Ask John: Why Doesn’t Gainax Produce Long Anime Series?
Question:
Some of Gainax’s series are not only capable of being longer, but deserve to be longer – Evangelion and Gurren Lagann spring instantly to mind. Yet the studio has repeatedly said that they couldn’t do a series longer than 26 episodes. They’ve said that anything past the 26th episode would bankrupt the studio. Why is that? Plenty of other studios make series that are longer than 26 episodes, and those studios don’t even have the standing or name recognition of Gainax. How can studios like that afford to make longer series while Gainax says they can’t handle it financially?
Answer:
I don’t know the Gainax studio’s financial situation or its standing in the eyes of Japanese entertainment companies and sponsors that invest in anime production, so I’ll have to speculate a bit.
Since its formal establishment as “Gainax” in 1985, the studio has only produced one anime series of more than 26 episodes, the 1990 series Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water. Gainax is a relatively small studio with a tendency toward producing high quality anime for niche audiences. While many of Gainax’s productions, including Evangelion, Gunbuster, Royal Space Force, and Nadia have become acclaimed classics, Gainax has never produced an adaptation of a hit mainstream property like Bleach, Naruto, Dragon Ball, Inuyasha, or Gundam. Today’s anime fans may know of Evangelion as one of the most popular and successful anime franchises ever created, but may not remember or realize that Evangelion premiered quietly in 1995 with little advance anticipation or promotion.
Consider the types of anime that typically extend beyond two kuru (two 13 week broadcast seasons). Anime that can be typically expected to run beyond 26 episodes are anime adaptations of best selling shonen action/adventure manga, anime based on classic literature, and magical girl series. Gainax has never produced an anime television series that falls into any of those three categories.
Most anime production companies don’t finance their own productions. Anime producers negotiate with corporate sponsors to secure investments that cover the cost of anime production. Corporate sponsors naturally decide the amount of money they’ll contribute based on expected returns. Anime productions targeted at the relatively small, hardcore otaku audience aren’t likely to generate as much profit as productions targeted at the larger general Japanese populace. So despite the Gainax’s reputation and status, and the possibility that a Gainax production may turn into a massive blockbuster success, anime production is still a business, and businesses contribute to anime production based on statistical facts, not speculation or a studio’s reputation. If corporate investment in Gainax productions is small because Gainax only produces anime targeted at small audiences, naturally Gainax won’t be able to develop lengthy, costly anime productions.
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My issue is not whether or not an anime series should be made longer, but should it? While it’s natural for fans to want more of a series they enjoy, I find myself sick of whiny fanboys (and girls) who demand more of their favorite titles to be produced to entertain them.
This may surprise you, but anime is Japanese, not American, and most of the time, Japanese studios are going to focus on their core audience, which consists of Japanese viewers. Thier tastes are different from ours, so studios are more likely to craft anime for them, not Americans, who are lucky enough to even get to watch anime.
This is not to mention the original creator’s intentions. If a creator of your favortie series is “forced” to continue a series against their true wishes (or they simply leave the production altogether), your favorite series runs the risk of becoming stale, medicore, or just plain bad. Look at the Ninja Scroll TV series and reflect on what American demand can get you.
I’m sure I’m a minority on this issue, but I think Evangelion was done from the last episode. I wasn’t impressed with the movies, and the idea of telling the name story AGAIN from a different perspective seems like wasted time, but I’m willing to watch those episodes.
Instead of complaining that your favorite series is over, check out the hundreds and thousands of other anime titles available to Americans. I have hundreds of unwatched DVDs waiting for me, and I’m looking forward to every single one of them. And once those are done with (as if), I’ll jump to other titles and continue to enjoy as much anime as I can, as I’ve done for over ten years.
Although I’ll agree that it’s a habit of western viewing behaviors to anticipate, nay, expect additional seasons of programming from their favorite television animation; I don’t think it’s harmful to inquire as to how and why the business operates as it does. The problem arises however, when consumers expect business relations of the eastern and western animation industries to operate similarly, merely because the medium in which they operate is similar.
There are more production committee members to a Japanese animation production than in American animation, and if there’s a new season greenlight, chances are high that it doesn’t so much have to do with a cable network’s future branding initiatives as you would have stateside, instead it has more to deal with the property/franchise’s marketability an array of related merchandise.
Personally, I’d rather have a short, well-crafted series that is striving towards an intended end than have a long, drawn-out, bloated series that is aiming toward nothing except the sound of cash registers.