Ask John: Will the Anime Industry Ever Focus More Heavily on Original Creations?

Question:
Could the Japanese TV industry ever be like the American TV industry? As in airing original programming ever year (roughly 45 new shows premiere yearly on US TV). And since they’re not based on manga anymore, have the freedom to have as many 13 or 26 episode seasons as the networks commission? I mean, if you look at original anime like Bebop and Dennou Coil, one wonders if they could have lasted 7 seasons.

Answer:
Literally speaking, this question has a simple answer because it’s based in a misperception. Anime broadcasts on Japanese television aren’t exactly equivilant to prime time programming broadcast on American television for one major reason: who pays. American television networks typically either create their own original programming or purchase the rights to broadcast programs. Japanese television networks like TV Tokyo and Animax sponsor the production of anime for their own broadcast, but the bulk of television anime in Japan is funded by investment committees that pay television networks to air it. Square-Enix producer Kouji Taguchi recently stated publicly that anime producers pay about 25 million yen (US $278,000) for about a half-dozen regional Japanese UHF TV networks to broadcast a 26 episode anime. A late-night timeslot on an equal number of major Japanese television networks costs roughly twice as much. So when a production committee has to spend $5 million dollars to produce a 26 episode anime television series, then spend another half-million to get it broadcast on Japanese TV, it’s understandable why production committees are often cautious about investing that much time and money into producing untested, original anime. Adaptations of manga, light novels, or video games are a less risky investment because there’s already an existing audience that producers can market to and rely on to support the anime. When producing an entirely original production, there’s no guarantee that it will be popular or profitable.

In the case of most anime, it’s not Japanese television networks that determine what gets animated. In the case of most anime and most Japanese television networks, the broadcasters just agree to air whatever they’re paid to air. (Of course, individual television networks reserve the right to refuse airing content they object to, which results in shows like To Aru Kagaku no Railgun getting different degrees of censoring depending on the networks that air it, and episodes of shows like School Days and Moetan getting withdrawn from broadcast entirely.) There’s no reason why Japan’s anime industry can’t produce more original titles. The industry simply doesn’t do so because adapting pre-existing works is relatively easy and less risky for the sponsors that pay for anime production.

For reference, the fall 2009 anime season for new anime began last week in Japan. Out of the 42 new anime television series to premiere this month, 17 are sequels or spin-offs from earlier movies; 22 are adaptations of existing manga, novels, or games; and 3 of them are entirely original creations: Yans! Gans!, Miracle Train ~Oedo-sen e Youkoso~, and Anymal Tantei Kiruminzoo. Just this year alone we’ve been fortunate to see original anime titles including Sora wo Kakeru Shoujo, Basquash!, Higashi no Eden, Element Hunters, and Tokyo Magnitude 8.0. But nothing this year has been as successful as the anime adaptation of Kakifly’s K-On manga. Anime adaptations including Umineko no Naku Koro ni, Bakemonogatari, Queen’s Blade, and Shin Mazinger Shougeki Z-hen have also proven especially popular in Japan this year. Periodically original anime productions do make it big. Titles like Tenchi Muyo, Evangelion, Cowboy Bebop, Pretty Cure, Code Geass, and Gurren Lagann demonstrate the potential for original anime series to become massively successful. But there are also numerous anime original series including Denno Coil, Heroic Age, Kissdum -Engage Planet-, Sisters of Wellber, Code-E, Shinreigari, Ergo Proxy, Coyote Ragtime Show, Kemonozume, Kaiba, and Mari & Gali that haven’t become blockbuster hits. Compared to the frequency of tremendously successful adaptations like One Piece, Fullmetal Alchemist, Naruto, Bleach, Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu, Lucky Star, Shakugan no Shana, Death Note, and Negima the odds of great success are clearly in favor of adaptations rather than original works.

I don’t envision a future when Japan’s anime industry will turn out dozens of original anime titles annually. The anime industry has always relied upon adaptations. Adaptations are what producers and financial sponsors are most comfortable investing in. Adaptations seem to be what’s most popular among Japanese (and even international) viewers. And I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I’ve long believed that originality is highly over rated. Certain original anime productions including Utena, Evangelion, Cowboy Bebop, Denno Coil, and Kaiba have been outstanding. But there are many other anime based on existing works that are equally exceptional and especially entertaining. I may be deserving of some criticism for expressing the opinion, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” but I do honestly believe that anime fans should gratefully appreciate good anime and hope for more of it, regardless of whether it’s based on an earlier work or not. Great anime aren’t and shouldn’t be dismissed just because they’re adaptations of earlier works. Original productions shouldn’t be automatically praised just because they’re original. Japan’s anime production industry works the way it does for practical reasons. There’s no harm in wishing that circumstances were different, but fans shouldn’t let that desire cloud respect and appreciation for the way circumstances actually are.