Ask John: Does American Support Really Help the Anime Industry?

Question:
I know of some people who don’t care about the decline in domestically-released anime because “they can get it for free anyway.” I want to say that the decline in anime released here will have an impact on anime being made in Japan, but I’m not certain about that. Since anime in Japan is also experiencing a slight downturn recently, could some of this be due to fewer titles being licensed in other countries? Would further decline in the United States negatively affect the anime industry in Japan, or would it not make much of a difference?

Answer:
To be honest, I’ve wrestled with this philosophical conflict for a long time, myself. I, personally, make a deligent, conscious effort to support the anime industry. I own literally hundreds of anime DVDs which I’ve never even unwrapped – DVDs that I’ve purchased just to contribute to the anime industry and convey my enthuasiasm and support for the shows I like. But I have to concede that, especially in the digital age, viewers who feel no desire or compulsion to contribute to the anime industry can indeed watch practically any and every anime title they want without ever paying a cent. Certain industry representatives are eager to insist that American financial support is vital to Japan’s production industry, but observable evidence doesn’t seem to support that claim.

In 2003, Newsweek Magazine reported that Toei Animation earned 35% of its annual income from international sales. In 2004 Toei earned 40% of its revenue from American & European licensing & sales. But Toei is probably an unusual exception since the studio is Japan’s largest anime producer, and its productions are among the most popular anime titles in the international market. By comparison, Gonzo reported in 2005 that only 8.2% of its revenue came from American sales, 1.7% of its revenue was generated by European sales, and a mere .7% of the company’s revenue came from Oceaniac and Asian sales outside of Japan. Roughly only 8% of 2008’s new Japanese television anime series have been licensed for American distribution, with less than 5% of 2008’s new television anime licensed for American DVD release.

There’s no doubt that Japan’s anime production industry does benefit from American revenue, but fears of Japan’s anime industry collapsing without overseas financial support seem wildly unrealistic. That doesn’t, however, excuse international fans from contributing to the continued creation of the art form they love. Without American financial support and consumer demand, productions like Afro Samurai, the Hellsing OVA series, Strait Jacket, Kite: Liberator, Bakugan: New Vestroia, and Batman: Gotham Knight wouldn’t exist. It’s similarly probable that anime productions partially intended for North American viewers like Ergo Proxy, Samurai Champloo, and Michiko to Hachin wouldn’t be developed. While a sudden absence of American financial support for anime wouldn’t extinguish anime production, it would impact the ability of many Japanese studios to continue operating at their present capacity.

Contributing to the anime industry, especially in light of the common availability of free, illegally distributed anime, is a personal decision and a moral obligation. I firmly believe that anime fans should want to express their appreciation and gratitude for anime to the artists that create it and the distributors that make it legally available. If Americans cease purchasing anime, Japanese studios will continue working, and individuals in Japan and internationally will continue to share anime without authorization. But the official American anime distribution industry will wither and die; the amount of anime legally and easily available in America will drastically decrease; and the amount of anime that Japanese studios produce will probably decrease. While I’d like to threaten fans with an apocalyptic ultimatum forcing them to literally and liberally support their chosen hobby, there’s very little concrete justification for that. Ultimately, international anime fans supporting the industry is a matter of conscience and respect for the artists that create anime and the professionals that legally deliver anime to consumers. The anime industry is a community because the commercial industry responds to the advice and demands of its market (albeit slowly, sometimes), and the market enables the industry to sustain itself. Anime fans that genuinely and deeply care about anime, and want to express their gratitude for anime, have only one impactful method of doing so – legitimately paying for anime.