Ask John: Is Localizing Comedy Anime a New Trend?

Question:
Between releases like Excel Saga, Love Hina, Puni Puni Poemy, Azumanga Daioh, Galaxy Angel and Miami Guns, there’s a goodly amount of humor anime on the market these days. Has comedy become the new flavor of the month in anime?

Answer:
I don’t think there’s a particular trend in the current American anime industry toward comedy the way there is an appreciable current trend toward yaoi, for example. I think that the increasing number of comedy titles being released in America lately is simply a natural situation caused by the increasing popularity of anime itself in America. A large percentage of anime released in Japan is in the comedy genre, so naturally as more anime is imported to America, the percentage of comedy anime released in America also increases.

One of the most striking differences between the tastes of Japanese and American anime fans is in the types of anime most favored. American fans generally love mature, dark, morose, serious, and dramatic anime. Titles like Berserk, Akira, Cowboy Bebop, and Hellsing come to mind as examples. What’s most popular among Japanese viewers seems to be lighter, more humorous comedy, romance and adventure stories. In response to the Japanese demand for light-hearted and whimsical anime, there are an inordinate number of comedy anime series developed and released.

The few violent, serious, and mature anime series that are made are usually the first to be acquired for American release. As a result of domestic companies lately finding themselves having to look to other genres because all the “dark” anime are already licensed, we’re seeing more comedy anime brought to America because that’s what’s plentiful and available in Japan.