Ask John: Why Does Anime Have So Little Exposure on American TV?

Question:
Hello, John. I ask you a question from Japan. The other day I happened to find the TV schedule list of Japanese animation in your country when I saw the site called Anime on TV, and found that Cartoon Network broadcasts many famous anime shows including Inuyasha or Lupin the III — in midnight or early morning. I was shocked. I remember that in Japan Hagaren [Fullmetal Alchemist] aired between 6:00 and 6:30p.m. and Inuyasha between 7:30 and 8:00 p.m. Why does CN air them in hours when most children are sound asleep? (Let me emphasize I was surprised that in the U.S. even Naruto and One Piece are shown in 9:00p.m. and 9:30p.m.) I also was surprised that national terrestrial broadcasting networks like Fox seldom air anime shows without some exceptions like Mew Mew Power and Sonic X, while Japanese media frequently reports that Japanese animation is widely accepted in the U.S., showing many anime fans doing costume-play in anime conventions.

Answer:
I don’t know exactly what perception native Japanese citizens have about the popularity, availability, and acceptance of anime in America. In fact, examination of different strata of anime in America results in very different answers. The support for anime among American anime fans is very strong. The availability of anime in America is truly impressive, especially within the anime fan community. Awareness of Japanese animation in America is at an all time high. However, mainstream acceptance of anime in America lags far behind the advances anime has made in other respects. A close examination of the support for anime on American television may provide a revealing and realistic gauge of the actual penetration of anime into America and American culture. Anime may seem like it’s tremendously successful in America because it’s high profile, but the facts tell another story.

According to AC Nielsen, Disney’s The Incredibles sold 16 million copies on DVD in America last year. Shark Tale sold nearly 10 million copies. Even the DVD release of Bambi sold 6 million copies in 2005. In comparison, all three Inuyasha movies combined have sold just over 1 million copies in the past year and a half. Evidently, the success of anime in America is very relative. American anime fans are very devoted. Through underground means hardcore American fans now have access to brand new Japanese anime before even many Japanese residents do. America’s anime fan community is influential because it’s affluent, intelligent, and motivated. But it’s not very large.

The phenomenal breakout success of the Pokemon franchise in America six years ago brought Japanese animation to the attention of mainstream American culture. Spirited Away won an Academy Award, proving that America recognized that Japanese animation could have artistic and cinematic credibility. But the fact that mainstream America knows that anime exists doesn’t mean that mainstream America has embraced and welcomed anime. American theatrical releases of anime films, and American television support for anime are a significantly more revealing barometer of mainstream America’s acceptance of anime than home video sales. American theatrical and television exposure for anime, or lack thereof, reveals that anime is still not widely understood or accepted in mainstream American culture.

At any given time there is more anime available on American television now than ever before, and many shows have been broadcast on American television. But if we account for factors that artificially skew the average, the presence of anime on mainstream American television drops dramatically. Networks like AZN and the Anime Network are only available in limited areas or cities in America. Even the Anime Network has announced a shift away from traditional linear broadcast toward a pay-per-view or paid subscription availability model. FUNimation has announced that its anime exclusive television network will not be available on American broadcast or cable television. The FUNimation Network will be a satellite TV network, which will severely limit its reach in America (but also reduce its expenses). Network such as Starz, TCM, and G4 air anime infrequently, or aren’t widely available to viewers. Major broadcast networks including Warner Bros. and Fox air a small handful of anime series including Tokyo Mew Mew, Viewtiful Joe, and Sonic X, but these programs are often heavily edited and altered to remove their distinctive Japanese characteristics, such as removing the “Tokyo” from “Mew Mew Power.” These programs are also relatively “safe” programs free of violence or other mature content deemed unsuitable for American children.

By a wide margin, the Cartoon Network is the most widely available American television network that routinely broadcasts anime. No other easily accessible American television network broadcasts as much anime as the Cartoon Network and is spin-off Toonami network. As you’ve noticed, the Cartoon Network broadcasts most of its anime programming late at night, even though the shows it carries were considered mainstream, prime-time programming in Japan. This discrepancy reveals the actual acceptance of anime in America. Mainstream American animated series like The Simpsons, King of the Hill, Family Guy, and American Dad air in prime time or evening timeslots on major broadcast networks. Anime is relegated to late night broadcast on cable because mainstream American society isn’t interested in anime, and possibly even fears anime. Although most Americans know of anime like Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh, they still think of anime as either cartoons for children or provocative, cultish genre entertainment for inscrutable teens and young adults. In response to that common perception, children’s anime is broadcast on broadcast networks, and “cultish” anime is broadcast late at night on cable networks.

Fullmetal Alchemist was a major, mainstream hit in Japan. Director Seiji Mizushima has stated in an interview with Play Magazine that the show’s violence was intentionally graphic in order to shock Japanese youngsters out of their complacency and desensitization. Mainstream America will probably never be prepared to accept uncensored Fullmetal Alchemist on evening broadcast television because its violence would be considered too intense and inappropriate for American children. A number of years ago Fox reportedly considered licensing and broadcasting Detective Conan but canceled its plans after deciding that the show was too violent for mainstream American television. Even though Detective Conan is one of Japan’s most successful mainstream hits among children and families, in America it’s broadcast late at night on cable, suggesting that it’s considered unsuitable for mainstream American family viewing.

Only two anime films have been screened in nationwide theatrical release within recent memory: Howl’s Moving Castle and Steamboy. Neither registered as more than mere footnotes on the scale of American theatrical success. In fact, Steamboy was even released in American theaters in two different editions: an edited English language dub and an uncut subtitled version. The uncut theatrical release of Steamboy had limited distribution even compared to the minimal edited version theatrical roadshow. All evidence suggests that mainstream America is just not interested in paying to see anime in theaters, or even interested in watching anime on free television broadcast. What’s more, the fact that anime considered family friendly in Japan is considered suitable only for limited adult audiences in America reveals that American society doesn’t understand anime, and seemingly doesn’t want to appreciate anime. While Japan considers anime a legitimate form of film suitable for anyone- from child to adult, mainstream American culture continues to perceive anime as something insidious and vaguely threatening.

The average American perception of anime is that it’s either blatant advertising targeting children, such as Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh encouraging the sale of Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh trading cards and toys, or it’s risqué underground entertainment full of sexuality and violence that will corrupt the minds of impressionable American children. American anime fans adore anime and cosplay in respect for the complex stories and attractive art of anime. Mainstream, average Americans see hardcore anime fans as strange, unbalanced folk that obsess over cartoons and animated sex and violence. Japanese society doesn’t hesitate to exposes its children to themes of death, violence, and sexuality because such things exist in life and are a natural part of living. American culture strives to shield its children from awareness of these things. A view of anime available on American TV that considers the availability of particular TV networks reveals that, in fact, there’s really not a lot of anime broadcast on American television, and the anime that is broadcast on American TV isn’t met with the same acceptance or open-mindedness that anime enjoys in Japan. Anime is very popular in America within certain circles, but on a national scale typical, average Americans still have very little understanding, appreciation, and interest for and about Japanese animation.

January 8, 2007 Addendum:
As of June 2006, the FUNimation Channel has expanded to limited digital cable broadcast.