How do you invite your friends to the Key universe? (without spoiling it)

Key Discussion
#1

Hello fellow fans,

How do you invite your friends to the Key universe?

How do you “tempt” them without telling too much, and at the same time encouraging them to watch and/or read Key’s productions?

  • One of the most difficult things to do these days is that they’ll most likely do an extremely simple search on Google (to watch the OP for example) and YouTube will show lists of related videos, full of spoilers.
    Some of them are simple words in the title of the video, they are something that is hardly to be ignored, we tend to read the titles automatically, without thinking.
    I just suggest them to avoid spoilers, but without putting too much emphasis on it.
    It is just like when with kids: if you say don’t do it, they’ll most likely do it.

Anyway,
This is how I do it: Come to think about it, it is like (little Clannad spoiler) the same method used by Tomoyo to achieve perfect assistance to class. I just “suggest” them to watch/read it vaguely, but without putting too much emphasis on it. (inside I’m really hoping that they will not see anything).

I just mention the name of the VN/Anime so it sticks on their head, as something interesting (I don’t say: hey, this is awesome and you must watch/read it). I may even buy them a DVD/BD so they don’t have to recur to the Internet.

Ergo, by making them to watch it as a “meh” thing, they will be unprepared for the deep experiences they are going to feel in the 90% of the cases, imho. Oh, and I just mention that it is handy to watch it entirely. They have to have patience, in order to understand it (sound like a mission, heh).

How do you invite them? Do you even care? (the last option is valid of course)…

Peace

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Introduce Yourself!
#2

This is truly my age old question. Most of my friends are nowhere near as big of anime fans as I am for instance I have one who will call me up every once in a while and ask for a recommendation with the vague descriptor of “you know what kind of stuff I like” and to give you a vague idea of that the last show I hooked him on was Parasyte.

So looking at these circumstances it really is hard to try to get the old Key hook in the figurative fish. Me and Iotheria have been pushing one of our buddies to watch Clannad for around 3 years now I think and its like he has this inbuilt resistance to it for some strange reason. We did get him to watch Little Busters though so there may still be hope for the lost child.

Outstanding circumstances aside I think the best way to get someone into Key is to tell them exactly what they are going to get sans details. My pitch line would run something to the effect of “…in Key you are getting more than just stories, you are getting stories containing characters that feel real, stories that you can make an emotional connection with thereby furthering your attachment to a character to a level of more than ‘muh waifu’, with just a splash or sprinkling really of Key magic.”

Sell em what they’re getting with a lemon free warranty. Of if all else fails tell them Angel Beats involves a bunch of high schoolers running around with weapons and basically inciting chaos and hope something sticks. lol

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#3

Probably we should lie to them. Like: “This is an action anime”, “a sexy thing” or “a funny story”…
Sometimes I believe that’s the way Key still uses in order to promote their products.

Naturally, in Japan, nowadays they all know what to expect from Key. Laughs and tears. But, I think that’s not the case in Occident, yet.

— By the way, I’d like to mention that I know several people who already knew what to expect before watching or reading a Key production, some of them were even spoiled about some very important events… and yet, they still loved (and cried a lot!) while “experiencing” the story.

Perhaps it’s a little bit like the old saying: “it’s not the same to know the road, than to travel it”.

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#4

This was me 100 percent. I accidentally spoiled Clannad for myself without knowing anything about it. After I finished the first season I went looking to see if there was a second and ended up on Wikipedia which proceeded to tell me EVERYTHING about After Story. Still lost it at the sunflower field.

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#5

Basically, you don’t want to. One less fan is one less person to argue with.
If you tell someone to watch a show because it’s good, you are putting the show down. Don’t give some sappy monologue about emotions and “it’s more than a cartoon.” That stuff will just annoy people. Also, definitely don’t watch it with them. It generally detracts from the experience unless you are both new to it.

First, they have to be into anime. Don’t use Clannad or something as a gateway anime unless the person discovers it and watches it of their own free will.
Personally, I have a list of gateway anime that I can recommend without making my friend part of a circlejerk I hate. It derives from this video of amazing ED execution, which has spoilers for every anime I’m about to list.
Most of these anime are either considered the best of their season, or widely regarded as forgotten gems.

