Ask John: Why Is US TV Is So Slow Introducing New Anime?

Question:
Is there a reason why US TV is so slow too introduce new anime? Is there any anime that won’t be shown in the US?

Answer:
Before I begin my answer, let me state clearly that what follows is my own opinion. By all means, readers are welcome to share their comments on this topic with me. That having been said, part of the main reason that not too much anime makes it onto American television is because television companies do not believe that there is a large enough market for anime to make such ventures profitable. While some shows are getting very big in America, anime is, on the whole, still a relatively very small market in the US. Another reason that anime doesn’t make it onto US TV is because the style of anime is very different than Western cartoons. Americans still largely believe that all animation is intended for children. A large portion of the television anime produced is intended for young adults and teens, and for Japanese children who, collectively, either are, or are perceived as being more intellectually capable of watching more mature and “controversial” topics in animation than Western children are. For example, Akira Toriyama’s Dr. Slump regularly makes bodily excretion jokes while his Dragonball includes graphic violence and brief nudity. Shoujo shows like Brother, Dear Brother and Lain deal with teen suicide while Hana Yori Dango focuses on high-school peer-pressure and hazing. Perhaps, given that Gundam Wing will have its Western premier on the Cartoon Network next year, this mature, complex television series will begin to widen the door to anime on domestic television.

The answer to this dilemma is for fans to do whatever possible to promote anime as a positive and diverse artistic medium. When American mainstream society comes to realize that there is more to anime than simply giant robots, children’s shows like Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon and Pokemon, and pornography, we will begin to see more diverse styles and titles of anime coming to domestic television. Until that happens, the best way to see anime translated is to contact the translating companies like AD Vision and Central Park Media, and let them know that there is a market for anime titles that have not yet come to America.