Ask John: Is Moe Anime the Future of American Licensing?

Question:
With a lot of shows being licensed either moe-filled, harem-filled, or otaku-focused, do you think it’s just a phase or do you think it will just grow? I know that action, shonen, and mech anime are still being licensed, like Gurren Lagann and Venus Versus Virus, but do you think a company could survive on just action, shonen, and mecha? If a company were to debut by licensing shows like Kotetsushin Jeeg, Shin Getter Robo vs. Neo Getter Robo, Ring ni Kakero 1, Platinumhugen Ordian, and license rescuing Air Master, do you think they could survive, or would they need to also pick up moe, harem, otaku-centric anime?

Answer:
This question is difficult to approach because it involves circumstances outside the control of the American anime community, and it concentrates on specific examples. The question of whether or not American anime licensing will continue to center on, or increase its dependence on “bishoujo” anime may be a moot question. American licensors can only possibly license what’s available, and a lot of the anime currently produced in Japan falls into the “bishoujo” or otaku-oriented categories. In fact, I would argue that the examples you’ve cited are also “otaku-focused” series; they’re simply not anime filled with “bishoujo” (pretty girls).

Robot anime including Kotetsushin Jeeg, Shin Getter Robo, Ordian, and fighting anime such as Ring ni Kakero and Air Master are not exactly “mainstream” Japanese titles like Naruto, Bleach, Gintama, or Pretty Cure, or family oriented programs like Detective Conan and Crayon Shin-chan. Typically robot anime are targeted specifically at hardcore robot anime otaku. Likewise, programs like Air Master and Ring ni Kakero are broadcast after midnight, meaning that they’re targeted only at the small otaku audience rather than prime time viewers.

Despite the fact that many of the most outspoken members of America’s fan community complain about lack of variety and originality in harem and “bishoujo” anime, these type of shows have a following in America. Series like Ah! My Goddess, Please Teacher, Suzumiya Haruhi, Love Hina, Tenchi Muyo, Witchblade, and Shakugan no Shana sell better in America than masculine shows like Super Robot Wars, Gaogaiger, Flag, Zipang, Hajime no Ippo, and Tide-Line Blue. With rare exceptions like Gundam and Evangelion, robot anime has never been as popular or successful in America as it is in Japan. Robot anime titles including Eureka Seven, Daigard, Getter Robo, Gasaraki, Godannar, Gravion, Fafner, Dancougar, Tekkaman Blade, Gadguard, and Dangaizer-3 have been released in America, yet none of them have ever been especially successful.

I think it would be very difficult for an American licensor to specialize strictly in licensing serious, masculine action anime targeted at older teen and young adult viewers, for a number of reasons. There’s a lot of competition to acquire distribution rights to certain titles within this realm. Shows in the vein of Berserk and Hellsing have tremendous American commercial potential, making them attractive licensing opportunities for many different American licensors. In effect, an American distributor specializing in this variety of anime may have a difficult time acquiring certain desirable titles. Furthermore, strictly specializing in only anime targeted at a single demographic may not generate enough sales and revenue to sustain a licensor. Allow me to point out two examples.

Urban Vision specialized in licensing dark, violent, and grim anime titles. Their catalog included the Vampire Hunter D movies, Bio-Hunter, Twilight of the Dark Master, the Ninja Scroll television series, Golgo 13, Wicked City. Likewise, Super Techno Arts distributed the Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures anime in America, and was the domestic licensor for the dark and bloody ninja anime series Shadow. Both distributors have ceased active anime distribution in America. While dark or male oriented anime series may be popular in America, only a slim number of such anime have significant market potential, and only a small minority of such anime are actually good. In reality, American viewers love particular dark and morbid or testosterone laden anime like Berserk, Hellsing, Afro Samurai, Karas, Gantz, and Vampire Hunter D. But many more anime in this category, including Tokko, Psycho Diver, Bio-Hunter, Wicked City, Devilman, Argent Soma, Hakaima Sadamitsu, Apocalypse Zero, Midnight Eye Goku, Parasite Dolls, Teizokurei Daydream, and virtually every robot anime besides Evangelion, has not been especially successful in America.

America’s most successful anime distributors don’t concentrate on just one or two genres of anime, nor do they place excess attention on acquiring “moe” or “bishoujo” anime. However, titles like Lucky Star and Kanon get licensed before titles like Skull Man and Shigurui, or generate more anticipation and consumer interest than licenses like Tokyo Majin Gakuen, Aquarion, and Kissdum. In summation, America’s licensors don’t concentrate on “moe” shows to the exclusion of “seinen” anime. America’s licensors concentrate most on acquiring anime which they know American consumers want to purchase. America’s licensors aren’t interested in flooding America with bishoujo anime. American consumers are simply more eager to purchase shows like Suzumiya Haruhi, Lucky Star, Air, Kanon, and When They Cry, than shows like Moonlight Mile, Ayakashi Ayashi, Ring ni Kakero, and Kotetsushin Jeeg. I think that this trend has always characterized the American anime fan community. It’s only become more pronounced in recent years when the “moe” phenomenon struck Japan’s anime industry.