From: Mark Lybrand MSN COM> Date: 26 sep 2002 Subject: Re: Promoting Shogi overseas (was: HABU INTERVIEW (revised)) > > Here in the US, Hikaru no Go is virtually unknown, except by people > > who are really into manga, really into anime or really into go. > > True and seeing I'm really into anime/manga I guess Isorta dragged all my > friends into it as well :) So I guess *my* friends are not indicative of > the normal populous. I don't know. It would depend on what the future brings for Hikaru. Maybe enough of the *abnormal* people have gotten normal people involved and it gains tremendously in popularity, at least reaching Dragonball Z status... hell! even if it only gets to Gundam status or even Cowboy BeBop status, that would be a big step. Good Lord only knows what kind of popularity the game of go would achieve if Hikaru became as popular as Pokemon!!! > > > I am enjoying the manga series that I found fan-subbed, and I don't > > doubt that it "could" become popular in the West. I just don't see it > > getting the necessary publicity; it would probably have to reach > > Pokemon or at least Digimon proportions for any real impact. The same > > would be true of any anime or manga about Shogi. > > Yes, so the Shogi Federation just has to make a kids anime of shogi that > will be popular amongs kids and then you'll have a shogi version of > pokemon ;) > With enough marketing, it might be able to go mainstream. But that would be a large, uphill battle. Assuming, of course, you had the talent and the seed capital to even start on such a project... don't know what kind of funds the Shogi Federation has to throw around... and, of course, you would have to convince them that it is a good idea, even if they have that kind of funding and the will to risk such an undertaking. The Go Federation with Hikaru is another story... lower investment since there are already popular manga and anime available, just not in "official English translation"... > RAZA 2002 BTW, Raza, where did the name "Raza" come from? Mark :)