Cartoons on Logos and Throughout NPB

- Can players and fans really stand for these cartoons?

Yes, they can. And the reason is very simple: It's a different culture.

Your aversion to the logos is apparent by your use of the word "cartoon" to describe them. In North America, cartoons are something children watch on Saturday mornings. (Or, at least they were when I grew up.) In Japan, manga ("comic books") and anime (animated TV shows and movies) are written for adults. There is no childish stigma associated with manga characters in Japan.

The Orix mascots have an interesting background. Instead of relying on local anime talent, Orix went with a U.S. PR firm to come up with their mascots and logo. Unfortunately, Neppie (the male mascot) doesn't have much to do with buffaloe as he was created for the team when they were the BlueWave (his name derived from King Neptune).

The Gabbit mascot for the Giants, while a lot more cutsie than their current logo, is a great deal more marketable. It can be made into a large variety of stuffed animals, the new logo can't. Personally, I find it neet that they could combine the Y & G and come up with a character at all.

Anyway, cultural differences play a huge role in the way companies market between countries. Auto manufacturers in Japan advertise on the merrits of utility, family, and cute. In North America they have to be tough. Pickup trucks (the same models sold in the U.S.) don't sell at all in Japan, while smaller mini-trucks (with motercycle engines) sell very well.

Couldn't have said it any better. It's just a different culture. A lot of these characters are also similar to the J-League characters. Personally, I like them a lot. It's what makes Japanese baseball unique.

- ... these aren't teams which are trying to necessarily appeal to families ..."

Not to mention that there are actually quite a few families that come with kids. I have actually seen a family that said after the 7th inning strech that they were leaving after the mascots come out.

I don't know that those kinds of logos aren't popular here in the U.S. Retro logos are quite popular now, and a lot of them are "cartoony." The Cleveland Indian is far from "classy" and looks like he stepped out of a WB cartoon from the 40's. The old Baltimore Oriole, San Diego Padre, and Cincinnati Red are all cartoonish. Mr. Met is still used as well as the "thing" the Phillies have as a mascot. The Twins still use the cartoon ballplayers shaking hands. While not quite as odd as the Giabbit or Neppie, no worse than the Carp or Swallows characters.

You have a point, hillsy, many of those old logos were cartoonish in some of the same ways (perhaps why they were replaced), and the mascots in general are ridiculous, but the fans like them, surely enough. The weirder the better in fact, it seems. Wally the Green Monster is popular to a large degree here in MA. And I had actually thought of purchasing one of the doll-Wallys, so I suppose I am a hypocrite to some extent.

On the racist-Indians Logo - The Indians logo I like because it is so prominent on the uniforms of the Indians (especially the great hat, where it seems to be a tad larger than most cap logos) and is so powerful and at once recognizable, the controversy only increasing it's power. I would note that it is also in the club's uniform colors, so it is almost monochrome in actual use (unlike their 40s one, which was perhaps even more racist, if that's possible), merely from its awkwardness of facial characteristics (though it did not have red "skin").

The Twins' uniform patch is so small no one can see it except if you look hard on TV, and the players are just little drawn men with no coloring. The Padres' friar is also a patch, though pretty prominent.

And by the way - didn't the Angels try to go literally "cartoon" with their logos, uniforms, ballpark, etc. etc. when Disney purchased them? I remember big chunky letter A's and cheap color schemes and fonts [shiver].

[Thank the Gods that now they are owned by a cold corporate steel face who has no problem with asking the same children Disney was trying to magically delight to have their parents give what would have been the Anaheim Public Education Income Tax Bonus to fund a private building now servicing the team of a rival city. Praise Zues!]

But beside all that - I suppose that I can't argue that it is a little radical to question Japanese logos when there is much of the same here, and I suppose that any of it being in the past, in the minors, or possibly in the realm of enjoyability by myself wouldn't discout any of the same critisms I made of NPB if leveled at Major League Baseball.

Geez, a trip to Koshien isn't complete without seeing Lucky and To-Lucky do their shtick. Even Hoshino-kantoku once commented on how enjoyable they are. It's still OK to feel like a kid at the game, isn't it?

Thinking about logos/mascots for MLB, it's a little more chilling. Don't know what would go for the Yankees in the Bronx. Maybe a big rat, or a cockroach. Or just a huge, stuffed, George Steinbrenner. Yikes.

- Geez, a trip to Koshien isn't complete without seeing Lucky and To-Lucky do their shtick.

Indeed - but you've got to remember that these two characters are merely team mascots, as opposed to the official Hanshin logo, which is of course the traditional roaring Tiger - something that wouldn't look out of place on a uniform in the States.

I think the original poster was specifically referring to the ridiculous cutesy cartoons characters in the logos only. There is a difference.

I can understand cute mascots, and I have no problem with them being in the logo. Nevertheless, some teams just simply go overboard with it.

The Fukuoka Hawks are a great example of this. When I went to my first game in Fukuoka last year, I was stunned to see that there are not one, not four, not six, but EIGHT mascots. To go through them, there is Harry (the leader), his girlfriend, his sidekick, three Huey Louie and Duey looking young ones (complete with goofy glasses), a grandma, and a grandpa.

I know I may not make the most sense all the time, but seriously; eight mascots is simply overdoing it. Do any other teams do that?

- ... eight mascots is simply overdoing it. Do any other teams do that?

The Shonan SeaRex (Yokohama's ni-gun team) has a whole team full of sea creatures in baseball uniforms. The characters look more like North American artwork than Japanese anime characters.

Several of the Keihin Kyuko busses running out where I live (near the SeaRex home of Yokosuka Stadium) have all of the characters painted on the sides.

Howzit Commish,

I will be in Yokosuka from August 5-19. Interested in checking out a SeaRex game? I'll buy the beers.

Ken

Ken-san,

The only home weekend game during that time span is on the 19th against the Fighters. My calendar is currently clear on that day. Let's talk again at the end of July.

Though they don't have eight mascots, the Rakuten Eagles have the greatest mascot of all time in Mr. Carrasco. Any other Carrasco fans out there?

Yes, I remember when Rakuten first unveiled Mr. Carrasco, he's a character alright. Here's a clip from Youtube showing Mr. Carrasco in action.

Looks like that Carrasco kid's got being a mascot down! That has to be a foreigner in there!