Ask John: Is Editing Anime a Necessary Evil?

Question:
There are, and presumably always will be, various series that will not see release in America. Perhaps some are too old, perhaps some won’t find a sizable (profitable) audience outside Japan, perhaps the content is deemed too objectionable to foreign viewers. While I know you are supportive of the release of anime and manga worldwide to expand an appreciation and admiration for the art form, what is your “gut feeling” about a such series? Would you prefer that they stay in Japan and remain a niche product, or would you prefer that they be released internationally with severe editing. To what extent do you feel it appropriate for North American distributors to alter an anime, manga, or game series to make it more “workable” for an international audience? If you feel that alteration is a “necessary evil,” to what extent should it pertain?

Answer:
This is a question that I can’t answer with a single perspective. I have to respond differently from the standpoint of being a consumer and personal anime fan, and from the position of being a rational, objective observer. The degree to which these disparate opinions balance within me varies with each particular instance. The fanatical, obsessive fan within me believes that no art should be altered except in the case of the original artist intentionally and knowledgeably personally making the change. And even then I may respect the right to revision, but not like it. A case in point is George Lucas altering his original Star Wars trilogy. I respect his right to revise his artwork, but I dislike many of the changes made. I’ve specifically phrased my exception to account for instances like Kunihiko Ikuhara supervising the English dubbing of the Utena movie. Although the original director did personally supervise the alteration, he supervised the alteration in a language that he’s not very familiar or fluent with. I may be narrow-minded, but I can’t wholeheartedly support changes to an artwork even when made by the original creator if the creator obviously isn’t in complete control of the changes. The fact that something can be done doesn’t mean that it should be done.

Since my formative years as an anime fan were during a time when anime was prized precisely because it was foreign and difficult to acquire, I can’t resist the ironically selfish theory that Japanese animation should stay Japanese. Part of that desire is motivated by rational respect for artistic integrity. Part of that desire is motivated by the pleasure I get from treasuring something foreign and rare. The hardcore fan side of me does believe that if an anime can’t be exported and retain its original integrity, it just shouldn’t be exported. (Thankfully subtitles and liner notes eliminate this extreme possibility.) After all, what’s the point of watching Japanese animation that has had much of its identifying characteristics stripped away and replaced? Viewers who want to watch something that exhibits conventional American qualities can and should watch something American. I’m aware that this attitude may seem draconian. That’s why it’s tempered by my opposing, objective opinion.

Speaking as someone who wishes for the success and prosperity of the anime art form, I have to concede that compromises may be necessary to ultimately benefit anime. Regardless of my personal approval, edited anime like Battle of the Planets, Robotech, and Dragonball Z have been very successful in America and have significantly contributed to the international awareness and success of anime. Edited anime has been a necessary evil, and regrettably it may continue to be necessary for as long as anime itself exists. I also concede that professional distribution companies have to do what’s necessary to earn and maximize profits. After all, that’s their ultimate purpose for existence.

Even though part of me wants to deny it, I think my rational, objective perspective carries more weight than my selfish, otaku desire. There isn’t a single anime that I can think of which has been brought to America that I wish had not been localized. I deeply regret the massive bastardization imposed on shows like Gatchaman, the shows that made up Robotech, Card Captor Sakura, Dragonball, One Piece, and so forth. But all of these shows, either because of or in spite of their alterations, have contributed to the proliferation and diversification of anime in America. If these shows weren’t released in America they wouldn’t have been drastically altered, but they wouldn’t be as well known in America either, and the anime community in America wouldn’t be as rich and diverse as it is. Editing anime for American release is literally a necessary evil because it’s both necessary, and, in my opinion, offensive. I can’t determine a line in the sand beyond which editing is egregious. I can’t and won’t second guess the business decisions made by other distributors in circumstances that I’m not knowledgeable of. I also wish to emphasize that I’m expressing only my own, personal opinion, which I’m aware isn’t shared by many American anime fans. I personally don’t watch or support edited anime, but the analytical part of my mind believes that even heavily censored anime released in America is better than having no anime released in America because any exposure to anime at all increases the possibility that Americans will become aware of, and seek out authentic, unaltered Japanese animation.