In what can only be described as a landslide election, the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan lost approximately 300 of 480 Diet seats.
Taro “Rozen” Aso was quoted by Associated Press as saying, “There has been a deep dissatisfaction with our party.” Visitors to the official website of the LDP were greeted with the promise, “We will change what should be changed, and begin anew.”
Anime Diet previously reported on the economic woes that have plagued Japan in recent years, and Prime Minister Aso‘s unique association with the manga and anime industry. His “Japan Cool” campaign attempted to leverage the popularity of anime and manga as Japan’s “Soft Power,” but the numbers didn’t seem to add up.
Does this turn of events herald a dark era for animation?
I don’t think the DPJ will change all that much when it comes to animation since they have much more pressing concerns. That said, if a dark era of animation was about to begin, then I don’t think they would do much to intervene either. More important will be the economic reforms they seemingly have the mandate to enact, and if they do succeed the animation industry could benefit by proxy.
well, if Japan’s economy can recover with better leadership and new economic strategies that work, it may benefit the industry indirectly. On the other hand, the industry needs to stop pumping out the same old stuff every season.
Canaan would be a great way toward rectifying that.
poor Aso and his LDP… but I guess, they’ll be back again, in the next 50 years.
hurray for the the Alien: Hatoyama. 😀