Lack of “conviction” and discrepancy with the theme of the work
生きる。https://t.co/fvfunOYJqD pic.twitter.com/usgNEMuqXV
— きくちゆうき (@yuukikikuchi) 2020年3月20日
Although the two riots have a lot in common, there are some crucial differences.
Even after the uproar, the view that Kemofre was a hit is unanimously agreed that it was a natural occurrence, while for the 100 crocodile, some say that it was the author’s idea that made it a hit, while others say that the idea itself wasn’t necessarily a personal one and doubt that it was an intentional ploy.
The difference between the two lies in the presence or absence of “conviction”.
Immediately after Kemofre ended, there were no major commercial moves, only collaborations with Tobu Zoo and other works that fit the content of the anime.
Some people might say, “I don’t know why it was a hit in terms of content,” but I think most people were satisfied with how it became a hit and what happened before the uproar.
I get the impression that the commercial development after the last episode of One Way or 100 Alligators is not as convincing as it could have been.
It’s not that uncommon for online creations that get a lot of “likes” early on to be approached by a major company, who then acts as a point of contact to start a business.
That major company may be able to negotiate with many companies at the same time and launch many projects in a short period of time.
The tremendous amount of merchandise that they produce may not be known to the general public, and it may not take so long to order and produce them.
For the film adaptation project, they may have decided to skip the marketing and other preparations that should have been done and just announce the project even before the production is finalized.
If it is a work that is easy to calculate the revenue, such as the second season of a popular anime or a film adaptation, then it would have been better to make the announcement as a last minute decision. There are rare cases where this is done, but it’s too risky to do it in a film where the demand for the footage is unknown But still, this time, I’m betting on 100 alligators, even if it’s not common sense! It may have been a wise decision.
However, if you believe in the power of your work that much, you don’t have to make an announcement that could be interpreted as a plan to “sell out as soon as possible before people get bored”.
If their business strategy is based on “not wanting to miss a sale,” then of course they should also consider the basic strategy of “not doing anything that would degrade the brand of the work.
These inconsistencies have also created a situation where even the work itself has been called into question.
I don’t know exactly what kind of work the author had in mind for 100 Crocodiles, or what the publicists found appealing about the film, but at least 100 Crocodiles seems to be about the exact opposite of “rushing through life”.
It’s natural for many people to question and feel unconvinced that a business development that is at odds with such a theme has taken place.
I can’t help but feel that more than a few people have lost touch with what the work was trying to convey or what it was trying to depict because of the serious discrepancy between the theme and the way it was marketed.
Summary
One of the most criticized endings in fiction is the “dream ending”.
It ends by saying that everything the protagonist has seen up to that point has been a dream.
People who have been exposed to the work as something that happened in real life can’t understand it if the premise is overturned.
100 Crocodiles is not a dream, and the protagonist dies on the 100th day, as was predicted.
However, at least some of the readers seem to have the same sense of escapism as the dream-ochi.
I think that’s very disappointing and a shame.
