Ask John: Could Tenshi ni Narumon be Re-licensed?

Question:
Now that Tenshi ni Narumon license expired from Synch-Point, do you think Bandai Visual USA could bring this title to the light?

Answer:
I’ll address this question for a few reasons. I think the answer reveals a little about the American anime consumer market. The answer may clarify a bit about Bandai Visual. And I have a personal interest in this question. I’m probably one of America’s very, very few hardcore Tenshi ni Narumon fans. I’ve watched the entire series. I bought all three of the domestic DVDs as they were released. I own several of the original animation cels used in the creation of the show. I even imported the show’s opening theme song CD single. I respect Synch-Point for taking the risk of distributing this odd and unique anime in America, but I don’t think that any other distributor will ever follow suit.

I suspect that many American anime fans have never heard of “I’m Gonna Be An Angel,” much less know that three DVD volumes were released domestically. I also suspect that only a relative handful of American collectors ever bought all three discs. I did so because I like the show, and wanted to do what I could to support the distributor, but given the prolonged release schedule and the clear, early signs that the domestic release was unlikely to ever finish, I can’t blame consumers that refused to buy the discs. Ironically, in a self-perpetuating cycle, consumers didn’t buy the DVDs because Synch-Point did little to support the release. And Synch-Point did little to support the release because consumers didn’t buy the DVDs. Although Synch-Point did its best to make the domestic release as “fan friendly” as possible, including even providing an English dub, a conventional subtitle track, and a “fan oriented” subtitle track that retained Japanese honorifics, name-order, and some Japanese terms and references, the release was probably doomed to failure from the outset because it was an obscure title, and it’s an excessively “cute” show, although its third act does become darker and more serious. As a general principle, even more evident now than in 2002 when Tenshi ni Narumon premiered in America, American anime fans and anime consumers only buy anime that they’re familiar with. And average American consumers don’t buy “cute” anime.

Tenshi ni Narumon is one of the thousands of anime titles distributed on Japanese home video by Bandai Visual. Tenshi ni Narumon is no longer officially licensed for domestic distribution, and Bandai Visual does distribute anime in America. Just considering that set of facts, I can’t say that there’s no chance of Bandai Visual finishing the domestic DVD release, or re-releasing the complete series. But I do believe that the odds of Tenshi ni Narumon being re-licensed for American release are as close to zero as can be. Tenshi ni Narumon was originally released in America in 2002, during the height of the American anime explosion. If the series couldn’t find an audience then, it’s chances of finding an audience in today’s more discriminating and less free-spending market must be miniscule. I can’t envision any domestic distributor being eager to pick up this title because even if it was offered without any licensing fees, the translation and DVD production costs alone could easily be more than the show will generate in domestic sales revenue.

Bandai Visual may possess the Japanese distribution rights to the series, but I doubt the company will extend its distribution to America partially because of the aforementioned concern about fiscal viability. Furthermore, I don’t see Tenshi ni Narumon as a Bandai Visual USA license because of the show’s age and low profile. Bandai Visual has, so far, concentrated on two types of acquisitions. The Patlabor movies, original Gunbuster, and Royal Space Force are examples of contemporary classics. These are library standards that anime fans want to own for archival collections. Bandai Visual’s domestic distribution of Galaxy Angel Rune might seem like an encouraging sign that the company is willing to release “cute” anime, but put in the context of Bandai Visual’s licenses of Freedom, Gunbuster 2, Kikoushi Enma, Wings of Rean, Super Robot Wars, and Kissdum, it becomes clear that Bandai Visual’s is choosing its “classics,” and its high profile current Japanese properties for American release. Tenshi ni Narumon doesn’t fall into either category. Furthermore, if Tenshi ni Narumon didn’t sell well in America with a bilingual release and $30 retail price, it would sell even worse with Bandai Visual’s subtitled only and $40-$50 retail price standards.

Regrettably, there are, and seemingly always will be certain anime and certain types of anime which may have an audience in Japan, but which will never have a significant audience in America. Tenshi ni Narumon is, I firmly believe, a show that no significant number of American viewers will ever appreciate or enjoy, so its severely limited American commercial potential and its age in Japan make it a show destined to fall between the cracks and never receive a full official American release.