Ask John: Could Honey & Clover Become a Hit in America?

Question:
Is it just me or does the Honey and Clover series hold some excellent potential for North American success like that of the success Fruits Basket is showing right now? The two series share a similar drama and comedy style, and with the increased attention towards shoujo manga, topped off with an anime featuring some of the most heartfelt moments in recent anime and the first anime I’ve personally laughed out loud to extensively since Cromartie High, it seems like this series is just everything any slice of life fans could want. Do you think Honey and Clover has what it takes to be a hit here in North America?

Answer:
Especially in 2003 and 2004, predicting which anime series were most likely to see American release was relatively easy. American licensors were engaged in a buying frenzy, and anything that seemed to have remote marketable potential in America was virtually assured to be licensed for American release. However, toward the end of 2004 that trend began to change. The often cited market saturation, increasing licensing costs, and decreasing profitability from anime due to increased costs and reduced retail prices forced a dramatic reduction in licensing. One telltale sign has been the noted decrease in titles announced at the recent Anime Expo convention relative to prior years. Furthermore, domestic licensors now seem to be dropping titles as frequently as they acquire new properties, if not more often. Bandai has dropped its plans to distribute Giant Gorg and SPT Layzner and has indefinitely delayed Di-Gi-Charat Nyo. AD Vision has dropped Tactics and Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch and has apparently allowed its distribution rights to City Hunter and the original Nuku Nuku OAV series to expire. Toei seems to have withdrawn from American anime distribution entirely.

As of this writing, I’ve only watched the first 7 out of the 13 episodes of Honey & Clover that have been aired in Japan so far, but those episodes have been outstanding. The show’s opening animation is creative and memorable. Its visual design is warm, soothing and beautiful to look at. The cast is a diverse blend of personalities, each well developed and appealing. And best of all, the show deals with humorous and touching emotional conflicts in a subtle, mature fashion that leads the viewer without being condescending or sensationalistic. I agree with the comparison of Honey & Clover to Fruits Basket, but I think Honey & Clover is far more comparable to Hana Yori Dango (known in America as “Boys Over Flowers”). In fact, Honey & Clover feels to me like a slightly more mature, ensemble version of “HanaDan.” Hana Yori Dango has an earth-tone watercolor look, an exclusive school setting, and deals with personal relationships and psychology; all characteristics in common with Honey & Clover. The difference is that while Hana Yori Dango focuses on the trials of a single protagonist and often employs humorously exaggerated action, Honey & Clover gives its entire cast equal screen time and explication, and utilizes much less hyperbole. (An example of exaggerated action in Honey & Clover would be the ultra-fast home-made “kickboard” scooter in the first episode.)

Honey & Clover seems to be an unusually brilliant contemporary anime drama. I do think that it will appeal to any American fans of naturalistic, dramatic anime. But whether or not the series will be released and become successful in America is a different matter. Unfortunately, quality alone is not the solitary factor determining localization nor popularity. Fruits Basket has indeed become a hit title in America, but it took quite a long time and some significant discounts to its original American retail price to achieve that success. Similar “slice of life” style anime series in American release including Boys Over Flowers, Koi Kaze, Human Crossing, Marmalade Boy, Maison Ikkoku, Rumiko Takahashi Anthology, and Piano do not appear to be major blockbuster hits, so depending on its licensing cost, I can easily envision a potential domestic licensor considering another equally priced title with greater American sales potential before seeking distribution rights to Honey & Clover. But to predict that Honey & Clover won’t come to America presumes that the American anime distribution industry has no interest in diversity or quality, which is not the case. And predicting that the show won’t be licensed for American release disregards the possibility of surprising circumstances. Although I believe that the quality of Honey & Clover should make it a primary candidate for American release, my suspicion is that more practical circumstances such as its style and qualities, and the condition of the American anime industry at present make it a longshot candidate for American release in the foreseeable future. I also think that the odds of it becoming a major hit upon its American release are likewise slim considering that even now in the fansub community, when episodes are available to anyone at no cost, I see no discussion of it on fan forums, and bit torrent demand for it, on brief observation, seem average at best. I’m sure that there are enough interested and curious American fans and consumers to make an American release viable, but I don’t see evidence, right now, of enough American support for the show to turn it into a major hit.

It’s possible that official American exposure and backing could help the show turn into another Fruits Basket scale success, but I’m not prepared to make such a prediction. I think that Fruits Basket has certain predispositions toward greater American success than Honey & Clover. Fruits Basket was directed by Akitaro Daichi, so it exhibits Daichi’s proven successful forumla of appealing humor. Fruits Basket also features distinctly bishonen characters and cute animals. (The popularity of plush Fruits Basket animal dolls and themed hats among American consumers undeniably verifies the contribution of cute animals to the success of the show.) Note that I mean no disrespect toward Fruits Basket because it’s an outstanding show deserving of its success and popularity, but Honey & Clover is a more mature and subtle drama lacking in the novel gimmicks that make Fruits Basket attractive. Fruits Basket is an accessible, cheerful romantic drama. Honey & Clover is slightly more of a subdued and “artsy” romantic drama, which may make it a bit more difficult to mainstream American consumers to adore and indulge in.