So now that Megatokyo will have a Japanese language version...

[EricTheFred]

... Can we hope for the anime version?

Heh.

This news hit while I was on vacation this summer, and I didn't hear about it until today. MEGATOKYO is going to get a Japanese language version, published by Kodansha and going onto the bookstore shelves in 2008. I presume this is a tankoubon release, since the article didn't mention a magazine that it would serialize in.

This is one of my favorite webcomics, and I love the way it has evolved into a fascinating and surreal story, especially the constant intermixing of normal-verse, fantasy-verse and occasional game-verse.

I hope the Japanese manga audience enjoys this thing as much as the webcomic audience has for so many years.

[ClosetOtaku]

Oh, please, no. I can't imagine anyone doing Largo's voice...

[Alexander]

*stomps over to the website and starts reading the web comic after being WAY overdue*

Grumble grumble...

[EricTheFred]

Oh, please, no. I can't imagine anyone doing Largo's voice...

Largo, nothing. Try to imagine what they would have to do for the voice of "L33T d00d"

Regardless, it would all be worth it, just to see what the animators did with Ping or the darkly cute 3vil ch1xor...

[minakichan]

No way, it's way too niche. Targeting otaku is one thing-- stuff like Genshiken and Welcome to the NHK is popular enough-- but Japanese otaku probably aren't going to really grasp that much of Megatokyo, and it's highly, highly unlikely that anyone in Japan would make an anime for gaijin Japan-obsessed otaku either.

[Nate]

I can't see it succeeding in Japan, honestly. In fact, I'm not even sure why it's succeeding in America...but that's a rant for another day.

[RidleyofZebes]

*sigh* I just can't see this as an anime. Heck, I'm not even sure how they got the l33t to translate into Japanese.

I will say, though, that this topic inspired me to finally go over and read this 'MegaTokyo' thing I'd heard of, and I am now captivated by it. I can relate in so many different ways.

[EricTheFred]

Okay, guys? The anime thing was a joke. It would be fun, but I know it ain't gonna happen.

I still love MT, though, and I'm still tickled that it's finally going to sell in Japan. I'm still curious how they'll handle l33t dude's dialog, though. I'm going to be forced to get a copy of the Japanese version just to learn the answer to this.

[Sammy Boy]

I still love MT, though, and I'm still tickled that it's finally going to sell in Japan. I'm still curious how they'll handle l33t dude's dialog, though. I'm going to be forced to get a copy of the Japanese version just to learn the answer to this.

I think some things that we find interesting and funny in the end are bound to be cultural, l33t 5p43k will be nigh impossible to do... Maybe they should use Katakana with captions at the bottom to explain? But it won't be as much fun.

I think it's a testament to the popularity and strength of the Megatokyo storyline that what was essentially an English manga is going to be translated into Japanese. Of course, the story was kinda about being in Japan, but still.

[Etoh*the*Greato]

Okay, guys? The anime thing was a joke. It would be fun, but I know it ain't gonna happen.

I still love MT, though, and I'm still tickled that it's finally going to sell in Japan. I'm still curious how they'll handle l33t dude's dialog, though. I'm going to be forced to get a copy of the Japanese version just to learn the answer to this.

Nah, it'd never get translated in to anime. I mean, yeah it'd have an interesting and somewhat engaging plot, but the episodes would only come out when the animators felt like it, and it would occasionally break in the middle of a story line to purues some random completely unrelated project much to the chagrin of the viewers. every couples of weeks there would be an episode that consisted of a slidehow of pretty doodles one or the other of the animators did.

[RidleyofZebes]

Nah, it'd never get translated in to anime. I mean, yeah it'd have an interesting and somewhat engaging plot, but the episodes would only come out when the animators felt like it, and it would occasionally break in the middle of a story line to purues some random completely unrelated project much to the chagrin of the viewers. every couples of weeks there would be an episode that consisted of a slidehow of pretty doodles one or the other of the animators did.

XD That wins!

[minakichan]

They'd probably use all SHIFT_JIS art instead of 1337 XD