Ask John: Will Death Note Meet Expectations in America?

Question:
Do you think Death Note will stand up to the public’s expectation? I guess it was one of the most awaited series in 2006 and so far it’s been great.

Answer:
Actually, I’m not sure that this question has an answer because I’m not convinced that it’s a legitimate question. I mean no offense, so please allow me to explain. In order for the Death Note anime to possibly live up to expectations, there have to be expectations. But unlike shonen action series the Dragonball, Naruto, and Bleach that have traditionally leaked into the American public awareness prior to their official American debut, I have the impression that awareness of the Death Note anime is still limited exclusively to America’s hardcore fan community.

Prior to its Japanese debut, the Death Note anime was highly anticipated, and I think it’s debut still surprised many viewers by being better than expected. The fan reaction to Death Note has been very positive because the show started strong and has sustained an above average quality of story and character development, and animation quality. The show has contributed a lot to the high expectations fans have for it, and the series has consistently, so far, met those expectations. But I don’t think that anticipation for the series in America is isolated within the fan community. I don’t see any sign that mainstream American consumers or casual anime fans are anticipating a forthcoming American release.

I think that America’s hardcore anime fans shouldn’t harbor unrealistic expectations for Death Note in America. I believe that the Death Note franchise has tremendous potential, but signs suggest that the full potential of the franchise won’t be taken advantage of in America. The Death Note franchise has two live action motion pictures distributed in Asia by Warner Bros. Those two films probably have more potential to attract attention to the Death Note franchise among mainstream American consumers than the anime series has, but Warner has announced no plans to release the live action Death Note movies in America. Furthermore, the Death Note anime could reach hundreds of thousands, or even millions of American viewers if it has heavily promoted as a mainstream release similar to Manga Entertainment’s promotion and distribution of Karas, and the Spike TV broadcast of Afro Samurai. But the Death Note anime is not planned for that type of massive nationwide marketing blitz; it’s scheduled for a revolutionary internet debut. The commercial sale of Death Note episodes online is a wise commercial experiment for Viz Media because Death Note is a strong candidate for successful commercial digital distribution, but an online, subtitled only American debut for Death Note in America, without the supplemental support of the live action features, is a muted release that doesn’t maximize the franchise’s exposure and delivery.

Death Note is a series with too much quality and too much established fan support to genuinely fail in American release. But the subtitled only online premier of the anime in America, and the absence of the live action films in America both suggest that the series’ cinematic debut in America will be big only within the hardcore anime fan community. Death Note is a relatively accessible franchise, and it’s very high quality work, so I believe that it has the potential to become popular among mainstream American consumers, but evidence suggests that Death Note is most likely to start small in America and gather steam through word of mouth and gradual exposure, similar to the way Fruits Basket became a big hit in America, rather than burst upon the scene and become an instant success the way Naruto and Full Metal Alchemist have.