Steins;Gate - For Scifi fans, reddit-ers, or people active in the bbs age of past. Good introduction to a lot of anime terms and Japanese names.
Code Geass - For fans of strategy games or big robots. It’s a good smart-action anime with enough twists and characters to keep someone interested. It gives viewers a bit of passion for Japan too.
Clannad - For the drama comedy fans. The people close with family get this one, but as I said before, it’s best to let them watch it when they want.
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 - Good for the documentary nuts or the Ghibli fans. It’s a slow one, and there isn’t that much to really invest in, but there is a big crowd for this stuff.
HOTD - Despite the annoyingly over-the-top sexualization of characters, this show is the perfect zombie show full of energy and memorability. For those who love zombie movies, or thrillers, or survival-based media, or even the glorious Kurosaki Maon.
Rainbow: Nisha Rokubou no Shichinin - A really nice show for the other side of the thriller spectrum. Zombies too silly? Have a dark look at the imprisonment of a great cast. It works well with history buffs or psychologists too~
School Days - We all know this show. It’s the perfect opposite to Clannad. A romance drama, turned up to 11. Lots of people don’t like the show, but it IS a good gateway show, simply because of how different it is to what is expected.
Sola - The good one before Sora no Method. A nice fantasy romance, but the fantasy isn’t too important. People with an appreciation of nature will like this one, however it can serve a similar purpose to School Days. Different enough to be memorable.
Mobile Suit Gundam 00 - Gundam is a big name. It’s something for collectors, for mech fans, for action fans, and for drama fans. 00 is pretty much the pinnacle of the franchise from the perspective of a modern western audience. The more tolerant or aged people might prefer one of the older titles in the franchise though.
Zegapain - This show is one of my all-time favorites. I don’t like the mech genre, but this is still one of my favorites. Anyone with a love of scifi, or of computers, or with an upbringing revolving around 90s Saturday morning cartoons, will love this show. Oh, and what better way to introduce HanaKana? This is her at her best, and she wasn’t even experienced then.
Higurashi - Horror and mystery fans rejoice. Similar in vain to School Days in that it’s more than expected, but for a different audience. I’ve seen 6 year olds love this show, and I’ve seen 40 year olds love this show. The animation is bad, the voice acting is iffy, and the story is convoluted until you put in enough time… but you don’t notice any of those things with your first anime. It’s the best time to watch Higurashi, because it’s flaws won’t be apparent.
Mushishi - Someone already interested in Japanese culture? Someone big on nature? Someone who likes to think about how everyone they see has a story to tell. Follow this up with Kino no Tabi or Kaiba, and you’ve got them hooked.
AnoHana - Similar to Clannad, but with more focus on friendship. Show this to the guy who is stuck reminiscing his childhood, or those who are just about to leave their old life behind. A midlife crisis might prime you for this too.
Black Lagoon - For the 80s guys and the brooding teens.Seriously though, it has a wide appeal. Action story, about smuggling and pirating, with a strong good looking female taking the lead? May as well be the non-scifi Alien of anime.
Ef - This is pretty much the safe ground between Clannad and Anohana. It’s focused on current affairs, and on friendship, but family isn’t too important. It shares the same audience as the two, but it’ll appeal to writers too. It’s nice for Christmas as well.
Madoka - I hate this show, but I don’t hate the fans, so I accept it as a gateway anime! Those who grew up with Sailor Moon or CCS, or any girly cartoon show, will probably like this. It also follows the trend in that it’s different enough from the norm to be memorable. Don’t give this to someone who doesn’t like magical girls though. It’s boring.

If their first wasn’t Clannad, don’t rush them to it. Show them the sights, and lead them to the genre. Anyone looking for a romance drama will find Clannad. I say Clannad, because Kanon isn’t as welcoming, and the first season of Litbus is even worse than Clannad’s.

Naturally after finishing a story you get caught with the “I want to know more” bug, and from there people will discover VNs, and then Key.

The big anime work too. I got a few friends into anime via Naruto, and they all branched out into watching totally different genres. One one side there was Elfen Lied, and Daily Lives the other.

For some strange reason? That seems perfectly normal to me. I sat through the Internet hype of Code Geass R2, and didn’t watch the show until this year.
Sure a show might be good, but I’ve heard it’s name so much that I just don’t care about it anymore. When I eventually run out of average or better anime, I’ll give it a try.

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General Anime Discussion
#6

Thats the thing though he’s what I would describe as a casual anime fan most of the shows he watches comes from our recommendation anyway its not like he has heard about Clannad ad nauseam we literally told him about it for the first time about a year ago. Everything else we’ve recommended (Higurashi aside since he’s squeamish) he has watched just Clannad has been a catch for him and like i said its not cause he thinks he wouldn’t like the material…he has no idea what its about lol.

Back to the original topic side of things I took this as how do I get my anime watching friends into Key it becomes a different monster all together if they aren’t already anime fans. I wouldn’t start them off with a key series for a first time.

#7

The other thing is, despite what we might all want to believe, Key just isn’t for everyone. Its for a lot of people, sure. But you’re gonna get people who hate things that make them cry, people that just dont care about or appreciate any of the themes and aspects of Key’s works.

