The prequel/sequel-adaptation trend

Post by **Albator** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 7:36 pm

This thread is born from this jewel that is the "anime is not anime" thread. You know what I'm talking about.

Sequel/prequel/adaptation of past mangas appear more and more frequently. I don't think this kind of things happened in the past. I was just wondering if it is just a temporary trend, or if authors are running out of steam and try to milk as much as they can from a popular idea, or if publishers are pushing this idea. One of our project at EG, Angel Heart, being a typical example of this.

So discuss, do you think it is a bad or good thing? Personally I tend to be pissed off, as not a single one that I've read so far has been up to par (far from it) with the original. Are we entering the Doujinshi era?

Post by **Libaax** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 8:32 pm

It really depends on which manga it is.

For example i love the idea of a sequal to Lone Wolf but there is a sequal to MAR who is just another generic shonen, those kind of mangas we can live without.

Post by **ryusenka** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 9:16 pm

Ugh, I hate sequals/prequals. They're just another way to milk money out of fans who like it too much. Even alternate reality ones are the worst, bad enough american comics have done them so long, now manga is doing them too? We need less NGE and Clamp and more authors who can crank out new titles. I mean, how many more pokemon can they have?

Post by **Libaax** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 11:07 pm

Pokemon? is there still pokemon??

Post by **Albator** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 2:20 am

ryusenka wrote:Ugh, I hate sequals/prequals. They're just another way to milk money out of fans who like it too much. Even alternate reality ones are the worst, bad enough american comics have done them so long, now manga is doing them too? We need less NGE and Clamp and more authors who can crank out new titles. I mean, how many more pokemon can they have?

I wasn't specifically thinking of Pokemon (I learned english with that cartoon, so don't talk smack about it, damnit!), but as far as I've seen the alternate reality stuff is just a way for the author to not care about plotholes and such. Not consistent? Yeah it's alternate reality baby!

Post by **swallow** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 7:54 am

Albator wrote:I wasn't specifically thinking of Pokemon (I learned english with that cartoon, so don't talk smack about it, damnit!)

I can just imagine a younger version of that av, running around in that costume going "Got to catch 'em all! Got to catch 'em all!"

Seriously, I would prefer talking like a power ranger than... well I've forgotten the main character's name. Though Team Rocket was cool.

Animal rights activists had a field day with that cartoon.

Post by **ryusenka** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 2:12 pm

swallow wrote: Animal rights activists had a field day with that cartoon.

I don't see why. Sure there were poachers and stuff but they were all probably vegetarians and all ate soy because they were not gonna kill pokemon to get meat.

Post by **Albator** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 2:45 pm

I don't know, let's see:
1- Animals are pit against each other in battle
2- When done and deemed inconvenient at the moment, they unilateraly have to go back to this lovely and spacious ball. If they don't want to, you have to beat them up first.

I don't see why animals activists wouldn't love that. After all it's not "Gotta eat them all", right?

THread officially derailed, oh well.

Post by **Libaax** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 3:21 pm

Getting back to the subjet, there arent many sequals or prequals cause the best and most popular mangas are written for a long time and the mangaka dont let anyone else ruin it.

So really there is no problem.

Post by **Albator** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 3:30 pm

Try not to think of a particular manga (HNI, if I'm not mistaken), and look at the overall production. Saint Seiya, City Hunter, MAR (not that MAR was any good to begin with), the list is long and growing.

I'm going to take the dumbass example (usually only dumbasses use it as example): Dragon Ball. Dragon Ball was great, Z was alright to a certain point. GT, I'm not going to start. It's notorious that even somebody like Toriyama (by that I mean, you don't have too many mangakas with the leverage of Toriyama) had his hands forced by the studios to keep it going. If I remember well, it should have stopped after the cell saga, after a hefty 25-30 vol (I don't know the exact number).

Result: every retard on the internet amalgam Dragon Ball as the ultimate failure, forgetting how great Dragon Ball was, and was supposed to be. I'm afraid others mangas will follow the same path, because numbers must be made.

Post by **Libaax** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 4:25 pm

It looks its the shitty mangas that try to keep going with sequals these days.

DB was understandable that they wanted to milk it.

GTO i love every version they kan keep making sequals and prequals if they want!!

Post by **Albator** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 4:43 pm

Those were just example, actually you probably know more of them than I do (didn't know GTO had a sequel). I'm not sure the shitty mangas are the only one concerned, as City Hunter is not that bad.

What I get at is that the production of stuffs derived from an original/good serie may denature the original work, and all the morons on the internet will be quick to jump on the bandwagon. I know authors, some of them at least, need money. But I still have this naive idea that once you make it big, authors should care about what they leave behind.

Bah, after all it's just manga. But sometimes I think about how I would just like to pogrom-bitch my City Hunter books, in protest.

Post by **ZombieToaster** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 7:22 am

Hellsing the dawn. people complain that its stupid and random but i think that is what makes it so great

Battle angel alita last order. not read it yet but iv almost only heard good things about it.

also i gotta say that id rather see a short series with sequels than a single series with a gazillion volumes.

Post by **Libaax** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 9:05 am

Albator wrote:Those were just example, actually you probably know more of them than I do (didn't know GTO had a sequel). I'm not sure the shitty mangas are the only one concerned, as City Hunter is not that bad.

What I get at is that the production of stuffs derived from an original/good serie may denature the original work, and all the morons on the internet will be quick to jump on the bandwagon. I know authors, some of them at least, need money. But I still have this naive idea that once you make it big, authors should care about what they leave behind.

Bah, after all it's just manga. But sometimes I think about how I would just like to pogrom-bitch my City Hunter books, in protest.

I know of many sequals but the sequals i have read are good and needed for the story.

Like Battle Angle Alita: Last Order.

Thats the thing my fav mangakas they dont let the craving after money ruin their work. Even the ones that arent as big as the most famous creators like the guys behind,Berserk,Vagabond etc

Like the mangaka of DN, ended short and sweet before it became less good.

Prequals i dont think i have read any.

Post by **Deathbringer** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 10:03 am

ZombieToaster wrote:Hellsing the dawn. people complain that its stupid and random but i think that is what makes it so great

Actually, its the Dawn that makes these last chapters of Hellsing so fucking good (even if they are short as hell), Hirano takes these small conversations and events and keeps adding them up and making them into a huge ball that no ones notices and then he just kicks you in the nuts with it.

Post by **ryusenka** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 4:55 pm

Libaax wrote: GTO i love every version they kan keep making sequals and prequals if they want!!

Yea, this shit got a prequal, an anime, a live-drama, and now it needs a goddamn sequal. GTO FTW!