Ask John: Why Isn’t Anime More Mainstream?

Question:
Why is it that with the current success of Pokemon, other anime titles, such as Sailor Moon, haven’t been commercialized as much Pokemon has been? Also, if Princess Mononoke and X/1999 have been so popular, why aren’t more theathers playing them? It would make perfect sense to do so. If one anime is doing so well, then wouldn’t it be good to have the audience learn about other titles?

Answer:
Actually, the explanation you’re looking for is because Pokemon is an exception. Anime hasn’t gotten wildly popular in the US, only Pokemon itself has gotten wildly popular. The reason why other anime titles like Sailormoon and X haven’t gotten the same type of promotion is because, while these titles may be massively popular within the fan community, they are still essentially unheard of in mainstream markets. While, for fans like us, anime seems to be bigger and better known than ever before, to mainstream America, anime is still very much a mysterious, controversial, medium: cartoons full of violence, sex, and wild, super-human action not necessarily suitable for children, but cartoons none-the-less. X and Princess Mononoke didn’t get the sort of wide release that Pokemon did because there simply isn’t a big enough market for anime in the US to support these titles in wide release. That’s where fans come in. The professional translating companies don’t want to go all out on a promotional campaign that’s almost certainly doomed to failure. The professional companies won’t heavily market or support a title unless they’re certain that it will turn a large profit. Fans, then, need to promote anime by getting new fans interested. Promote the diversity, cultural value and validity of anime as another legitimate form of cinematic art. Greater awareness and acceptance of anime is the only way that we’re ever going to see films like X and Princess Mononoke get the same distribution and popularity that Pokemon gets.