100 Days Later, a crocodile that had become a huge hit in the past, got into a firestorm right after the last episode when a huge media mix and merchandise release was announced.
We’ll examine what exactly went wrong by comparing it to the previous “Kemofre” fiasco.
Disruption of “self-grown content
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It’s still fresh in our minds that “100 Days Later, You’ll Die Crocodile”, which had gathered over 2 million followers and dominated the trend rankings on the day it was updated for the last time and was ranked No. 1 in the world, immediately followed by the announcement of a huge media mix and a massive rollout of merchandise, which resulted in a firestorm.
Some of the voices of disappointment that “the blatant business development ruined the aftermath” and “it was all a preparation from the beginning” are noticeable, while some calm opinions such as “the business development itself is legitimate, but the timing of the announcement was wrong”, “there were too many goods and it gave the impression of being carefully prepared”, and “it was a work about death that smelled of money too lightly” can be seen in various places.
All of them have a point, and the fact that a trademark registration had been filed as of January 16 (day 36) seems to have added to the negative image.
This 100 crocodile flare-up seems to have reminded some people of the “Kemofre riot” that happened in 2017.
In fact, if you only look at the outline of the explosion of heartwarming content and the subsequent firestorm that ensued in a different area than the content of the work, the two riots are quite similar.
And perhaps the biggest similarity of all is the fact that fans are aware of the fact that they are the content they grew up with.
100 Alligator is unique in that, as the title suggests, it presents the main character, the alligator, as dying from the beginning and counts down the days until his death.
Many readers were impressed by the fact that even the most casual depiction of everyday life could be made to seem poignant and profound by the addition of the words “days to go”.
Users who are strongly interested in a work and expand their imagination by interpreting various descriptions in their own way are known as “think tanks”.
There are many twists and turns that the author did not anticipate, but they show a wide range of opinions, and there are also many deep thoughts that make the reader think about the work.
There are many people who became fans because they found the works to be highly significant and noble through their deep reading of the study groups.
For this reason, works that have been the subject of many thought groups can explode in popularity.
The most famous of these works is probably Eva.
And in recent years, “Friends of Kemono Friends” is a good example.
A characteristic of the study group is that they have a strong attachment to the work and interpret most of the elements favorably.
The assumption is that the author gives meaning to every description and creates and presents his or her work based on a solid idea….
As I think about it, my desires, such as “This work must have been created with this theme in mind” or “This description is connected to the theme for this reason,” walk alone, and I build up an ideal image of myself.
Consideration itself is never a bad thing, even if it goes a little too far.
Forcing one’s own ideas on others is a problem, but having one’s own interpretation and disseminating one’s ideas is in itself healthy.
Therefore, the existence of the Thinking Group itself should not be denied.
On the other hand, there are some members of the Thinking Group who are so attached to a work that they are aware that their own thinking has enhanced it and that they have nurtured it.
Even if it doesn’t go that far, many fans will feel a sense of unity as their popularity is ignited and they grow together.
This is especially true for fans who have had their eyes on them since the beginning.
In such a situation, the resentment that comes from feeling “betrayed” will be even greater.
The uproar over “Memo-FREE” was a success story in which the game version didn’t do well and the anime version, which started under the worst circumstances, was a huge success thanks to the skill of director Tatsuki, and the fact that it was betrayed by the director’s board made fans react violently.
However, if the film had been a normal hit, the same process wouldn’t have led to such a firestorm.
The deprivation of a place that was a dream paradise for deep fans, including the consideration team, created a more fierce bashing.
The same is true for the 100 crocodile, and if it was simply “disgust at the exposure of a graphic business story from heartwarming content,” it might not have caused as much of a stir as it did if it was just a story.
However, just like Kemofre, this work, like Kemofre, may have led to a firestorm of controversy because of the watering down of fans who had grown to love and enjoy the world of Kemofre.
Additionally, what both disturbances have in common is that it is a major company that has been spearheaded as the cause of both disturbances.
It is impossible for outsiders to know the truth, but when it is rumored that a major company is involved, it is natural for fans to feel that they have been pushed around by their own convenience and tricks and that the content they have worked so hard to promote and nurture in unison has been destroyed or is just an illusion.
That backlash, combined with a distrust of hasty commercial development, seems to have created a bias where most elements are interpreted in a negative way, contrary to the days when the work was considered favorably.
