Several weeks ago VIZ Media released its new 24/7 anime channel platform, Neon Alley, for the PlayStation 3. Since then, VIZ has diligently spread news of its most recent enterprise; it was a large part of their New York Comic Con agenda. I was recently given the opportunity to try out Neon Alley for myself, and even got to interview Brian Ige, VP of Animation at VIZ Media, regarding what seems to be an exceptional service thus far:
Neon Alley has been in development for approximately 18 months; we started to see a significant decline in anime on TV and wanted to come up with a solution for the fans to help support the category. The fans were the inspiration for the channel; they are a very devoted and passionate audience, so we wanted to come up with a business that would be a supplement to the existing anime market without cannibalizing other viewing alternatives.
2) Why choose to make an anime channel analogous to cable television, as opposed to on-demand streaming? How does this dynamic allow you to compete with potential rivals such as Netflix?
We have great relationships with our on-demand partners as well as our own on-demand service (VIZAnime.com). We didn't want to build a business that would compete with our partners or ourselves. The biggest benefit to a traditional TV channel is discovery; it gives studios an opportunity to highlight new shows without having consumers go out and find them on their own. On-demand is an excellent tool if you know what you're looking for but not necessarily great for discovering new content. In terms of competing with Netflix, again, we don't see on-demand services as direct competition, we see both services eventually working hand in hand to support each other.
3) Neon Alley doesn't exclusively cater to anime fans, but also fans of live action kung fu and similar Asian entertainment. This seems a unique decision to make; is there large demand for 24/7 Asian entertainment here in the United States?
I think we have experienced a lot of growth in the Asian entertainment category over the last few years in the way of Korean dramas & music videos, along with Japanese pop culture and martial arts. We wanted to create a destination for fans of anime to be exposed to other content that could be of similar interest to them, especially since there are limited broadcast outlets for that type of content.
4) What are some of Neon Alley's exclusive programs? What can we expect in the near future? Will there be original Neon Alley shows in production?
A long term goal would be to eventually have our own original series similar to other broadcasters, but for now our focus is finding the best quality entertainment domestically and overseas, whether its anime, live-action martial arts, video game inspired, or other content that could be appealing to our audience. Neon Alley exclusives include Blue Exorcist, Tiger & Bunny, Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, Inuyasha The Final Act, and the Berserk Movies. We have a couple of new exclusive shows debuting very soon including Lagrange and Zetman, we're continuously looking for new content for the channel.
5) What social networking capabilities does Neon Alley offer? How integral will this be to the Neon Alley experience?
Neon Alley struck up a partnership with Tout.com; they are similar to Twitter except for video. 15 second touts can be sent to Neon Alley via their website and app, we plan to use some of these on our channel. Its a way to give the members / fans a voice as well as a way to see themselves on TV. Because Neon Alley is an app, there are a lot of other possibilities which we are exploring tied to social media. We hope to announce upgrades to the service in the near future.
5) What inspired the name "Neon Alley" ?
Neon Alley is meant to conjure images of stepping into an exciting yet unknown place, with the raven as your guide to discovering the best in quality entertainment.
6) I personally own an XBOX 360. Is there any chance of Neon Alley arriving on other platforms in the future?
Our first goal was to launch the service successfully and the feedback has been great so far. We're now in the process of strategically planning the next phase of the app. Unfortunately, I can't confirm any expansion at this time but I can tell you that we are taking all consumer feedback into consideration as we plan our next move.
As far as my own experience with Neon Alley, I'm impressed so far. The anime are streamed in quality HD and stream flawlessly for those with fair internet speed. As Neon Alley is a channel and not an on-demand service, shows air continuously, and a menu showing upcoming programs can be summoned. The weekly schedule can also be accessed via Neonalley.com. The website also links to Neon Alley's Tout page, which is already being used by subscribers who post vids about what their favorite anime are.
All the programs are English dubbed, which may deter a number of anime fans who prefer subbed programming. But those who don't mind so much can look forward to a number of popular titles, including:Blue Exorcist; Kekkaishi; Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan; Tiger and Bunny; Naruto Shippuden; Bleach; Death Note; Buso Renkin and Vampire Knight.
I almost forgot to mention commercials: they're all related to anime and manga content. Many of them are clever segments, such as “Top 10 Manga Digital Downloads” and “This Week in Anime History.”
Overall, Neon Alley delivers exactly what it has promised. The only peculiarity is the fact that the program schedule seems to be in west-coast time, while I happen to live in New York and follow east-coast time. The service is $6.99 a month, a standard price for anime online content nowadays, but those who are hesitant are granted a one-week free trial. I think Neon Alley is definitely a viable option for those who are seeking an anime channel but have cable providers that don't offer such options. VIZ Media seems to have found a solution to that problem.
Special credit goes out to Tracy Blackburn for arranging the interview!
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