121 replies to this topic

[Nik Reaper]

Lately I'v seen a number of netflix original anime series, the quality is high, not the highest animation quality I'v ever seen but it's more then "good enough" for a series of this kind.

So who holds the rights to a battletech tv series now and would it be sensible for them to license the rights to netflix who will then hire a studio to do the animation? or would the licensing fee make such an endeavor unprofitable, as the mentioned animations I've seen on netflix are originals works so there profits are pure and without a licensing debt or % paid in royalties.

Considering the public interest I don't see Battletech any worse then any of the numerous mecha/drama/action anime out there, more so if done right to put to the front the political landscape and the intrigue instead of just cramming as much mech action as possible. The mech battles would also have to be properly portrayed, without being too kinetic but also with out being stiff or plain badly animated.

The favored format seems to be ether a 3~5 episode 45min OVA or a standard 13 ep ~24min series, and to correctly portray the essence of what battletech is to some one who is new to it I would prefer a story told with at least a three view points, one from a driven high ranking politician, another from a noble commander on the ground and one from a mercenary/company hired to bolster the forces.

[Adridos]

Anime production studios are the ones choosing the topics they cover. It's not Hollywood where you have a studio and tell them to do an X adaptation of this and that comic you just bought a license to. Anime works the other way around. Production company serves ideas, sponsors only pick the ones they like from the ones provided. Netflix is in a position of such a sponsor.

The problem here is simple. Battletech is not and has never been big in Japan outside of them liking the old simulator pods (those even had a cameo in some random OVA a few years back). Chances of some anime director proposing a Battletech-based anime are thus realistically non-existent.

[Jackal Noble]

Ummmm....
............
Maybe ask Netflix lol.

[Nik Reaper]

Adridos, on 03 March 2018 - 10:08 AM, said:

Anime production studios are the ones choosing the topics they cover. It's not Hollywood where you have a studio and tell them to do an X adaptation of this and that comic you just bought a license to. Anime works the other way around. Production company serves ideas, sponsors only pick the ones they like from the ones provided. Netflix is in a position of such a sponsor.

The problem here is simple. Battletech is not and has never been big in Japan outside of them liking the old simulator pods (those even had a cameo in some random OVA a few years back). Chances of some anime director proposing a Battletech-based anime are thus realistically non-existent.

Curious, I was under the impression that publishers of light novels turn anime , decide on a popular series and ask around if there are studios who are free to make them, or even propose a specific story to a studio if they think it would fit that studio's style, rather then studios asking the publisher if they could adapt a story to anime.

[Nightbird]

Not a chance, Battletech's legal rights are a mess

[Bombast]

Yah. Even if it were possible (It's not), that's just tempting fate on a previously undreamed of level.

Also, I think Battletech has phased out of anime territory. I'm thinking Western style would be more appropriate.

Also, most of those Netflix originals are, in fact, not original. Netflix just did the localization.

[Nik Reaper]

Well, rather than saying they are in a mess, it's more of every aspect of the franchise is sold separately, ei. novels, pc games, table top games, tv adaptations and so on, if you do not touch the whole unseen mech designs, witch you can easily do and still have battletech on tv, there shouldn't be any other legal issues, unless there are some known issues that aren't widely public knowledge?

Bombast, on 03 March 2018 - 10:20 AM, said:

Also, most of those Netflix originals are, in fact, not original. Netflix just did the localization.

You mean, they didn't bank them, just distributed them , while they are being played in japan or country of origin?

Also, anime comes in a number of flavors, it doesn't have to be heavily stylized , something like Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team might work here, with more westernized characters , where applicable, kinda like the artwork battletech the game is showing off.

Edited by Nik Reaper, 03 March 2018 - 10:26 AM.

[Bombast]

Nik Reaper, on 03 March 2018 - 10:23 AM, said:

You mean, they didn't bank them, just distributed them , while they are being played in japan or country of origin?

They were payed for and made by some Japanese company, and then Netflix picked them up on the cheap to 'pad' their content.

[Adridos]

Nik Reaper, on 03 March 2018 - 10:13 AM, said:

Curious, I was under the impression that publishers of light novels turn anime , decide on a popular series and ask around if there are studios who are free to make them, or even propose a specific story to a studio if they think it would fit that studio's style, rather then studios asking the publisher if they could adapt a story to anime.

That's for really popular series. If you've watched Shirobako (and you should if you haven't ), you'd see how that goes pretty well. Essentially, a popular series can have multiple studios trying to do the adaptation as all of them have staff which decided for it. What that means is you do get to pick and choose, but only among the studios which come forward as having a real interest in doing it, not ones you handpicked.

Explaining it properly takes time since they have rather foreign structures. Anime studio is, in essence, just a bunch of producers and other businessmen. Animators, directors, all that stuff you generally attribute to a studio or style are all freelancers. Studios build their identity on containing people who are friends with said people, so as to be able to get them to write a contract with them as opposed to that another super-great project at Sunrise or whatever.

Bombast, on 03 March 2018 - 10:20 AM, said:

I'm thinking Western style would be more appropriate.

There is no Western style when it comes to giant robots, friend.
Pacific Rim design team required anime-fans only. Megas XLR, Symbiotic Titan, or the new Voltron are all anime imitations. Likewise, the old Battletech cartoon was nothing more than a company imitating Toei style of anime.

Except Transformers. I'm fairly certain you do not want to watch a Battletech movie/series by the Transfomers "team".

[Nik Reaper]

But looking at the https://en.wikipedia...uted_by_Netflix list, it would seem that they have 2 types of distribution, there are some like https://en.wikipedia...B_The_Beginning that premiere on netflix and do not seem to have other means of distribution, while there a lot of others that are as you said padding content by distributing already aired content.

Though from what is being talked about they do seem to be interested in financing pitches delivered to them, so the question would be is there any scenario that someone would benefit from making a series?
It could be used as promotion material much like the old series was used as, but topps is the main beneficiary of that, and as a to/miniature maker I don't see them investing much in that...

[Bombast]

Adridos, on 03 March 2018 - 10:36 AM, said:

There is no Western style when it comes to giant robots, friend.
Pacific Rim design team required anime-fans only. Megas XLR, Symbiotic Titan, or the new Voltron are all anime imitations. Likewise, the old Battletech cartoon was nothing more than a company imitating Toei style of anime.

Except Transformers. I'm fairly certain you do not want to watch a Battletech movie/series by the Transfomers "team".

Fine. If the only option is another anime or nothing, I choose nothing.

I don't see why that's the only choice though. There's no technical reason to they couldn't do a western style Battletech show, merely an aestetic one.

Edited by Bombast, 03 March 2018 - 10:41 AM.

[Metus regem]

I'd rather something more Game of Thrones like...

[Nik Reaper]

Adridos, on 03 March 2018 - 10:36 AM, said:

There is no Western style when it comes to giant robots, friend.

True I suppose but animation style of patlabor and the like is good enough for me, I would shudder to watch transformer like animation, BUT if it was like the transformers the movie... dang son I pay well for that , that opening scene of Optimus transforming and jumping while gunning down decepticons in mid air... art! and it still holds up today.



And I'm sure at this point it could be done even better... more texturing and shading work done .

Edited by Nik Reaper, 03 March 2018 - 10:51 AM.

[Spare Parts Bin]

Metus regem, on 03 March 2018 - 10:42 AM, said:

I'd rather something more Game of Thrones like...

I would rather see a nonanimae tv series. Think small unit like Sons of Anarchy for Battletech.

[Nik Reaper]

Metus regem, on 03 March 2018 - 10:42 AM, said:

I'd rather something more Game of Thrones like...

As in the setting ? , because battletech is game of thrones in space , but even GoT would not have the popularity it has now were it not for the spectacle of large battles , and other battle sequences, even with all the good political maneuvering and intrigue and magic, the big battles are still the main pay off , so a battletech series would still need them too, much like battlestar galactica, a lot of posturing and plot and then a battle ... rinse and repeat .

Edited by Nik Reaper, 03 March 2018 - 10:49 AM.

[Adridos]

Metus regem, on 03 March 2018 - 10:42 AM, said:

I'd rather something more Game of Thrones like...

The bigger the show you want, the more popular and wealthy you need to be, sadly.
Yes, you could go for a Legend of the Galactic Heroes epic (162 episodes long OVA + 3 movies) which makes GoT look like a cheap Saturday morning cartoon in comparison. But that takes an equal amount of recognition and assets behind you.

Edited by Adridos, 03 March 2018 - 10:51 AM.

[Spare Parts Bin]

Nik Reaper, on 03 March 2018 - 10:49 AM, said:

As in the setting ? , because battletech is game of thrones in space , but even GoT would not have the popularity it has now were it not for the spectacle of large battles , and other battle sequences, even with all the good political maneuvering and intrigue and magic, the big battles are still the main pay off , so a battletech series would still need them too, much like battlestar galactica, a lot of posturing and plot and then a battle ... rinse and repeat .

Adridos, on 03 March 2018 - 10:50 AM, said:

The bigger the show you want, the more popular and wealthy you need to be, sadly.
Yes, you could go for a Legend of the Galactic Heroes epic (162 episodes long OVA + 3 movies) which makes GoT look like a cheap Saturday morning cartoon in comparison. But that takes an equal amount of recognition and assets behind you.

Think a gritty desperate plot Succession Wars setting, Sons of Anarchy+Walking Dead. Small unit engagements on back water worlds.

[Defanos]

I'd watch it.

[Helsbane]

They could, but it would be set in some far flung future after the fall of earth based civilization, and all the mechs would be plants...

[Bombast]