Ask John: Is Subtitled Anime on Adult Swim A Good Idea?

Question:
Adult Swim announced recently that they will likely air an anime series subtitled in the near future. Do you think this is a smart move for a block that is already getting mediocre ratings when compared to their comedy block that pulls in over a million viewers every Sunday?

Answer:
First, I must admit that I’m pleasantly surprised by the news that Adult Swim is seriously considering broadcasting a Japanese anime series in its native language. Second, I’m surprised that the reaction to this news within the fan community, as expressed on several different well known anime fan forums, has been largely a mix of confusion and disbelief. There seems to be a startling tone of negativity within the fan community toward the announcement. The consensus belief seems to be that Adult Swim is foolish to broadcast any anime title in Japanese language because anime is already secondary to the popularity of Adult Swim’s original programming, and subtitles are likely to further marginalize anime on Adult Swim by driving away even more viewers. I definitely oppose this perspective.

I won’t attempt to speculate which title Adult Swim may broadcast subtitled because, in one respect, the choice of title is irrelevant. I applaud the Adult Swim Network for daring to encourage the evolution of anime fandom in America. Other television networks including Showtime, The International Channel, and the Anime Network have broadcast Japanese language anime on American television, but their exposure has been very limited. Adult Swim is an influential, nationwide basic cable television network. Its broadcasts reach millions of homes and have the potential to revolutionize American television.

The Cartoon Network and its new spin-off network Adult Swim have a history of experimenting with anime. Most notably, in 2003 the Cartoon Network aired episodes of Evangelion, Nadesico, DaiGard, and Robotech during its “Giant Robot Week” in February 2003. In September 2003 Cartoon Network producer Sean Akins said, “Giant Robot Week was a giant failure!” But the point remains that the network took a chance. The Cartoon Network has also experimented with co-producing anime for American television broadcast- IGPX and Big O II. Giant Robot Week clearly proves that the Cartoon Network and Adult Swim aren’t afraid to take risks in an effort to push the envelope. The network is among the most successful to reach the young adult American television viewer market, so I trust that they know what they’re doing.

The practice of dubbing was ostensibly created as a marketing technique to introduce viewers to foreign language film which they normally wouldn’t watch. In effect, dubbing is a form of “training wheels” designed to familiarize viewers with foreign film. But the American anime community has adopted dubbing as the seemingly preferred mode of translation and viewing anime. Ironically Americans have largely come to insist that imported Japanese animation should not be overtly Japanese. Seemingly in an effort to force viewers into recognizing and respecting the original format of anime, Adult Swim is preparing to literally assault mainstream America with Japanese animation that actually overtly sounds Japanese. I don’t know whether a possible subtitled anime broadcast on Adult Swim will shock any number of American viewers into removing their intellectual and cultural blinders, or if a subtitled broadcast will encourage an increased concern with artistic respect among major American television networks and their viewers, but I hope so.

I don’t think Adult Swim’s plan to broadcast a subtitled anime is a foolish move at all. The broadcast may not be successful, which would be a shame, but it will be a landmark event in American television history. I hope it will be an influential event in American television history. I have a new increased respect for Adult Swim because of this potential risky move to expose Americans to authentic, unaltered Japanese anime in opposition to the current trend of popularizing dubbed anime.