"characterFor other usages ofCharacter (Avoid ambiguity)."

character(Origin: character)Novel,Comic,movies,Anime,Computer games, AdsSuch asfictionAppear inperson,AnimalAnd so on, or of those characterscharacter,natureThat thing.Also, thatFeaturesThroughreader,Audience,consumerGives a certain image toProducts,CompanyThe whole thing that enhances the attraction effect to^[1].

Overview

A human,AnimallikeBiology Or imitating a living thingMech robotNot limited toTools, Sometimes biologicalorgan,星,element,Furthermore感情,NATURE,CountryAnd so onconcept ThePersonificationとDeformationIt can be made into a character by going through. For shortCharacterIt is also said.

The English word for "character" is "characterThe original meaning of the word "" is "characteristic" and "property", and the original etymology isGreek language"Engraved marks and symbols".ThatmeaningAs an example in, there are multiple people with similar characteristics in a social group.CharacterIt may be described as "gaburu". In addition, when a person is meant, it is not always a fictional character, and even in Japanese, CM characters and the like often refer to real people.

In Japanese, the word "character" that refers to a fictional character is1950 eraToデ ィ ズ ニ ー OfAnimated movieThere was in the contract offanciful characterWas born when "was translated as "fantastic character"^[2].

Character as a character

It usually refers to the characters who are positioned to compose the story.Not involved in the storycrowd(Mob character) And passers-by are rarely called characters.Characters may have external or internal characteristics as needed (Specifically, physique, clothes, occupation, career, special skills, shortcomings, habits, etc.) Is set.

When gaining widespread popularity, the character redefines the general image of the group to which it belongs^[3].Sherlock HolmesThe detective image associated with so-called famous detectives such as, is a character image that is different from the actual detective in the early 21st century.In addition, even when a work is created based on an actual person, a person who is far from the actual person may be widely recognized to a greater or lesser extent.For exampleMusashi MiyamotoorRyoma SakamotoThe general image ofEiji Yoshikawa,Ryotaro ShibaIt is strongly influenced by the novel work of. Also, there are many cases in which talents, actors, and models used as advertising models for broadcast commercials and poster media of companies are introduced as "(product name/company name) image characters."

Characters and characters

Cartoon criticTsuyoshi ItoIn his book, "Tezuka is Dead," is reminiscent of "a kind of personality" drawn as an iconography, and he can leave the work and become autonomous.CharacterAnd as a base that makes you feel life and life behind the textcharacterAre used properly. And, for example, ""NANAThe character's strength is not the same as the character's strength.” The character stands in the sense that it seems to exist inSecondary creationIt is considered that the strength of the character is low in the sense that it exerts its presence in an environment different from the original through.^[4]

This "character" and "character" are often used properlyCritics OfHiroki AzumaPresented byDatabase consumptionIt is referred to in connection with.Toshiaki EndouAccording to the database consumption theory, the level of the story is "character" and the level of the database is "character".^[5]. Furthermore, as a pseudo virtual personality in the real worldCharacterWhen discussing about, Ito's usage of "chara/character" may be used^{[Note 1]}.

Character product development

Excellent characters are very popular,Plush Doll,Eur-lex.europa.eu eur-lex.europa.euIt is not uncommon for products such as toys and figurines, clothing printed with characters, daily necessities, and stationery to generate more sales than the character's original work.

Print characters such as cartoons and TV on products and improve the image of the companyAdsIf you use it for TV commercials, you will have to pay a license fee, but the cost will increase, but it is an effective way to improve the image of the company and sales promotion, so companies and groups that are focusing on character creation and copyright Many.

In addition, even in a company that manages public transportation, you can make characters with vehicles owned by the company and put company uniforms on anthropomorphized animals, etc., and use it as related facilities or tickets. I am printing it and promoting the image.CapitalIn the case of"Mr. ETC],Tokyu Railway (Tokyu)In the case of"Norunuru"Fukuoka City Transportation Bureau (Fukuoka City Subway)In the case of "Chikamaru-kun",Keihan Electric RailwayIn the case of"KeihanThere is an image character called ".

