Ask John: Are There Common Characteristics in Anime Brought to America?

Question:
Would you say that there is a formula or common occurrences in anime that reaches America versus anime that just stays in Japan?

Answer:
It’s common and easy to conclude that only select genres or types of anime commonly reach America. This perception is undoubtedly solidified by the number of high profile shounen adventure anime in America, like Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, and Dragon Ball; the prevalence of harem romance shows including Shuffle, Kanon, Air, and Akaneiro ni Somaru Saka; and “moe” anime including When They Cry, Rozen Maiden, Strike Witches, Venus Versus Virus, and and Lyrical Nanoha. However, closer examination reveals less of a constant similarity among anime licensed for American release than consistency among the types of anime which don’t reach America. In fact, nearly every type of anime does reach America with two pronounced exceptions. Almost without exception, family oriented Japanese domestic comedy anime and children’s anime typically don’t come to America.

The titles mentioned above already demonstrate some of America’s most popular anime genres. Robot anime is well represented in America by Evangelion, Gundam, Fafner, Rahxephon, Godannar, Gravion, Giant Robo, and numerous others. Sports anime including Slam Dunk, Yawara, Ookiku Furikabutte, Princess Nine, and Eyeshield 21 have made it to America. Vintage anime doesn’t perform well in America, but shows including Captain Harlock, Galaxy Express 999, Hokuto no Ken, Animal Treasure Island, and Astro Boy are available domestically. Dramas including Monster, Nana, Ristorante Paradiso, Spice & Wolf, Paprika, and Phoenix are available domestically. Mainstream family anime including Detective Conan, Pretty Cure, and Keroro Gunso have reached America. Even esoteric, “art” anime periodically reach America, Tekkon Kinkreet, Memories, Mushishi, Tweeny Witches, and Innocence among them. In fact, virtually any and every anime genre imaginable has at least a few titles in America.

The first partial exception is Japanese domestic comedy family anime. The current Mainichi Kaasan television series is available to American viewers through Crunchyroll, but few Americans seem to be aware of it. Similarly, Ghibli’s 1999 feature film My Neighbors the Yamadas is available on domestic DVD from Disney, but it’s easily the least known and seen release in Disney’s American line of Ghibli movie DVDs. Crayon Shin-chan is available in America, but (practically) only in an Americanized form. Other anime franchises in Japan, some of them tremendously popular and respected, including Sazae-san, Chibi Maruko-chan, Nono-chan, Kochikame, Atashin’chi, Jarinko Chie, Elecking the Animation, and Uchi no 3 Shimai have no presence nor even recognition in America. The 330 episode Atashin’chi television series just aired it final episode last week yet even most of America’s most hardcore otaku who follow daily Japanese anime broadcasts are unaware of this show’s existence and the fact that it’s been airing new episodes weekly since 2002. The American domestic family comedy animated series The Simpsons is popular in Japan, yet Japanese equivalent shows are entirely unknown in America.

The other prominent Japanese anime genre that’s woefully under represented in America is “kodomomuke anime” or children’s anime. Shows including Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh have become massively successful in America, but countless others have no presence in America at all. Doraemon, Soreike! Anpanman, Shima Shima Tora no Shimajiro, Hatara Kizzu Maihamu Gumi, Daisuki BuBu ChaCha, Ojarumaru, Nintama Rantaro, Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro, Mirmo de Pon, Sweet Valerian, Butazuka, Sugar Bunnies, Yume-Miru Anime On-chan, Suisui! Fizi!, Happy Happy Clover, Shampoo Ohji, Mameushi-kun, and Pururun! Shizuku-chan have no presence in America, no name recognition in America, nor even strong possibility of ever reaching America.

Anime fans need to be always mindful that anime distribution is a business. Domestic distributors license and distribute titles in genres that are expected to interest consumers and generate profit. Japanese distributors turn to web distributors like Crunchyroll and YouTube to distribute series like Eagle Talon, Mainichi Kaasan, and Kemono no Souja Erin that have minimal American commercial potential with conventional distribution methods. So, naturally, domestic licensors do look for certain themes and content to acquire for American release, but a belief that all anime that reaches America is the same or falls into narrowly defined parameters is a gross exaggeration. Certainly some types and genres of anime are less prominent in America – chief among them being family sitcoms and children’s anime – but America does actually get a largely representative cross-sampling of Japan’s mainstream anime.

“Jump Ohji” title corrected on September 28, 2008.