Contents
Intro
One of the major marketing themes in 2023 Japan was Y2K, the trends and cultures that were popular in the early 2000s. Our previous article, “Beyond the Millennium: Exploring the Y2K Revival in Japanese Marketing” discussed some major examples of such. This article then discusses what will be trending in 2024, aix calls it “nostalgic marketing” to use themes and content that stimulate the good ol’ memories.
To back up this point, this article covers the awaited game titles and TV animation (TVA) series that will be released in 2024, as games and animations are two big elements in Japan. The nostalgic marketing in these two industries can be summed up as rebooting the Hall of Fame and the return of popular titles and series.
Reboot of the Hall of Fame
Games: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth / Persona 3 Reload
Final Fantasy (FF) is a long-loved IP in Japan. FF is known to be the beginning of the Japanese RPG game, and FF VII has been one of the famous extensions among the other titles. The FF VII Rebirth is known to add more elements, such as new characters and stories, so both the existing fans and new players are getting excited about it. The new FF VII is going to be released in 2024 February.
Persona is another popular game IP, and Persona 3 was widely loved because of its new turn-based battle pattern. Its fans are excited about Persona 3 Reload, especially since it will revamp that battle system. It is also known to add new storylines and dialogues to the original, so the players have been saying to each other that they are saving for February 2, 2024, the release date of Persona 3 Reload.
Anime: Urusei Yatsura / Wolf and Spice
The same trend could be easily found in the anime industry. Urusei Yatsura is a beloved manga and TVA series which was released in 1981 and ended in 1986. This TVA series was rebooted and released at the end of 2022, and its 2nd season is scheduled in Q1 2024. Its return after 36 years was successful as it is widely watched by both the ones who remember the original and those who first encountered the series.
Wolf and Spice, too, is a long-waited TVA series that is getting rebooted in 2024. Its original is a manga and its animation version was on air back in 2014, so it is returning after 10 years.
Unlike the game titles that are waiting for their reboot, the animes are not going to get any story revisions; they are going to be made in higher quality than the ones before. One may wonder how a story with an ending that is widely known can draw any more people and make them fans. Yet it seems like most Japanese people think it is worthwhile to spend their time even though they already know the story and perhaps spend money for its goods because they are not merely cute characters but rather their memories.
The Return of the Popular Series
Similar to rebooting the existing titles, another notable trend is a new expansion to a popular IP or producing a new season to an existing series after a long time. Just as making a rebooted game or anime, this seems to use the users’ and viewers’ sense of nostalgia to make an impact.
Games: Dragon’s Dogma II
Dragon’s Dogma is an action RPG released in 2013 and has been widely loved for its detailed interplay actions the game provides. Interplaying the various elements existing in the game’s open world allowed users to come up with a new strategy to hunt big monsters and dragons.
This title is then preparing for its return in 2024, after 10 years of wait. The game announced some interesting features to be added. It will provide an AI-supporter “Pawn” character, which guides a path to a new legion, suggests the most effective way to clear a quest, or saves the player from danger, all within its own judgment. So, the Pawn will help the characters to have a better experience with the interplay and the wide open world the game may present.
Anime: From Me To You / Black Butler
From Me To You, a classic love-comedy TVA is coming back to its fans after 13 years since the 2nd season ended in 2011. It is announced that its 3rd season will be released on Netflix in 2024. Fans are excited to see their favorite characters in action after such a long wait.
Black Butler is another returning TVA series in 2024. Its original is a Victorian-era fantasy manga, and 26 million copies have been sold. It is especially popular among the female readers. Its popularity can be also seen in Asahi Television’s Manga General Election in 2021. This election asked 150,000 people in Japan to find out the best 100 Manga, and Black Butler won 51st place. So many fans have been waiting for its new season and it is finally coming back in 10 years since its 3rd season ended in 2014.
Outro
As the two main entertainment industries in Japan–game and animation– welcome the theme of “good old days” or “nostalgia,” it is easy to think that it will be applied to other fields as well. Just as Y2K trended in 2023, stimulating one’s memories will make it a personal connection between your customers and your products or services. This “personal connection” is what customers lately look for in their next purchases, so it may be worthwhile to plan nostalgic content or a theme in 2024.
2024 Japan Marketing Forecasting Picked Keywords (links will be updated after every upload):
Webinar Links & Resources:
