Ask John: Why Don’t Studios Make More Anime Fans Want?

Question:
How come studios don’t make follow-up anime? For example like Battle Angel Alita and His or Her Circumstances were never continued. Why don’t studios still make more anime regradless if the creator of the anime didn’t like the anime that was made? I mean, in Hollywood, studios still continue to make spin-offs or sequals to movies I’m sure creators probably wouldn’t have approved of. Why don’t creators think of the fans first? I am sure that it would expose their work to a wider audience.

Answer:
In fact, anime production studios do pay attention to fan demand. Japanese fan demand. There are a number of basic factors involving anime production that many American anime fans either don’t think of, or aren’t aware of including the relative sales potential of particular anime titles and the creative nature of anime.

It’s a fact that the gross sales of anime videos in America now almost tie Japanese sales figures. If anime is that profitable in America, it would seem logical to assume that Japanese creators would be interested in mining that audience. However, what’s often forgot is the fact that Japan is geographically roughly the size of California. So in fact Japan, a country the size of California, by itself, consumes as much anime as all 50 United States combined. So on a per capita basis, American anime sales stack up to only a tiny fraction of Japanese sales. Not being a mathematician or accountant, I honestly don’t know how much impact this statistic has, if any, on the mindset of the Japanese animation industry, but I think it should be mentioned that on a relative scale, anime sales in Japan are far, far more profitable than in America.
And it’s only natural that Japanese animators would consider their own native audience before thinking about viewers on the other side of the planet that they’ll probably never meet. To cite an analogy, American actor/performer David Hasselhoff is tremendously popular in Europe, but since he’s not a marquee draw in America, there aren’t a constant stream of American produced David Hasselhoff movies targeted at German viewers. Anime titles that are tremendously popular among American fans have not always been very successful in Japan. Some of the biggest examples are Gunnm (Battle Angel Alita) and Jubei Ninpucho (Ninja Scroll). While both titles are perennial favorites in America, Gunnm was not a commercial success in Japan, and Jubei Ninpucho was a box office failure in Japan. On the other hand, anime titles including Hunter X Hunter, UFO Princess Walkurie, Sister Princess, and Tenshi no Shippo have had additional TV series or OAVs created due to massive demand from Japanese fans.

It’s also necessary to keep in mind that anime is a creative, commercial art. Sometimes creators simply get tired of working on a particular series, or move on to something else, or reach the point at which they themselves feel that the anime is complete and finished. Two of the best examples of this are Cowboy Bebop director Shinichiro Watanabe, who stated in public interviews after the end of the Cowboy Bebop TV series that he was satisfied with the way the series ended and didn’t want a sequel produced, and director Koichi Mashimo who stated at the 2002 Fanime convention that he had no desire to produce a second series of Noir animation. While it is commercial in nature, anime is art created by artists. And when these artists finish their art, it’s natural for them to want to move on to something new rather than continue working with something they’ve already intellectually completed.

There are already instances of anime created with the American market in mind, for instance The Big O second season, Zoids Fuzors, Immortal Grand Prix, the Jubei Ninpucho TV series and the Rurouni Kenshin Seisouhen OAV series. And as the market for anime continues to grow in America, I’m sure that we’ll see both a greater American influence on the Japanese anime industry, and more anime tailored to American consumers. But at least for the present we need to keep in mind that what makes anime distinctive and different from American animation is the fact that it’s not made for American viewers and doesn’t concede to American demands or expectations or desires. To quote a cliché, all good things must come to an end. So rather than grumble that there’s not a second Trigun or Kareshi Kanojo no Jijoo or Berserk or Outlaw Star anime series, enjoy and be grateful for what does exist. And instead of pining for more of the same, broaden your palate by experimenting with something new. You never know when the next anime series you introduce yourself to may become your next unexpected favorite show.