Obviously, it all ends up really just depending on the person. I showed my sister, who didn’t even know what anime was, one episode of CLANNAD and she was immediately hooked. It made me really happy, but I wasn’t expecting it at all.

See though, I don’t even have any anime watching friends. Is the only way to get into Key really by first trying to get someone into anime, and then trying to convince them to watch a certain one? With all the people here who watched CLANNAD as their first anime, I think it can work pretty darn well.

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#8

hmm nice question, I do it this way.
I always choose Clannad since it is more of the “normal” animes that almost everyone can like. So I start with saying “yo man have you seen clannad?” and then wait for them if they say yes or no.
If yeah well I just mention that the Key made it and that they also have VN’s (if they dont know about it). And also mention other works they have done and that its similiar in some way. So why not check it out.
If they didnt see it, I suggest seeing it first (idk why but I just feel like clannad is good as a first anime from all Keys works — I may be wrong i just feel like that). I alway say this “its a really cool slice of life anime that has deep meanings about family, friendship and stuff. It changed my life and so did to many others, would you consider watching it? I would gladly dicsuss anything you have on mind, open to it.”
Aaaaaand 80% of the times they say they will watch it. I think its a good way of NOT spoiling anything and yet telling them how beautiful it is.

#9

The problem with Clannad is that it is slow. Nothing really happens. The only payoff is near the end of AS, if you like the Furukawas. It might be good, but is the average person going to invest so much time into a show from a medium that is looked down on?

That would make me not want to watch it ._. “Slice of life” isn’t a common term outside of anime, and it doesn’t sound very exciting. Saying it has deep meanings both creates expectation and isn’t very telling. Almost everything has deep meaning, and really… do I want that in my relaxation time?
Saying it changed your life is just overkill though. For the positive people, they will expect something life changing. For the negative people… “seriously, your life was changed by a single cartoon? What did it change into? It can’t have been much before.”

Those people you convinced to watch it are weird people~ A lot of these suggestions would creep out anyone I know.

#10

Umm, I think being honest is the best way to go here. Like you said, CLANNAD is slow, so if you don’t like it for what it really is, then you’re not gonna like it.
If you think describing what its about is gonna make someone not want to watch it, then don’t describe it. If you really recommend it and say its really good, then people who respect you and your opinion might look into it.
I know you and everyone you know seems to be exceptionally skeptical, Taka, but there are a ton of people out there who will do something simply because a friend recommends it.

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#11

The short answer for me is I don’t. Most of my friends don’t watch anime at all and for the few that do, they aren’t really interested in the genres I’m into. The only person I’ve ever really tried getting into anime is my sister. I’m not quite sure how but when I bought Air on dvd a few years ago we watched it together and she loved it. I bought Kanon shortly after and we watched that together as well and she loved it just as much as Air.

Now this is where I learned that you really shouldn’t try hard to get people to watch anything because I feel it will affect their judgement of the series. I’ve tried on and off for the past year or so to get her to watch Clannad with me but for whatever reason we never get past the first disc. Generally I just say something along the lines of “Hey I’m going to watch Clannad did you want to watch?” as like hey, I’m already set on doing this, you can join in if you want but you don’t have to. Also, watching things on a tv without headphones can intrigue people with the audio and vision.

As far as gateway Key works, honestly, I’d probably show Air to people who hadn’t watched any anime if only that it’s very ‘normal’ for an anime and is told concisely at 12 episodes. When I say ‘normal’ I mean avoiding a lot of differences between anime and western media that can really turn people off. It has absolutely zero creepy sexualisation of any characters, doesn’t over indulge in a lot of (what I find) cringe-worthy anime comedy, has a good dub and is just all around a really beautiful watch if nothing else. I think also that it is so different to people’s pre-conceived notions of what anime is in it’s lack of action and focus entirely on the characters that it can really help open people’s minds to other key works. I’m sure I’m biased but I know I’m right at least about the ‘normalness’ at least compared to some other adapted key works and especially compared to other anime.

And then of course there’s Angel Beats which is a little polar opposite to Air but is also another great gateway Key show at 12 episodes. It’s great for people who get hooked with action and amazing visuals and I imagine the emotional depth of the show is deceptive at first with its strong focus on action.

I’d have to agree with Clannad not being the greatest gateway series, 48 episodes across both seasons is a lot to get through for new people but if they are hooked by the first season then by all means go for it!

As for the VNs, not that I’ve played any (yet!) but I definitely feel that starting with anime is the way to get most people into them. That turned into a longer post than I would have liked but either way that’s my two cents :slight_smile:

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#12

I agree with that. Say “oh you should watch blahblahblah. It’s your type of thing. Slow at first, but worth it.”
Don’t say “It’s life changing! It’s so deep and beautiful you will love it omg really!”

