What makes you think that China's own version has not been in the works and applied full spectrum? Just because you're not noticing them in a more overt way doesn't mean it's not being implemented.
Chinese Soft Power and Media Discussion and Updates
- Thread starter tankphobia
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Are you serious? We're just going to dismiss the legendary director of the Samurai Seven - Akira Kurosawa.
We shouldn't be dismissive of Japanese cultural efforts in promoting their own Heritage globally just because their live action film industry has been largely overshadowed by the much recognized and better known medium that is Japanese Anime.
Kurosawa is only really famous amongst film buffs and serious Japanophiles. I'm not talking about his skills as a filmmaker, I'm talking of popularity and cultural promotion. In that respect, you can't deny Shogun and even The Last Samurai played way bigger rolls in making Japan a sexy tourist destination for Westerners than Seven Samurai.
One can even argue that HK Kung Fu cinema had a bigger cultural impact in the US than Japanese Samurai films of the 50s-60s did.
Chinese media isn't going to get more popular in other countries because they start catering to Western audiences. Chinese media companies simply aren't good at that and their efforts are just going to look pathetic. Just look at all the Hollywood productions that were aimed directly at Chinese audiences - they all missed their mark badly because they didn't know what they were doing.
It's better to simply continue doing what these are good at. Plenty of Chinese media has gained popularity in Southeast Asia and other places without having to compromise. Sure, a lot of it is because these places have a lot of Chinese diaspora, but if the quality wasn't there, then they wouldn't have gotten popular. My take is that if the quality is there, the material will be able to find new audiences. And if the quality isn't there then it doesn't deserve to.
Also, I'd note that Chinese media gaining popularity overseas doesn't have to mean popularity in the West specifically. Sure, this might be the ideal goal, but China faces a lot more obstacles to this than other countries do, and it's possibly more valuable to be successful in other regions. For example, China gaining soft power in Southeast Asia or the Middle East might be more meaningful than doing so in Europe.
It's better to simply continue doing what these are good at. Plenty of Chinese media has gained popularity in Southeast Asia and other places without having to compromise. Sure, a lot of it is because these places have a lot of Chinese diaspora, but if the quality wasn't there, then they wouldn't have gotten popular. My take is that if the quality is there, the material will be able to find new audiences. And if the quality isn't there then it doesn't deserve to.
Also, I'd note that Chinese media gaining popularity overseas doesn't have to mean popularity in the West specifically. Sure, this might be the ideal goal, but China faces a lot more obstacles to this than other countries do, and it's possibly more valuable to be successful in other regions. For example, China gaining soft power in Southeast Asia or the Middle East might be more meaningful than doing so in Europe.
Most soft power actually comes directly from the hard power of economics and technical advancements.
This reminds me of a novel：“Elf Date Masamune/Date Elf Masamune/伊達エルフ政宗”
This is the most bizarre novel I have ever saw.
The novelist Kisetsu Morita（森田 季節）is a writer who pursues productivity, so his works often end halfway. This novel is no exception, ending after only four volumes, which is not considered a very long work among light novels.
The theme of this novel is quite niche. I haven't seen any translation, and I don't understand Japanese, so buying this book is pointless.
The primary reason I mention it here is that the novel's approach can be considered one of the most extreme examples of fantasy theme stories in Japan.
Japanese creators often engage in secondary creation of races from the Western fantasy story worldview, and then tell a story with a Japanese style. As you can see, this character is an extreme manifestation of such a phenomenon. The author simply abandoned the background of the Western fantasy world and directly used the "Sengouku Jidai" of Japan. The main characters are all Japanese-style Western fantasy races, such as this elf, Date Masamune.
Actually, I really like this style. A completely Japanese story is much better than a Western-style worldview with stereotypes and RPG game elements. Unfortunately, not many people make such attempts. I occasionally see characters with this style, but they are often only secondary elements in the story.
I agree with this point. These media outlets are unable to effectively convey even the stories of the Chinese people themselves. If they cater to the stereotypes of the West (especially Hollywood), it will be a complete disaster.
Over the past years, many renowned directors have produced numerous terrible films solely to cater to the "Western market" (or, to put it more plainly, to win the Oscar Award). Especially Zhang Yimou, we can all see his excessive obsession with the Oscar award.
What you think?
Has anyone watched Ling Cage animated series? This is one of the best anime ever.