# Conversational Movie Screens Asian Theaters Using 'Danmaku' Let Audiences Chat on Movie Screens By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2014-08-30 | Tech Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/danmaku References: [en.rocketnews24](http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/08/28/cinemas-in-china-let-audience-post-comments-onto-the-screen-during-the-movies/) & [sinosphere.blogs.nytimes](http://sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/08/20/theaters-in-china-screen-movies-and-viewers-text-messages/) Even when you go with someone else, or a group of friends, going to the theater is hardly a social experience—unless you're at one of the cinemas in Asia that features 'danmaku.' Danmaku, meaning "barrage" in Japanese is a system that lets audience members post their comments directly on top of the movie screen while it's playing. With the rise of [online movie streaming](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/subtitle-system) and piracy, it's a challenge to get people to go to the theater, as well as not have them on their [cell phones](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/before-the-internet) the entire time. With Danmaku in place on [cinema screens](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cinemark), theaters have reported an increase in youth audiences under the age of 24 up to 80 and 90 percent. This may be distracting, but at least movie-goers can engage in conversation without disturbing the sounds of the movie. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.5/10 - Popularity: 6% | Activity: 31% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial - Top markets: Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/tech) > [Multimedia](https://www.trendhunter.com/multimedia) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Interactive Movie Experiences:** The use of danmaku in Asian theaters revolutionizes the movie-going experience by allowing audiences to engage in real-time conversations on the movie screen. - **Enhanced Social Engagement:** Danmaku provides a unique social experience by enabling movie-goers to interact with each other during the film, bringing a sense of community to the theater. - **Youth Empowerment in Cinemas:** The implementation of danmaku attracts a younger demographic to movie theaters, providing a disruptive opportunity to re-engage the youth in traditional cinema experiences. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Film Exhibition:** The film exhibition industry can leverage danmaku technology to create immersive and interactive movie screenings, attracting new audiences. - **Software Development:** Software developers can explore opportunities to create danmaku platforms that can be integrated into cinema systems, opening up new possibilities for collaborative movie experiences. - **Marketing and Advertising:** Marketing and advertising professionals can tap into the trend of interactive movie experiences to create innovative campaigns that engage audiences during screenings. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Knitting Screening Programs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/knitting-screenings.md) - [Virtual Watch Parties](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/together-watch.md) - [ADHD-Friendly Movie Theaters](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cinema-for-adhd.md) - [Projector-Replacing Cinema Screens](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cinema-led-screens.md) - [Cinema Snack Ordering Features](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/preorder-concessions.md) - [Cinema Screen Lamps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cinema-screen-lamp.md) - [Cinematic Quote Generators](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/screenflick.md) - [Real-Time Movie Screening Alerts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cinefind.md) - [Cinematic Discovery Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/whats-after-the-movie.md)