Ask John: Which Anime Does John Want to be Licensed?

Question:
What are some of the anime titles you would most like to see licensed for American release? I personally pray daily for a licensing announcement for the Hunter X Hunter anime.

Answer:
To provide a list of shows that I’d personally appreciate seeing officially released in America, it would be easy for me to just list whichever anime shows I’m most infatuated with lately, or list the shows that I’m most devoted to. I have an extensive collection of vintage Japanese Dirty Pair merchandise that I’ve been accumulating since 1987, so I’d dearly love to see the classic Dirty Pair television series finally released in America. I’ve also been duly impressed with recent shows including Kamichu!, Zipang, and Mushishi. And there are titles which have been released on official American VHS including Gunbuster, Leda, and Ten Little Gall Force, which I’d be grateful to own on officially released domestic DVD. But rather than just recite a list of my favorite titles, I think a my response may be more interesting if I identify a few titles which, I think, deserve greater recognition but sadly probably won’t ever be officially released in America.

Probably the most obscure title on my short list is the Dancing Blade franchise. Most anime fans won’t have heard of Dancing Blade because it’s not a conventional anime. In August 1998 Konami released a Playstation game called Dancing Blade: Katte ni Momotenshi. The game was essentially an interactive anime produced by Kyoto Animation, the studio that would later animate the Air TV series and Full Metal Panic! Fumoffu? Unlike typical PC bishoujo games or Sony’s line of Yarudora Playstation games, Dancing Blade was not an interactive visual novel. It was two fully animated episodes complete with voices provided by established anime voice actors including Megumi Ogata (who portrayed Shinji Ikari in Evangelion) and a catchy opening theme song sung by Houko Kuwashima (the voice of Kirika in Noir). Loosely based on the traditional Japanese Momotaro fairy tale, Dancing Blade was a fun fantasy adventure reminiscent of AIC productions like the original Tenchi Muyo series. The original Dancing Blade was followed by a sequel the following year. Then later in 1999 both games were re-released for the Dreamcast with restored animation presumably cut from the original Playstation version. With all of the games, upon finishing a play-through, the episode could be played back as an anime episode. There’s no reason why these anime episodes couldn’t be released straight to DVD as anime OAVs. The branching path technology used in DVDs such as The Matrix’s “Follow the White Rabbit” feature could even allow a DVD re-issue of the Dancing Blade episodes to vary slightly with repeat viewings, since the original games required several repeat plays to unlock all of the animation footage. Dancing Blade is a fast paced, highly entertaining anime series full of cute, magic wielding girls, plenty of firepower, marauding giant demons, and a transforming magical girl carrying a giant sword. The series fits comfortably in the vein of Tenchi Muyo, Sakura Wars, and Moeyoken, and benefits from top-notch animation from a studio that’s proven itself popular with anime fans.

Right Stuf International has released the 1996 and 1997 Starship Girl Yamamoto Yohko OAV series on domestic DVD, but the 1999 television series remains woefully unknown in America. The original OAV series are tremendously fun for hardcore otaku that can appreciate their unique and unusual artistic style. But while the original two OAV series are good, the television series is excellent. Many of the primary creators behind the Yamamoto Yohko TV series recently re-united to produce the Tsukuyomi ~Moon Phase~ anime series, so fans that are familiar with Tsukuyomi will have some idea of what to expect from the earlier Yamamoto Yohko TV series. The TV series is an all-around improvement on the original OAV series. The television series had a stronger story and more time to develop its often compelling narrative. The TV series had more attractive character design than either of the earlier OAV series. The kinetic, artistic use of light, camera angles, and shot framing in director Akiyuki Shinbo’s Soul Taker and Tsukuyomi television series offer some insight into what to expect from Shinbo’s earlier Yamamoto Yohko TV series. Regrettably, Yamamoto Yohko may be just too different, too unusual to appeal to average anime viewers. The show was broadcast subtitled in English throughout Asia several years ago, but the Yamamoto Yohko anime has never been very popular among Americans, and the full TV series has never been widely available to American fans, even through underground fan distribution. The Yamamoto Yohko TV series is a genuine case of “not knowing what you’re missing.” The show is well written. The amount of care and effort that went into animating it is abundantly obvious to any observant viewer. And I consider the series one of the most satisfying, moving, memorable, and artistically enlightening anime shows I’ve ever watched. I think the Yamamoto Yohko TV series deserves greater recognition than it has, and I think American fans could expand their awareness and appreciation of anime by watching it. But, unfortunately, especially considering the lukewarm welcome the original OAV series have had in America, I think the TV series coming to America is a longshot. A limited edition complete DVD boxed set containing all of the Yamamoto Yohko anime is scheduled for Japanese release in early December. I don’t expect this release to lead to an eventual American release, but I can dream.

The third of my top three most wanted but unlikely to receive anime titles is the 1998 Popolocrois Monogatari television series produced by Bee Train, the studio better known for the .Hack, Noir, Madlax, and Tsubasa Chronicle anime. The Popolocrois television series, based on a 1996 Playstation RPG (in fact, the Playstation’s first hit RPG), is a charming, sweet, and fun fantasy adventure often compared to Legend of Zelda. The anime’s simplistic, squashed character designs tend to create the stereotype that the show is a disposable children’s program. And while the show is child friendly, it’s more accurately described as an intelligent all-ages suitable series in the same way that Studio Ghibli anime is made for children, but entertaining for anyone that appreciates outstanding anime. The Popolocrois video game franchise spawned multiple sequels. Likewise, the Popolocrois anime was revived in 2003 with a second TV series set years later when the boy hero of the first series was a grown man and the star of the show was the original protagonist’s son. Sadly, while good, the second series didn’t quite have the magic of the original show. The Popolocrois anime has come as close to us as being broadcast on Mexican television, yet, once again, neither of the Popolocrois TV series has ever been commonly available to American viewers in its entirety, even in the fansub community. Popolocrois Monogatari is a series that I think American fans would enjoy if they were willing to watch it and appreciate it. It’s a series which could air uncut, and probably flourish, on American television. Regrettably, typical American anime fans aren’t willing to try out shows that don’t fit their predisposed tastes. The PSP re-make of the original Popolocrois RPG is scheduled for American release next month. While I don’t anticipate the game creating an overwhelming American consumer demand for the related anime series, once again, I can hope.