Ask John: Can Anime Adaptations Reduce Interest in Original Manga?

Question:
Do you think that anime broadcasts can actually hurt the popularity of the manga series they are based on (in the case of anime based on manga? I ask this because it occurred to me that the Ranma 1/2 anime ended far before the manga did. It seems quite logical that people were tired of the series, and hence the ratings went down and the series ended. If that were true, wouldn’t people also have been tired of the “franchise” itself, given that there was such mass exposure during the anime broadcast? It’s like, “Why would I want to keep reading the manga when I already have had my fill of the anime?”

Is this a common thing, for anime series to end before the manga? When you consider series like One Piece, Naruto, and others, their “star” could fade long before the actual “inspirational” material does.

Answer:
Your theory that the success of an anime series could actually result in a decline in interest in the original manga source seems plausible on the surface, but I think it overlooks several relevant circumstances. Most importantly, it’s necessary to remember that in most cases of a manga series being adapted into an anime, the adaptation occurs because the manga series is very popular. If a manga series is already immensely popular, theoretically an anime adaptation can boost that popularity, but probably won’t diminish it. Fans that have been faithful to the manga from before the time it was turned into an anime, I suspect, are likely to continue reading the manga as long as it continues, regardless of the status of the spin-off anime adaptation. For example, manga series including Hunter x Hunter, Hellsing, Love Hina, Fruits Basket, Berserk, and Kareshi Kanojo no Jijoo have long outlasted the anime based on them. And these manga series continue to be popular. I agree that new fans attracted to manga series because of their exposure to the anime adaptations may eventually loose interest in the manga or may feel burned out by overexposure to the manga and anime. But fans that have supported a manga for a long time, I think, are likely to continue reading it regardless of external influences. Simply put, new, casual fans may be likely to lose interest in a manga title after a while, but devoted long time fans are likely to remain devoted fans regardless of the status of the anime spin-off.

Also keep in mind that manga and anime are fundamentally different media. Anime requires bulky technology like a computer or television set to watch. Manga is immediately accessible and highly portable. The mere advantage of just being able to open a book and immediately be immersed in a story, opposed to having to power up equipment and cue video or wait for a precise broadcast time then sit through TV commercials, makes manga a more accessible form of entertainment. Especially in Japan, where manga is a favored material for passing time on commuter trains, manga has a usefulness that gives it special longevity and the ability to outlast anime adaptations.

It is relatively common for anime adaptations to conclude before their manga counterparts. Just a handful of examples, in addition to those already mentioned, include Candidate for Goddess, X, Tenjho Tenge, Inuyasha, Trigun, Gantz, and Samurai Deeper Kyo. In many cases these anime adaptations targeted at hardcore anime fans just don’t earn high enough ratings to justify the expense of extending them. But manga is relatively inexpensive to produce, publish and distribute. Even if the audience for a manga title is small, as long as it’s still loyal, there’s little reason not to continue publishing and releasing new chapters of the story. Manga stories often last longer than the anime based on them because the nature of manga makes it more viable for long term continuing release than anime.