be considered to sell well. The first volume BR of Baka to Test have ranked 15 in sales the last week (7 before that) according to ANN. If that isn't good then anime sales must generally be down the crapper. Though, they brought them on themselves with their ridiculous prices and stupid distribution network. I can't even begin to imagine what the poor saps that bought the Green Green singles for $50 would have felt like, I bought the entire set for $15 and still felt ripped-off.

May 9, 2010 2:21 PM by HimboBaggins

enerjak said:
hm does anyone know how much is 7000yen in dollar
i know that here in sweden is 1dollar is 7,8kroner
and that a volume of manga pocket in a bookstore cost like 78kr = 10dollar

At the current exchange rate, it's 92 yen for every $1 USD. So that would come out to about $76 for 7,000 yen.

If they're paying that much for DVDs, I can understand why sales are not that good.

May 9, 2010 1:51 PM by tangytangerine

Baka Test doesn't have rewatch value, QB does. And no, it's not just because of the nudity, it has great action and a nice story. Only the people who have watched or are watching S2 feel this way though :|

May 9, 2010 12:49 PM by kuroshiroi

I'm one of those silent majority gentlemen (for Queens and Ikki)... do i get a prize?

SunyiNyufi said:

enerjak said:
hm does anyone know how much is 7000yen in dollar

really? its approx ~ $70.00 if you want to get technical 120y = $1

TsukikageRan said:
True enough. Fair enough. But when it comes to Queen's Blade, we know what that 'fan service' means. It's not intellectual discussions similar to Ghost in the Shell. Except if your Q & A is T & A.

Because we all know we enjoy 'intelligent' discussions with other anime fans on a daily basis. Seriously, outside of MAL, how often do you discuss BS like that or talk about how deep TTGL or LoGH is? Quit lying to yourself you're just as bad as those people who love Ikki and Queens. Except in this case Ikki fans are gentlemen and GitS/CG fans are just douchebags who are afraid of some T&A

May 9, 2010 11:36 AM by Ranivus

7000 yen a volume? That's a little too expensive considering how retarded the anime was. :/

May 9, 2010 11:03 AM by Xassite

Sakata-san said:
Looks like the Baka Test fans take after Yoshii.

They must be surviving only on ramen chopped up into tiny squares. That's why they can't afford those Blu-rays.

Nice.

Yeah, one of the reasons manga sells in the hundreds of thousands constantly is that it's about 400-600 yen per volume in Japan. We in the states get the short end of the stick with manga and the long end of the stick with anime.

May 9, 2010 10:05 AM by Torisunanohokori

enerjak said:
hm does anyone know how much is 7000yen in dollar

I know.

May 9, 2010 9:59 AM by SunyiNyufi

hm does anyone know how much is 7000yen in dollar
i know that here in sweden is 1dollar is 7,8kroner
and that a volume of manga pocket in a bookstore cost like 78kr = 10dollar

May 9, 2010 9:20 AM by enerjak

Looks like the Baka Test fans take after Yoshii.

They must be surviving only on ramen chopped up into tiny squares. That's why they can't afford those Blu-rays.

May 9, 2010 9:00 AM by Sakata-san

They finally got that their DVDs are too much. Could Japan actually be learning. I mean Queen's Blade outsells Naruto in Japan, just think about that...

May 9, 2010 8:38 AM by mitamaking

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