Ask John: Could TV Exposure Make Other Rumiko Takahashi Shows More Popular?

Question:
With the current success Rumiko Takahashi’s Inu Yasha in the U.S., do you think that anime based off of Takahashi’s older works, Ranma 1/2 and Urusei Yatsura, would have a chance of becoming major hits with newer fans of anime if re-released (and in UY’s case, given a great English dub) for the U.S. television market?

Answer:
As much as I regret to say it, no, I don’t think that re-releases of new marketing of Ranma or Urusei Yatsura would make them significant hits among contemporary American anime fans. I think evidence confirms that Inuyasha is really an exception. American viewers seem to be far more interested in Inuyasha than interested in works by creator Rumiko Takahashi. Virtually every anime production Rumiko Takahashi has ever been loosely involved in has been localized for American release: Urusei Yatsura, Maison Ikkoku, the Mermaid’s Forest and Mermaid’s Scar OAVs, Supergal, Fire Tripper, Laughing Target, One Pound Gospel, Ranma, Moeyoken, Takahashi Rumiko Theater. But among all of those, none have achieved the level of American success enjoyed by Inuyasha.

Even though it’s directed by Mamoru Oshii, who is now beloved and respected worldwide as the director of Ghost in the Shell, the Urusei Yatsura anime is very old, and it’s very Japanese. The lackluster American sales of vintage anime on domestic DVD seem to validate the fact that average American anime fans don’t like old anime. I don’t think that added English dubbing will be likely to dramatically strengthen the prospects of Urusei Yatsura suddenly becoming a break out hit in America after it’s been commonly available domestically for over a decade. Urusei Yatsura has a very unique sense of humor which, I think, only appeals to a select audience. Furthermore, no amount of visual restoration will make the original TV series look contemporary. In fact, even the movies and OAVs do have significantly more streamlined, lush and contemporary looking art and character designs. But even that advantage doesn’t seem to be enough to allow Lum and her friends to compete with popular recent productions.

The height of American popularity for Ranma has come and gone, and I don’t foresee a significant revival of interest in the show on the horizon. Ranma just feels very different from Inuyasha, which is why I don’t think Ranma really lends itself to mainstream American success. I think that one of the most appealing characteristics of Inuyasha is that its characters feel contemporary. The Inuyasha characters and the situations they find themselves in feel modern and easy to relate to and believe, even though the show is set primarily in the distant past. On the other hand, the characters and situations of Ranma are appealing but isolated. I think that contemporary American viewers can relate to the Inuyasha characters. On the other hand, the Ranma and Urusei Yatsura characters seem like ones that modern viewers can enjoy observing, but can’t personally identify with.

Personally, I do like both Urusei Yatsura and (a bit less so) Ranma, and I’d be pleased to see either or both of these respected, landmark titles become relevant and popular in today’s American fan community. But I don’t think that’s a probable eventuality. Besides the fact that both titles have been persistently available to American anime fans for a decade or more yet haven’t become breakout hits, I don’t believe that either franchise has the characteristics necessary to make them highly compatible with the tastes of contemporary American anime fans.