Ask John: Will Beet the Vandel Buster Make a Comeback?

Question:
This September will represent 5 years since Beet the Vandel Buster went into a hiatus when Koji Inada became sick. What is Koji Inada sick or injured with? I really like him and am concerned about his health so I’m curious. If Koji Inada never does come back then could the show still finish in, say, an OVA format? Given that the anime was popular enough to last 52 episodes and inspired a 25 episode filler spin-off along with a number of games, it doesn’t seem unreasonable enough that the rest of the story could be told via OVA format. All us Beet the Vandel Buster fans really miss the show and would like to no longer be in the dark about what’s going on with it behind the scenes.

Answer:
I must honestly admit that I have no idea what ailment afflicts manga creator Koji Inada. As many American otaku know, matters of personal health are typically an aspect of private life kept strictly private within Japanese society. Loyal fans have followed creator Yoshihiro Togashi’s work on and off for years without ever knowing precisely what illness has prevented him from being constantly active. Satoshi Kon’s death due to terminal cancer struck the fan community as an absolutely unexpected shock despite Kon’s family and close co-workers having prepared for six months prior. In fact, average fans may never know precisely what illness has affected Koji Inada.

The probability of the Bouken Ou Beet anime franchise getting revived seems unlikely but certainly not impossible. The 25 episode Bouken Ou Beet Excelion television series aired in 2005, and there’s been no movement in the anime franchise since. While the title doubtlessly still has loyal fans, the viewers that watched the show in 2004 to early 2006 have moved on to other anime series, and the show has slipped from the minds of average anime viewers and consumers. If the series was tremendously popular, like Dragon Ball or Crayon Shin-chan, an anime studio may push to continue the franchise even without the creative involvement of the original creator or basis on original manga. But Bouken Ou Beet isn’t that tremendously popular. If the franchise had a tremendously loyal fan following and sporadically saw new manga, in spin-off or sequel series, at least, it could get revived as St. Seiya did. But, once again, Bouken Ou Beet isn’t in the same situation as St. Seiya. If Japanese demand for an anime revival wasn’t adequate alone, international demand could contribute motivation for a revival. However, unlike St. Seiya, for example, Bouken Ou Beet doesn’t have a large cult following outside of Japan. The American DVD release of the series was a failure. While that dismal success may be largely laid at the feet of its domestic distributor, the fact that the show wasn’t re-licensed by any other domestic distributor attests to the perception that there’s not adequate American interest in the franchise. On a side note, America simply seems to have little interest in shounen sword & sorcery anime considering that Dragon Quest has never hit American DVD, and MÄR -Heaven-, Deltora Quest, and Blue Dragon have not been successful in domestic release.

I may be surprised; I’ve been wrong before, but unless the Bouken Ou Beet manga series makes a triumphant charging come-back, the chance of an anime revival seems remote. The anime franchise had its chance and had a successful three year run of 77 TV episodes in two series, which is more substantial than many anime adaptations enjoy. However, the anime series has not proven itself popular and successful enough to sustain over a longer span of time, nor has it become a major international hit. Without a current manga series to help generate and sustain awareness of the franchise and interest in a new anime adaptation, launching a new anime series would be financially risky and difficult for a production committee to approve and finance. Investors don’t want to invest in the development of an anime series based on an older title that few viewers remember and few viewers are eager to watch and purchase.