Ask John: Why Do Many Anime Series Not Get Sequels?

Question:
Recently I have involved myself in several new anime titles. I check out Gantz, Black Lagoon, and Tenjho Tenge. Why is that anime like these, which are very good anime, always put on the back burner when it comes to future releases? Each of these seem to end on a very open ended note with no real ending to the story, just a continuation that never comes. Why end a series like that if the companies aren’t sure if they will continue them?

Answer:
In order for a serious, hardcore anime fan to really understand and appreciate anime, understanding the precise nature of anime is a must. With few exceptions, anime is a commercial art. It’s a creative work assembled by artists that want to share their artistic vision, but it’s also a product designed to appeal to a large audience and generate profit. The most efficient way to ensure that anime reaches a large audience is to create anime for an audience that already exists.

Anime based on manga are commonly made while the original manga is popular and ongoing. From the perspective of a viewer, it may seem logical to delay an anime version until the original manga is finished, in order that the anime can mirror the source material’s ending. But the problem with this theory is that a manga series may not be as popular when it ends as it was earlier in its lifespan. In order to reach the biggest possible audience, an anime has to be created and released during the height of its manga’s success, not when the manga is ending and its popularity is shrinking. From a financial and investment perspective, releasing an anime at optimal time is far more important than ensuring that the anime has a satisfying conclusion.

In most cases, anime get sequels when their popularity warrants a continuation. Shows like Gantz, Black Lagoon, and Tenjho Tenge may seem very high profile and popular, but, in fact, these types of anime are only popular within a small circle of hardcore fans. Anime is produced by artists who care about what they create, but anime is financed by investors and corporations that care about investing in profitable ventures. Highly successful anime get sequels, and anime that aren’t tremendously successful don’t get additional animation. While I can’t say for certain, I suspect that animators often may avoid creating a conclusive, original ending for an anime because they’re uncertain if they’ll have an opportunity to create a sequel. After all, it’s producers and corporate sponsors that ultimate decide what anime get continuations. The people that fund anime production have more control over what does and doesn’t get animated than actual animators. Animators may want to avoid diverging too much from their source material because doing so may cause difficulty if a sequel is approved, and because fans often complain when anime varies too much from its source.

I frequently hear and read complaints about anime series that don’t thoroughly adapt the manga they’re based on. These complaints are somewhat justified because I do sympathize with the feeling of dissatisfaction upon seeing an anime conclude with an unresolved ending. Viewers have invested their time, concentration, and emotion into watching an anime and want that investment to feel justified and rewarded. On the other hand, I think that viewers who complain about anime having unresolved endings or anime not completely adapting its source manga have an inappropriate perspective on anime. Rather than feel angry about not seeing a comprehensive ending, fans should be pleased to have seen and enjoyed what they did get. My opinion is that some Black Lagoon or Tenjho Tenge anime is preferable to no Black Lagoon or Tenjho Tenge anime. Rather than bemoan what doesn’t exist, celebrate what does exist. Anime is a commercial product subject to the conditions of the marketplace and business. It’s unreasonable for viewers to demand that anime be produced in a way contrary to its most practical and profitable circumstances. Animators don’t intentionally create anime with unresolved endings just to spite viewers. Animators make the anime which they’re able to make at the time. Viewers always have a right to critique and complain, but complains should be tempered with some understanding of circumstances.