Ask John: Why Do Most Anime Shows Die “At An Early Age?”

Question:
Outlaw Star only had 26 episodes, same with Evangelion, and both Tenchi TV series, and I bet there are other good anime shows that ended when they hit the big 26. Most American shows tend to be longer, even if they are not popular. Only a few anime shows last over fifty episodes, while American shows hold the record for the most long running shows, like the Simpsons. If anime shows are so popular in Japan, why do they end them so fast; it’s like some kind of race. Why?

Answer:
The main reason for what Westerners see as the rapid turn over in anime programs is due to difference in cultural values between the Japanese and Western anime fans. Anime is somewhat of a bizarre medium in Japan because it is widely popular, yet it’s considered immature for Japanese older than their early teen years to watch anime. Manga are consider a legitimate form of literature, and are acceptable reading material for all audiences, but anime is considered largely a worthless, disposable entertainment by all but the most die-hard Japanese fans. For this reason, anime fandom in Japan is very much a thing of trends. Most anime programs last for only one 26 week “season” simply because they can’t support an audience for a longer broadcast. Among all but the most fanatic Japanese fans, what’s good is only what’s new, and a program that’s a year old may as well be ancient history. This is clearly in complete opposition to Western fandom that tends to develop sentimental attachments to particular anime series and remain loyal to them for years and years. Anime, like Japanese pop idols, are a thing of the moment for Japanese consumers. That’s why, to the dismay of many Western fans, shows that don’t instantly succeed in Japan, or shows that die a natural death after only a single season, are rarely revived. While Western fans want to see more Tenchi Muyo or Dragonball or Sailormoon, the average Japanese viewer has already lost interest in these series, and therefore anime studios aren’t willing to revive shows that have no market in Japan.

That’s not to say that there aren’t long running shows in Japan. They do exist, but most of these shows are relatively unknown in America because the American market simply doesn’t support long anime series. By and large, domestic anime companies base their licensing strategies on what they anticipate being able to successfully market and sell. To maintain healthy, growing profits, anime in America must be marketed to mainstream audiences. The influence of die-hard American anime fans is simply too small to support a professional anime industry of the size that currently exists in America. American anime companies therefore tailor most of their releases to markets like Suncoast, Sam Goody, Best Buy and Electronics Boutique. These massive retail chains, with their massive buying power, dictate marketing and American licensing, and when they say that consumers don’t want to buy 50 tapes of series X or volume 47 of series Y, translators simply avoid series with that many episodes. There are exceptions, such as the American releases of Ranma and Dragonball Z, but these are the exception rather than the rule.

The Simpsons may be the longest running continuing animated program in America, but its 300+ episodes still seem like nothing compared to some of the longest running anime programs in Japan. Here’s a brief list of just some of the long running anime TV series that are still broadcasting new episodes in Japan.

On May 5th Guru Guru Town Hanamaru-kun will air episode 80.
On May 6th Kochikame will air episode 178.
On May 3rd Pocket Monsters will air episodes 201.
On May 4th Detective Conan will air episode 232.
On May 6th Chibi Maruko-chan will air episode 321.
On April 27th, Crayon Shin-chan aired episode 393.
On May 4th Anpanman will air episode 611.
On April 13th Doraemon aired episode 891.
On April 22nd Sazae-chan aired episode 1619!