Be respectful, not overly enthusiastic. You’ll come off to forceful.

#13

Oh my god this is my life. Trying to get people on Key stuff or Umineko is just like, a constant battle, like my friends actively try to resist it. I guess I’ve been too passionate and pushy…

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#14

Like me and planetarian.
I bought it for people and they still just #Nope.
It’s amazing, really. They just don’t care, really. It isn’t worth the hours of time the have and would rather spend doing nothing.

#15

Pushing people into it is bound to lead to a negative experience, I think. It’s tough but I think the only way to do it is to intrigue them without looking like you’re trying to force them into it.

I really want to play this! Planetarian is the one piece of Key media I have almost zero knowledge of and I’m really looking foward to playing it.

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#16

Exactly thats my point.
@Takafumi I wouldnt call my friends weird, and also I dont always say it the way I just described, I may use different phrases or words and it really works most of the times.
True clannad is slow
Yerian said it clearly, If I have a feeling they might like it I try to introduce them to it, if not I leave it be. You might not be pleased by the way I said it, and I agree Im being overly enthusiastic, but sometimes I think its good to show your own experience and feelings with it.

#17

I don’t agree with this sentiment… How I view it is, as others have said, to perhaps downplay it or just mention it casually (like you said in the first post). If you tell them it’s one thing (like “action”) then they might resent it for having experienced it a different way. @Kanon mentioned something to that effect in the Hibiki no Mahou / Hibiki’s Magic General Discussion thread. (He went into the story expecting it to be something different than what it was. He had to adjust his expectation to enjoy it.) I have had similar experiences as well, though I don’t recall specifics.

Now, as for how I invite people to watch Key shows (or read the VNs) I haven’t done that recently. My first attempt was I gave a recommendation to a friend and mentioned “This was the first thing I’ve watched that actually made me cry,” to which he showed intrigue and asked about the show. However, I didn’t get the impression he would actively watch it (rather, I felt it would be a passively watched thing where specific moments would be missed and he just wouldn’t care in general, if he even watched it at all). So after that I mentioned “Actually, you probably shouldn’t watch it. I don’t think it’s the type of show you’d like.” The person in question isn’t a fan of anime, and Clannad isn’t a good gateway for someone into survival/documentary-type stuff like he is. I figure that if he ends up liking anime that maybe he’d find it on his own.

On the other hand, I shipped a set of games and DVDs to a friend who is a fan of anime. It contained some Key stuff (Air, Kanon), but also a few other things. This person is usually busy, so I have no idea when they’ll get to it. They did say they were interested though. (However I think that’s just a passive interest.)

As for whether I care, I think I care too much when it comes to these things. The stories themselves I’ve grown incredibly attached to. If I recommend that story, this thing that has (in a way) become a part of myself, to someone else and they don’t like it? Then, even though I consciously don’t care, subconsciously (as all humans do) there’s that crave for validation, and their negative reaction will make a stab at it. If someone I don’t know is dismissive of those stories, then I don’t care. If someone I personally know says something bad about them, then I also don’t care that much. But it would still bother me.

#18

I was only ever able to invite one of my friends to the Key universe and I was really casual about it. I was like “Oh this series is funny and dramatic and has a game. It’s pretty emotional and will probably make you cry” and they eventually ended up playing the game without me pushing them to do it.

I guess it’s just one of those things that you just have to be pretty open about it and, eventually, the people who are genuinely interested in those sort of things will try it out. It’s kind of like recreational fishing in that regard, where only those interested in the bait will bite… Except with this, they will (most of the time) be aware what will happen to them when they bite

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#19

That’s what is happening to me in regards to the Fate franchise. Only with a bigger, longer hype than CG :confused: and I’ve been unable to recover from such hype, even today

Love Live!, on the other hand…

Love Live 001.JPG1064×594 62.1 KB

You gotta love Nico

I know that feel. And worse; most online acquaintances who like Key are either Spanish (as, from Spain), Kazamatsuri.org forum members or both. Everyone else seems to either not care at all, watched and dropped it, or outright hated them

A casual mention is a good way to invite them into Key anime/VNs

#20

So… After reading all the posts, I guess that’s what the majority thinks. It seems we all agree that an “agressive” :slight_smile: method doesn’t wouldn’t work at all, but the mention of the VN/Anime instead will resonate in our victim, I mean friend, when the time is right.

I wouldn’t like to sound too psychological, but I strongly believe that the subconscious part of our mind plays an important role there. The mention will trigger a response in them, subtle, hidden, almost a subliminal invitation (specially when we feel its the proper moment).

Good luck folks!

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