Ascendance of a Bookworm - anime discussion

[TheGrimLich]

@SleepyTexan I don't know, but I find it completely believable. Then again, perhaps I just don't have the best view of production committees.

[IronDestinyBlaze]

@SleepyTexan Seems the director deleted the tweet. But I've got it available through a discord embed.

JP:

◇本好きちょっといい話◇第３期を作りたくてTOブックスさんに川崎君と頼みに行ったんだよね。決まった後、制作側が全８話を主張したのを國澤さんと私で全10話にしてもらったのです（その後、川崎氏は離脱💦）人生何度目かの超大変な仕事でした。ぜひ観てください第三十六章‼️燃え尽きました（笑）

Google translate:

◇ A little good story about book lovers ◇ I went to ask TO Books with Kawasaki to make the third term. After it was decided, Mr. Kunizawa and I asked Mr. Kunizawa and I to make all 10 episodes that the production side insisted on all 8 episodes (after that, Mr. Kawasaki left 💦) It was a very difficult job for the first time in my life. Please take a look Chapter 36! ️ Burned out (laughs)

Deepl:

◇A book lover's little good story◇ I wanted to make the third season, so I went to TO Books to ask Mr. Kawasaki for help. After the decision was made, the production team insisted on a total of 8 episodes, but Kunisawa-san and I got them to make it a total of 10 (Mr. Kawasaki left after that💦) It was a super hard job for the umpteenth time in my life. Please watch the film, Chapter 36, and I️ burned out!

[TheGrimLich]

@IronDestinyBlaze ...yeah, I can see why he would've deleted that. Probably annoyed the production committee.

[talisein]

10 episodes is already on the low end; 8 episodes is near to dropping out of broadcast to just be an OVA. They committee probably led with 8 so the negotiation would end at 10.

Still, life is rough for the producer. I believe he respects the work; the budget constraints are just so tight..

[arghc]

How long after season 2 ended it it take before season 3 got announced?

[Xyarn]

At least the subtitles didn't butcher her noble name. Also I liked how Benno might not even cared how it might be spelled either.

I honestly wanted to see some zapping happening or at least more on Arno exiting stage left but alas, no. If there ever is a continuation, I hope more of a budget is awarded since so many scenes here needed more time.

[Sekki]

@arghc said in Ascendance of a Bookworm - anime discussion:

How long after season 2 ended it it take before season 3 got announced?

I think it was 2 years? I am not sure. As for season 4 it will take at least 2 years if it gets made at all. That is why they wrapped this season while skipping some things that would hint what would happen in next season (e.g. examination before they move to noble quarter) in order to have soem kind fo ending.

I like how it ended with her going to noble quarter while part one ended while she was going into temple. Shows her progress of her ascension into higher hiearchies.

[TheGrimLich]

I want Season 4. We need to see Wilfried's "Prince and the Pauper" moment.

[Geezer Weasalopes]

While I would love a Season 4, it's a good breaking point, and they did it such that it's a good ending if they never get the green light for further work.

[arghc]

@Sekki said in Ascendance of a Bookworm - anime discussion:

@arghc said in Ascendance of a Bookworm - anime discussion:

How long after season 2 ended it it take before season 3 got announced?

I think it was 2 years? I am not sure. As for season 4 it will take at least 2 years if it gets made at all.

The light novel is (appears to be?) a juggernaut in that realm (or at least among the JNC titles?). Why such diffidence with the anime? Make one season, then the next, then the next. Why wait 2 years between each?

Of course I’m still waiting for season 2 (movie?) Yuri on Ice when I know that a brilliant Canadian figure skater did mocap for it years ago. Double checking with Wikipedia it finished in 2016 and was hugely popular and critically acclaimed … does the Japanese anime industry not like success? Just the IP I happen to like? 😢

[LurkingMcLurk]

@arghc
Season 2 Announcement: 2019-12-06
OVA Announcement: 2019-12-09
Episode 14 Air Date: 2019-12-25
Episode 26 Air Date: 2020-06-20
Season 3 Announcement: 2020-07-12

[xfbph]

@TheGrimLich said in Ascendance of a Bookworm - anime discussion:

I want Season 4. We need to see Wilfried's "Prince and the Pauper" moment.

I really want to see the harspiel concert, and the Pandabus. There's some really fun stuff, especially in Part 3.

P.S. Re-reading this, I guess what I want to see over and over again is Ferdinand making "I can't even" faces.

@Weasalopes said in Ascendance of a Bookworm - anime discussion:

While I would love a Season 4, it's a good breaking point, and they did it such that it's a good ending if they never get the green light for further work.

