Ask John: Can Fans Prevent the Naruto Anime Being Americanized?

Question:
Please tell me it isn’t true that 4Kids have the rights to Naruto? Is it true? Can we do something about it so they won’t get the rights to it?

Answer:
There has been no confirmation yet that the Naruto anime has been licensed for English language release by any domestic company. Furthermore, there’s no effective way for average American anime fans to prevent any particular licensor from contracting distribution rights to a given title if the domestic licensor and Japanese distributor are in agreement. In fact, it seems a bit selfish and petty to seek to prevent a particular distributor from acquiring a given anime. But I do understand and sympathize with the motivation behind this attitude. 4Kids Entertainment and similar companies are known for censoring and whitewashing many of the distinguishing elements out of Japanese animation that anime fans specifically watch anime for. But while it’s easy to accuse a company like 4Kids of corrupting the cultural integrity of imported Japanese film, I think that American anime fans themselves fail to recognize their own contribution to this obfuscation.

You reap what you sow, goes the old saying. I think that adage applies here. Distributors like Fox Kids, Kids WB, and 4Kids provide what viewers want to see. The television success of Dragonball Z, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, Gundam, Cowboy Bebop, Tenchi Muyo and other dubbed and edited programs, and the continuing demand for English dubbed anime on American home video sends a clear and unmistakable message to American licensing companies that American viewers want easily digestible, mainstream friendly anime. As long as the majority of America’s consumer market and even fan community prefers that their anime have its Japanese language, at least, removed, it’s a natural extension to also remove Japanese cultural references, foul language, sexuality, nudity, violence, or anything else that may interfere with a typical American viewer’s appreciation of “exciting cartoons.” Certainly some compromises must be made in order to propel Japanese animation into success in English speaking countries, but introductory sacrifices have become the expected norm instead of a point from which to become more sophisticated and demanding. Rather than using dubbed and edited American TV broadcasts and bilingual DVDs as a method for introducing authentic Japanese animation with all of its original Japanese language and footage intact, complacency and irresponsible greed have made Japanese language only DVD releases the realm of acknowledged “art films” and other titles that American consumers typically ignore. And the possibility of unadulterated Japanese anime broadcast on American television is unlikely considering that Japanese language anime is a rarity even on the anime exclusive Anime Network and its video-on-demand service.

It’s ironic that fans complain about the possibility of “Americanized” releases of Ojamajo Doremi and Naruto while voraciously consuming and demanding more anime on American TV and DVD that has its most obvious Japanese characteristic edited out. While I’m as opposed to seeing a sanitized, westernized version of the Naruto anime in America as anyone, that’s exactly what we deserve as long as American anime fans continue to prefer Japanese animation that’s not entirely Japanese.