"Already, though, YouTube has become a major conduit of the popular buzz. A cartoon aired by a local TV station, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, has become a national phenomenon, thanks to more than 2,000 related clips, including parodies, now available on YouTube. "We used to say 'Did you see this and that program on TV last night?' Since YouTube came, we can talk about it with more people," says Shunichi Kojima, a marketer for a mobile handset company. "I check the site just to keep up with the conversation." It will be interesting to see how long this conversation can survive, in a country that has been hard on Internet innovators".
A quote from this very illuminating article.
Perhaps looking from this 3000 over hits on YouTube on one single title, most awesome mainstream meme "infector". The Japanese Foreign Ministry team recommended to use anime as diplomacy tool thanks to this? It can stretched a bit too far here, I have to admit but the possibility is very interesting to say at least. Google knew what they are going for when they purchased USD$ 2 billion plus company that is only about 2 years old. Sure posting it up on YouTube is illegal now, but hey it is a free propaganda for Japanese image which tattered little bit by Koizumi's visits to Yasakuni Shrine. Goebbels would love this tool.
Interesting time for interesting happenings, I suppose.
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