You're right though, it's not a disaster to end it here. They told Myne's story, and what follows is pretty different. But, I feel like what follows might be even more well-suited to anime adaptation (magical boarding school!), if they can edit it down properly.

[talisein]

@arghc said in Ascendance of a Bookworm - anime discussion:

The light novel is (appears to be?) a juggernaut in that realm (or at least among the JNC titles?). Why such diffidence with the anime? Make one season, then the next, then the next. Why wait 2 years between each?

The popularity of a LN doesn't determine the anime quality, but rather the potential for the anime to draw more of an audience to the LN and/or merch sales.

Bookworm is a fantasy series without much action and no sexy love interests; a rational hypothesis is that the story alone carries the entire audience-drawing potential, so the animation investment need only be the bare minimum. A cynical take could even be that by having fans tweet en masse that the books are so much better is good publicity.

The S3 anime seems to be among Crunchyroll's more popular shows this season, so the story is indeed a draw. If we ever get to Part 4, maybe the committee might decide there's an opportunity to get draw in new audience with flashier animation--ah, sorry, that's the copium talking.

[Owlisbored]

@Weasalopes yeah specially the ending where it say it's over lol. wish they expand it to 2 ep instead of one since there were some very important details cut out in the last few chapters.

[OSRizzo]

@arghc said in Ascendance of a Bookworm - anime discussion:

@Sekki said in Ascendance of a Bookworm - anime discussion:

@arghc said in Ascendance of a Bookworm - anime discussion:

How long after season 2 ended it it take before season 3 got announced?

I think it was 2 years? I am not sure. As for season 4 it will take at least 2 years if it gets made at all.

The light novel is (appears to be?) a juggernaut in that realm (or at least among the JNC titles?). Why such diffidence with the anime? Make one season, then the next, then the next. Why wait 2 years between each?

Of course I’m still waiting for season 2 (movie?) Yuri on Ice when I know that a brilliant Canadian figure skater did mocap for it years ago. Double checking with Wikipedia it finished in 2016 and was hugely popular and critically acclaimed … does the Japanese anime industry not like success? Just the IP I happen to like? 😢

It's all about blueray sales. In Japan. The LN sales don't matter, the merchandise sales don't matter., and especially the international sales don't matter. The production companies don't give a crap about foreign sales. One could argue that if they cared about it even a little bit, they could make a lot more money, but they are stuck in the past. (This is common in a lot of Japanese industries, they tend to be really inflexible and a lot of the people in control are dinosaurs that still act like it's the 80's or the 90's.)

[Angelus]

@OSRizzo said in Ascendance of a Bookworm - anime discussion:

It's all about blueray sales. In Japan. The LN sales don't matter, the merchandise sales don't matter., and especially the international sales don't matter.

I think you have that totally the wrong way around. Physical media were last decade's thing. Streaming revenue is the largest source of income now, and a lot of that comes from abroad, like China. For some anime, they're simply ads for the manga/LN/game/whatever so the sales of those carry a lot of weight when it comes to determining whether or not there is another season. (EDIT) Remembered the series that proves the point here, Chihayafuru. It got two follow-on two-cours series despite having mediocre disk sales because the manga sales rocketed.

OK, so there are exceptions, like Jashin-chan, for instance, but that was a kind of gimmick, tying another season to exact BD sales. In general, if you see somebody start throwing numbers around and saying stuff like "You need X number of BD sales to get a second season", that's a sure sign they don't know much about how anime is funded.

[Gamen]

@OSRizzo Notably, anime can now have their episode budgets mostly or entirely covered by licensing: https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2021-08-02/how-much-does-it-cost-to-license-anime-series/.175579

[Sam Pinansky]

Whether you like it or not, Bookworm sells only a fraction of the big shounen titles in Japan and the west. It's only those that get continuous long running anime, the economics just aren't there for that otherwise.
So let's hope the slow wait for a possible season 4 and beyond isn't so long!

[Sekki]

@Sam-Pinansky When you see successful animes like One Piece and compare quality of writting it does not even get close to Bookworm. Problem is that ppl want action over substance. Just look at Marvel movies (pre Corona ones). They earned lots of money and are quite popular but when you take closer look you see that moveis are hollow fluff. It is basically bunch of cool scenes that you can cut and put on youtube.

I preffer story over visuals. One of my favorite animes is 12 Kingdoms and it has horrible animation. Sadly I am in minority with such oppinion. As long as things stay that way good books like Bookworm will strugle to get fully adapted.

[Rahul Balaggan]

Hello,

Let's leave all the real world politically charged comments for another site.

Thank you