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Beijing Olympic Pamphlet Copies Haruhi Anime

Japanator/Momotaro report that the cover art on an information pamphlet about the Beijing Olympics created for Chinese secondary school children has clearly copied a Japanese anime series:

chinese haruhi

Here’s a picture of the original Japanese Haruhi for comparison:

What do you think?

42 comments - What do you think? Posted by James - January 28, 2008 at 3:00 pm

Categories: Otaku & Anime Tags: anime, china, chinese, copyright, haruhi, japan, japanese, olympics, sports

http://machinimad.com Sean

Its China, come on. All they do is copy.
Jack

I don’t know, it looks like your generic anime schoolgirl to me, my vote would be coincidence, but im not into anime so i can’t tell if there are some clear characteristic rip offs or whatever.

Chris

It’s a copy.

doinkies

Yeah, the headband and hairstyle certainly look like they were ripped off from Haruhi.

The Overthinker

The hairstyle seems generic short hair, but the hair band and its colour are suspiciously close. The long tails on the ribbon are also similar. The rest is just generic. But the Japanese one is a lot cuter….
Darien Shields

Hold on while I dig out Hare Hare Yukai…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2HpAE-QcQA

Note how a few times Haruhi makes a two fingered gesture to her forehead? The same way the character int his pamphlet does? I’d add this to the list of similarities. While the hairstyle is kind of generic, in the anime a big deal is made out of the ribbon she wears in her hair.

I’d think, though, that the pressing similarities are in their Seifuku… and the biggest point is, why would a Chinese pamphlet have a character wearing a Seifuku? I was very much under the impression that that uniform was peculiar to Japan.
naotoj

http://image.blog.livedoor.jp/dqnplus/imgs/f/a/fa439139.jpg
The right hand side picture was taken from a Japanese magazine that was published in March 2006.

Kevin

I don’t think this is a copy at all! It seems that they have created a wonderful character for the Olympic campaign and that this new character is going to be really popular around the world.
Now excuse me while I bust out the Vii and get some game time in for the day.
ankoku

China is known for copying…and not only copying…copying in an extremely ugly manner.

Anybody ever see the rip-off of Doraemon….the live action ripoff…which had a man that was only wearing like biker shorts and blue paint as Doraemon. Yeah…that is a memory I’d rather not have.

nancy

i think the “ugly manner” prize goes to japan for copying the chinese language
seriously a cartoon compared to the basis of japan’s whole communication system?

doinkies

“Copying” kanji from the Chinese is the same as how English and most other Western languages have “copied” the Roman alphabet, which was originally developed to write Latin.

BTW, other East Asian civilizations “copied” hanzi from the Chinese too.

nancy

yeah everyone copies to what’s the big deal besides lack of originality in the poster?
one poster and lots of people have generalized that “all china does is copy”
very mature ..
Grinz

lol this reminds me one time I saw a Chinese spider-man knock-off toy by the name of “spayder-man”…that was a good five minutes of laughter. also, let’s not forget chinese disneyland (not refering to the one in hong kong) that’s on another update on this site.

yenlaq

Japanese are using Chinesese character.
But communication system of Japanese
is the original sistem of Japan.
Japanese people had used Japanese before inporting of Kanji.

http://jp.bantus.org Marz

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery… or stealing. Do Chinese school kids wear the same uniforms as Japanese anime characters, if so, then maybe it’s just coincidence.

nancy

i mean i seriously dont care who copies what
but did everyone really just forget the basis of the japanese lang system? now that’s some HARDCORE COPYING
why do people say omg china is such a copycat when HELLO?? what has japan copied??

http://www.japanprobe.com James

Haruhi: A copyrighted character. The owner of this character relies on the sale of copyrighted items with the character’s likeness on them.

Kanji: An uncopyrighted writing system not formally owned by any individual or corporation.

nancy

i get what you’re saying legally
but it doesn’t have to be copyrighted to be considered copying, yes?
The Overthinker

No, it does not. However copying copyright stuff is a crime, whereas copying non-copyright stuff is not. The issue isn’t really that China copies (since we all do) but that they violate copyright.
Shaylee

Some copyrights only apply within the nation. If it applys to China, you can bet there’d be another post about Japan suing China for violation of copyright.
concerned Filipino

So the only issue is that what’s being copied is copyrighted? If they copied, say, Dickens or Shakespeare, there’d be no problem?

Ah, copyrights. This is the same system that allowed Westerners to patent substances like turmeric for its healing properties, when these healing properties have been known in Indian traditional medicine for thousands of years. (see Joseph E. Stieglitz’s “Making Globalization Work”, in the section on bio-piracy.)

Overthinker, when was the last time you downloaded an mp3 on the Internet?

Maybe, this is the Chinese way of telling us how they don’t buy into the First World’s entire copyright system. Although, there was really no need to copy Haruhi.

Karisu

So, you’re clearly Chinese, I assume.

404error

and japanese school uniform… why do they give their copied char a japanese uniform even if the olypics are in china`??? Oo
Peter Pan

Looks generic to me too. I’d say inspired by the Japanese Manga School Girl Image in general, not any one specific manga in particular.

Karisu

It’s a very blatant rip-off. Just look at the picture that was posted above:
http://image.blog.livedoor.jp/dqnplus/imgs/f/a/fa439139.jpg

Anyone familiar with the character can easily tell that it’s suppose to be an imitation.

madne0

The Chinese? Copying stuff?!? Well, I’d never!

The Overthinker

Yeah, like paper, gunpowder, compasses, etc….

Ryry

They just don’t believe in abiding by the copyright laws. For some reason, they seem to not really care.
And anyway, the REAL Haruhi is much better drawn.

PS, Egyptians invented MY paper.

The Overthinker

You still using papyrus?

nancy

LOL

concerned Filipino

A possible reason that “they seem to not really care” is above.

Neko

Haha \(^ ^;)/ It’s such a lame attempt at copying which is the great thing! They should learn to respect the copyrighting laws (since it’s the government right?!)

It’s annoying to see manga being so crudely drawn. Did they ask in the professionals…or a 3 year old?

nancy

what? copying is a great thing?

http://tofusando.blogspot.com Akoua Doffou

Oh my god…The ripoff Haruhi looks terrible!
morningstar

I hope China is not taking credit for the drawing .China are not very serious about copies violation.

Joseph K

*struggles to conceive of how some billion people could all take credit for one rather hurried, generic drawing*

concerned Filipino

Good one.

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http://www.tanteifile.com/newswatch/2008/01/30_01/index.html yuuu

Please wait and look at this article when you vote

http://www.tanteifile.com/newswatch/2008/01/30_01/index.html

This is a original picture of that copy. I’m not sure that The boy on Chinas’ picture is a copy of one of Japaneas picture, but I’m sure that the girl on Chinas’ picture is a copy of Haruhi is clear.

I’m sorry if my sentence have some wrongnesses
Pingback: Hooray For Hollywood, Screwy Ballyhooyey… | ninme
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Kevin

This picture proves it.

http://www.tanteifile.com/newswatch/2008/01/30_01/image/02.jpg

Beijing Olympic Pamphlet Copies Haruhi Anime

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