Ask John: Will the Aishiteruze Baby and Karin Anime Be Licensed?

Question:
Will Aishiteruze Baby and Karin ever come to America? I must know!

Answer:
Predicting the potential American release of any particular anime is always difficult because there are so many different factors that influence which titles do and don’t get an official American release. To set facts straight from the outset, I personally haven’t heard any rumors of either Aishiteruze Baby or Karin being licensed for American release. If we discuss possibilities and odds, I’d say that Karin has a fair chance of seeing an eventual American release, but Aishiteruze Baby is probably a long shot.

Karin is a romantic comedy that features bright, stylized art design and energetic energy. It’s an accessible, appealing show that can attract male and female viewers, both mainstream and hardcore anime fan. Considering that other similar quirky romantic comedy anime like Midori’s Days, Love Hina, and Happy Lesson have been released in America, I can easily envision Karin following suit.

On the other hand, Aishiteruze Baby is more of a shoujo domestic comedy. It’s basically a revision of the 1992 anime series Mama is a Fourth Grader. Instead of a small schoolgirl raising a child, Aishiteruze Baby features an equally unsuited teenage boy raising a child. This sweet and heartwarming show appeals to hardcore anime fans who are willing to watch it, but its potential audience isn’t much larger than that, which may limit its American potential.

Karin is currently still ongoing, so it’s still a very contemporary series. On the other hand, Aishiteruze Baby ended in 2004, so it’s been available to potential American licensors for two years, yet no distributor has picked it up. Circumstances may change in the future, but I think Aishiteruze Baby has remained unlicensed in America for this long because American distributors know that it’s a title that’s unlikely to sell well in America.