Ask John: What Are MAD Movies?

Question:
What are “MAD” video parodies? I see them on fan video streaming sites but have no idea what they are or who makes them.

Answer:
Several years ago I was asked if Japanese fans created anime music videos. At the time the Japanese phenomena of “MAD movies” hadn’t yet reached the degree of prominence and popularity that it has now. And in a certain sense “MADs” are a similar but different entity from Western fan created “anime music videos.” There are online resources such as The Outlaw’s MAD Info Page that provide a thorough definition of what “MAD movies” are and their history, so rather than reiterate that information, I’ll simply briefly introduce the phenonema and provide some supplemental information.

A “MAD” is a Japanese fan created video, typically a parody. Conventional American anime music videos combine video footage with a complimentary song to create a synchronous audio/visual presentation. MAD movies vary in length from a few seoncds to 15 or more minutes and may not even include any music at all. MADs may replace the original audio in an anime sequence for comic effect, re-edit alter existing video footage, or even utilize original fan created animation. MAD movies also include slideshows or image montages made as homage or for comic impact.

Typical MADs may be parody alternate opening animation sequences that use new characters, sequences from anime with replaced dialogue, original comical skits created with skillfully edited animation and imagery and audio clips, or the equivilant of looping animated GIFs in video format.

One excellent example of a tremendously popular recent MAD theme is “Caramelldansen,” also known in Japan as the “U-U-U-Aua Dance.” The simple dancing animation from the ending credits footage of the Popotan anime television series was synchronized to a remix of the 2001 dance song “Caramelldansen” performed by the Swedish pop group Caramell. The original MAD was little more than an extended length animated GIF, yet it caught on like wildfire in the Japanese fan community earlier this year, leading to the creation of hundreds of alternate fan created versions featuring characters from Bleach, Death Note, Naruto, Gundam, Code Geass, Suzumiya Haruhi, Final Fantasy, Puyo Puyo, Devil May Cry, and virtually every other imaginable anime and video game performing the “U-U-U-Aua Dance.” Even Sadako, the tortured ghost girl from Hideo Nakata’s Ring horror movie series got in on the “Caramelldansen” craze!

The phenomenon of MADs have become so prolific within Japan’s anime fan community that even Japanese publishing giant Kadokawa has announced plans to begin legitimizing Japanese created MAD video clips hosted on the Japanese YouTube site by bookending them with advertising instead of ordering them taken offline for using Kadokawa copyrighted footage without permission. Short Japanese MAD movies are now so prolific and popular that it’s virtually impossible to stem their flow.

It’s important to emphasize that MAD movies are a distinctly and exclusively Japanese creation. While they are fan created anime videos, they’re frequently not conventional “anime music videos.” Rather, they frequently emphasize the distinctive humor and tastes of the Japanese fan community that may be totally foreign to people outside of Japan.