"Mickey MouseIs one of the characters that succeeded both commercially and globally, and many character products are on sale. It was a hidden character in the gameSea urchinAlthough the original work was not well known, there are cases where it gained popularity through commercialization. Also,"Hello Kitty"Barbie"MonchhicMany characters have been devised to be products such as, and some of them do not have a background story.

Target

1970 eraPreviously, the target of product development using characters was mainlychildrenWere, butTokyo DisneylandAfter the opening of, it spread to adults,1980 eraDue to the robot anime boom, product development for adults has begun to increase.In recent years, due to the popularity of anime and the like, the target is expanding to a wide range of generations.

For example,bankTo use existing characters in a unified manner to present goods to depositorsCash card,passbookIn a broad sense, we want the fans of that character to become customers by drawing onAdsThe method is widely adopted (Mitsubishi UFJ BankDisney characters in,Yokohama BankInTom and jerrySuch). In addition, in recent years, targeting anime fans and others, product development using characters has also been mentioned (SaitamaKuki(OldWashinomiya Town)・Satte CityInLucky ☆ StarAppointedTown revitalization,AkitaUgo TownInNishimata AoiCharacters and other products).

problem

Product development using characters is deeply penetrating in Japan, but there are also the following criticisms and problems.

• Originally developed for childrenUltraman,Kamen RiderSpecial effects such asSaint Seiya,Aria the Scarlet AmmoSuch asBoy cartoon, And anime works based on thempachinko-PachislotHas been appointed to^{[Note 2]}.. On the other hand,pachinko,Adult gameThere are many cases where characters derived from services for adults such as these are developed as a media mix for the general public including children, and some point out that unscrupulous development may be abusive of copyright (these adults). Services for children are unfair because they cannot be used even with parents.)^{[Source required]}.

• Because the character is old, childish, or unsuitable for the times, it may be thrown away and turned into garbage regardless of the life of the product itself.^[6]"Super squadron seriesAnd 'Precure seriesSuch asAnime for children-Special effectsSome of the toys, stationery, clothing, food products andMidnight animeLike stationery products, the supplier side (producer, copyright holder, maker (sponsor))cool(= 3 months) ~ It is noticeable in character products that change frequently in a short period of one year.In addition, inventories held by manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers may be forced to be sold at low prices in order to organize them.If unsold, if the price cannot be reduced, food, etc.Expiration dateIf a short product is unsoldGeneral waste,Industrial wasteCould be^[7].

Market size/actual situation

According to the investigation of1995年Since then, the record high in the Japanese character retail market (estimated)1999年2 trillion yen, the lowest ever2012年It is 1 billion yen.

BandaiCharacter Research Institute (currently)2000年According to a survey conducted in elementary school to those in their 60sJapanese83.9% of those who own some character products^[9], The proportion of those who answered that they have favorite characters reaches 87.0%^[10].

Legal handling

JapaneseCopyright lawAbove, for the characterCopyrightDo not admit^[11]..A character is an abstract concept that can be called the personality of a character sublimated from concrete expressions such as manga, anime, and novels, not the concrete expressions themselves.Copyrighted materialIt is not decided.

In the case of a character appearing in a manga, the "picture" may be protected as a copyrighted work, but the character (its character) itself is not protected. Supreme Court sentenced to Popeye Tie^[12]So, according to this position,PopeyeThe character is not a work independent of the serial comics in which Popeye appears (the copyright of the paintings of Popeye has disappeared because the protection period of the 1st published comics expired).

Mascot character

Mascot characters are often used as a means of raising awareness of groups, products, and special events.Also called a character for short.Moreマ ス コ ッ トSee section.

References

• Bandai Character Research Institute Period Report Vol.1 "Modern People Seeking Healing Characters" "1st Character and Healing Survey" Result Report (PDF) , Bandai Character Institute,2000年October 10th. (Internet archiveCache)
• Character consideration --The 15th Cultural Resources Forum Report, The University of Tokyo Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences Cultural Resources Laboratory,2016年2/13

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注 釈

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