Ask John: What Is Blue Seed 2 (Too)?

Question:
I hear there is a Blue Seed 2 (or is it “Too”?)? Will it be released in the US any time soon? Or is it still in production? I also understand that the Japanese name of a series can be different from the English name. Why?

Answer:
There are 3 thirty-minute OAVs following the Blue Seed TV series. The first two episodes are a single story in the same vein as the TV series. The stand-alone third OAV is an entertaining, but inconsequential episode about the girls encountering a mad bomber at a hot-spring. While currently I’m not aware of there being a US license for these OAVs, my advice would be to contact AD Vision to let them know that there is fan-interest in seeing these OAVs brought to the US.

Japanese names for series can be different from their Western or American counterparts for varying reasons. Sometimes, the domestic translating companies alter the names of anime films to increase their marketability. Some examples of this include Yoju Toshi (Supernatural Beast City) retitled Wicked City, Yoju Kyoshitsu (Monster Classroom) retitled Demon Beast Invasion, Makai Tenshou retitled Ninja Resurrection, and Jubei Ninpoucho retitled Ninja Scroll. In other cases, the original Japanese titles have different Western titles. For example, Majo Takkeubin (excuse me if my phonetic spelling is off on this one) literally means Witch’s Express Mail, but the Western title used in the Japanese version of the film is Kiki’s Delivery Service. Another example is Tenku no Escaflowne, which literally means Escaflowne of the Heavens. The English language title the Japanese creators gave to the show was Vision of Escaflowne.