World Domination (Figuratively Speaking)

[Dix Infernal]

I was in World History class, and we were talking about Hitler and WWII. My mind (predictably) wandered and settled upon Mana. And I got to wondering...how far will he go?

I mean, he's got Japan and half of Asia rocking out to him, and he seems to be pretty well exposed in Europe (I thought I read somewhere that his albums were selling better in Germany then some of the German artists). Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but that seems to be a very wide-distributed fanbase, but what about us Westerners?

Mana has loads of fans in the US/North America, and I believe that he has a pretty respectable following among the South American j-rock fans. But yet he seems to concentrate mainly on his Japanese and European audience.

So anyhow, onto my question: Do you think that Mana will ever achieve 'world domination'? Will he try to move into the North American music scene, or will he be content to stay with what he has? I know that besides the truckloads of Mana-fans over here, there's a lot of goths/punk kids that would get into M10M if they ever heard it. Mana has the ability to expose himself to the whole world, so why doesn't he?

My personal theory is that he's focusing on Europe, and as soon as the time is right, he'll move over to us deprived US fans....but that's probably just wishful thinking.

Mana is one of the most internationally famous j-rockers. He has tons of international fans whom he acknowledges. And, enterprising man that Mana is, should realize the load of cash he could make off of concert tickets in NA, or if he opened up a MMM store in NY, for example. Why does Mana keep on hopping back and forth between Japan and Europe? When, if ever would he turn his eye, and begin (forgive the pun) stabbing westward?

*opens the floor*
So....what do you all think?

[Edited because of a wee grammatical error]

 

[Formless]

Doubtful. I don't think Mana has the money to pull it off, nor do I think he really wants to. I also think Mana doesn't make music that would be accepted worldwide in great amounts.

 

[flowersofnight]

Why does Mana keep on hopping back and forth between Japan and Europe? When, if ever would he turn his eye, and begin (forgive the pun) stabbing westward?

Mana's no dummy; he's well aware that he has fans in the USA. He's a savvy businessman and he's probably had his minions research the idea of touring America years and years ago. Obviously, either an American tour would lose money, or make less money than he could make by touring in Japan or Europe. Otherwise he would have done it already.

Quick thought exercise: If you were Mana, where and when would you hold the concerts for a 3-city American tour?

 

[Dix Infernal]

Quick thought exercise: If you were Mana, where and when would you hold the concerts for a 3-city American tour?

3-city? I'd do only 2, but....

New York
Chicago
and....
somewhere in CA, like LA or something.

And I'd do it during the summer. He'd have a better turn-out over the summer.

But, why do I have the feeling I just disgraced myself and dug myself into a really, really big hole?

 

[faith]

...New York, Los Angeles, and WALTHAM!!! We gots donuts ^^

I think Mana will go no farther than he has, honestly. I have a feeling of forboding...hm. I could actually go and check all the IP addresses of people who visit the MM part of my website and calculate the statistics and stuff around touring where but...why?

 

[ken]

I don't think he will expand to the US, although I kind of wish he would. I think that the music scene is far too narrow here, and any kind of alternative subculture has been materialised to the point where it's not even relevant, and there doesn't seem to be too much room for creativity.

 

[flowersofnight]

I could actually go and check all the IP addresses of people who visit the MM part of my website and calculate the statistics and stuff around touring where but...why?

Or even easier, just take a look at the "Location" field for regulars on this forum. Seems to me that most of them are in Europe or the east and west coasts of the USA.

Personally I think there's no way Mana would do both NY and LA in the same tour... shipping all that concert gear and staffers all the way across the country would be ridiculously expensive, I bet. (in addition to the expense of bringing it from Japan in the first place) Therein lies the problem.
EDIT: and that goes even if he ships his staffers and project members as cargo.

 

[Elec]

I don't think he will expand to the US, although I kind of wish he would. I think that the music scene is far too narrow here, and any kind of alternative subculture has been materialised to the point where it's not even relevant, and there doesn't seem to be too much room for creativity.

I think there's a lot of diversity to be found in the States, although of course certainly not on a nationwide platform. I think sometimes people in the sort of 'darker' subcultures tend to forget this.

 

[Seventh Arm]

EDIT: and that goes even if he ships his staffers and project members as cargo.

That's funny because I can imagine it happening

On topic: No, I doubt Mana will ever be sort of world renown, and (this is going to sound awful, it does even to me) I don;t really want him to. I worry that he may be tempted to get lazy and rest on his laurels were he to become so rich and famous that he could live off of his fame.

