Ask John: How Popular Was Weiss Kreuz in Japan?

Question:
How popular was Weiss Kreuz in Japan, and was there any OVA’s or movies released after the TV run?

Answer:
Weiss has been quite successful in Japan, actually much more successful in Japan than it has been in America, and much more so than may American fans would guess. For example, while Trigun and Weiss Kreuz both aired 26 episodes on Japanese television between April and September 1988, Trigun, which has become a fan favorite in America, was not successful enough in Japan to warrant additional animation beyond its 26 TV episodes. Weiss Kreuz, however, continued in a 2 episode OAV series, and is now scheduled to return on September 20th with a second TV series, Weiss Kreuz Gluhen. Weiss Kreuz has also been popular enough in Japan to support the production of a massive amount of memorabilia ranging from trading cards and soundtrack CDs and manga to cosplay goods like replica Weiss Kreuz leather gloves, jackets and jewelry.