Ask John: Why is the Variety of Anime on US TV so Limited?

Question:
How we get serious and action-oriented anime shows like Ghost in the Shell and Death Note on TV for free and not lighthearted shows like Love Hina and Lucky Star, which we have to pay money for them?

Answer:
Although every fan wishes circumstances were otherwise, it’s not anime fans that determine which anime get broadcast on American TV. Especially these days, when less anime is aired on American television, serious and dramatic or action oriented anime represents nearly all anime aired on American television because those are the genres which have proven themselves successful on American TV. And those are the genres which have the greatest potential to attract viewers. Shoujo anime has never been particularly successful on American television. And I suspect that broadcasters are hesitant to experiment with typical comedy or romance anime.

The audience for anime on American network television is smaller than America’s anime community believes it is. The most watched anime series on the Cartoon Network draw only a quarter of the number of viewers that repeats of Family Guy pull. The amount of anime aired on American television attests to its relative success. If anime really earned a lot of viewers there would be more of it aired on American TV. Since the core audience for anime on American TV is so small, the shows that receive broadcast have to be ones that have the ability to attract casual viewers and viewers who don’t specifically tune in just because the show is anime or because it’s a show they’re already familiar with. The need to air anime that can catch and hold the attention of average, mainstream American television viewers defines the types and genres of anime broadcast.

Average, mainstream TV viewers who aren’t devoted to watching certain titles just because they’re anime have to be lured into watching anime. That’s done by offering them shows that match their interests, or their impressions of anime. Shows with intense, stylized action like Afro Samurai, Ghost in the Shell, Naruto, and Bleach offer exciting entertainment. A mainstream viewer doesn’t have to like anime to enjoy the stylized, sophisticated action of Ghost in the Shell, Fullmetal Alchemist, or Dragon Ball. Before scoffing at my use of the adjective “sophisticated” consider that there’s little American programming – animated or live action – that offers similar kinetic action on a daily or weekly basis. Furthermore, complex and psychological shows like Death Note, Monster, Gundam OO, Code Geass, Cowboy Bebop, The Big O, and Ghost in the Shell exude the impression of intelligent, adult entertainment. These heady, dramatic shows don’t feel like conventional children’s cartoons. As a result, mainstream American viewers may be willing to watch them without feeling a sense of embarrassment over watching cartoons. Mainstream American television viewers that instinctively think of anime as a pandering, childish, cultish genre don’t feel as much hesitation or opposition to watching anime that seems distinctly smart and adult.

Regardless of their quality or merits, shows like Fruits Basket, Love Hina, Suzumiya Haruhi, Lucky Star, Excel Saga, Azumanga Daioh, Kodomo no Omocha, Ai Yori Aoshi, and countless others immediate create the impression, in the minds of average American viewers, that they’re male wish fulfillment fantasy shows for introverted geeks. Several years ago Sailor Moon became a cult favorite when it aired on American television networks, but it never achieved breakthrough mainstream success. Since then, shoujo anime including Ojamajo Doremi, Tokyo Mew Mew, and Card Captor Sakura have also failed on American TV. Lighthearted series including Tenchi Muyo, Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi, Cromartie High School, Crayon Shin-chan, and Super Milk-Chan have received major American network broadcast but haven’t sustained popularity or an audience besides hardcore anime fans. To anime fans that are predisposed to comedy and romance anime, these sort of shows seem appealing and absolutely normal. To average American TV viewers, these shows are the ultra-niche domain of fanboys and weirdos that still watch cartoons well beyond their preadolescent years. TV networks choose to air the programs which they think will attract and retain viewers. American TV networks seemingly correctly gague that the majority of their viewers may be willing to tolerate anime that seems acceptable to mainstream American tastes, but won’t tolerate anime specifically targeted exclusively at otaku.

Anime fans that are deeply entrenched in anime culture may forget that anime remains a very foreign and bizarre concept for average Americans. And shows like Lucky Star and Love Hina, which seem conventional and ordinary to anime fans, are actually shows created for and targeted specifically at hardcore anime fans, not mainstream viewers. The reason why shows like Love Hina and Lucky Star typically go straight to DVD, or web distribution these days, is because the core audience of hardcore American anime fans are the only Americans really interested in watching these shows.