 

[ken]

I don't think he will expand to the US, although I kind of wish he would. I think that the music scene is far too narrow here, and any kind of alternative subculture has been materialised to the point where it's not even relevant, and there doesn't seem to be too much room for creativity.

I think there's a lot of diversity to be found in the States, although of course certainly not on a nationwide platform. I think sometimes people in the sort of 'darker' subcultures tend to forget this.

I agree that diversity is there, but usually not on a level where profits can be made, which would be Mana's most likely reason for wanting to expand to the US.

 

[evespikey]

he seems to be pretty well exposed in Europe...

My personal theory is that he's focusing on Europe,

Why does Mana keep on hopping back and forth between Japan and Europe?

Europe, pshh, in England he's non-existant.
Europe except for England, yeah.

 

[Bagt]

If he comes to LA I will go just for him, and I'm from Baja California. I'm sure a lot of people near to the concert would go to see Mana.

In Europe, 1999 nobody knew who is Mana. Now, on 2005 he has a lot of fans, he is conquering Europe, he will surely do it.
It won't be rare if Mana make an USA tour (BLOOD has come to Mexico and USA too many times!).

Bleh, i don't know.

I just know that i won't die until i see Mana on stage!!!

 

[Sumire_hitsugi]

In Europe, 1999 nobody knew who is Mana.

I doubt that...>.>

 

[Bagt]

In Europe, 1999 nobody knew who is Mana.

I doubt that...>.>

Maybe, but there weren't so many as today.

 

[Jursie]

I severely doubt that Mana will ever tour in the US.

International bands (with the exception of England and maaaaybe Canada) don't really have a large market in the US / rarely make it. Also, the sheer size of the country would make a tour pretty costly =/

 

[Camuflagem]

i think it was already a big step that mana did this year touring in europe, since he spent all this time only playing in japan ^^; he is just trying to advance more, but cautelously, i think. Now that there is m+a international, i am sure he knows he has lots of overseas fans, or he would not have opened the international version of his FC.

i don't know if it would be good or not if he did an US tour, but if it is a part of mana's objective as an artist and fans would behave properly...why not? i think it is a nice idea.

 

[Susan]

The only way I could EVER see Mana and Moi Dix Mois playing in north America is at Otakon in Baltimore (Like so many other Japanese acts... L'Arc en Ciel, to name one).

Beyond that I thinka North American tour is really really improbably. :?

 

[Dix Infernal]

I know it's unlikely he'll ever make it here, but I still wonder, you know?

In reality if he ever were going to come to the US, I think CA would be the most logical place. In the summer, at a con, and on the side of the country closest to Japan. But, you know, I can still dream of him coming to the midwest, though it'll never happen.


I was just wondering if he had a strategic plan or something, but, sadly, you guys are probably right....

But hey, I can still dream! Someday, I'll go to a Euro one!

 

[nekoi]

I doubt he'll come here. Why? Because Europe & Japan fit his gothic sound much more than say... Seattle or Alabama.

He's probably just tryig to play where his music really fits. (As someone said before, his minions probably told him about the money loss it would bring him.)

As for the Otakon idea-- I doubt it. L'arc played there because they did an opening for Full Metal Alchemist, & Moi dix Mois hasn't done anything towards anime at all.

 

[Geisha]

I agree with Kazuo that Mana will probably never achieve mainstream popularity, nor do I think he wants to. That said, if he plays his cards right I think he could become reasonably big within within the Goth/Metal scenes. He is still very much at the beginning of his international career but give him some time to consolidate his fan base and who knows what can happen? Before he appeared at the Japan Expo in Paris last year few people believed he would ever leave Japan and now he is talking about wanting to do a world tour.

The only way I could EVER see Mana and Moi Dix Mois playing in north America is at Otakon in Baltimore (Like so many other Japanese acts... L'Arc en Ciel, to name one).

Beyond that I thinka North American tour is really really improbably. :?

If doing a US tour means playing at anime cons then I would rather M10M never played in the US at all. I'm not saying that because I'm European. If the only way that Japanese bands could perform in Europe was at anime cons I wouldn't want them to play in Europe either. I can understand why J-Rock is being marketed alongside other Japanese products but at the end of the day, Japanese musicians are still musicians, not anime characters or exotic toys, and should be treated like musicians. They have a hard enough time to be taken seriously without being lumped together with anime, manga and other "kiddie" stuff.