Ask John: Will the Nana Anime Be Released in America?

Question:
Nana is terribly, horribly popular in Japan, isn’t it? I’m in Australia, so I don’t know how popular it is in America, but do you think it’ll ever come out in the US?

Answer:
I’m so frequently asked about the licensing potential of obscure, old, or unlikely titles that it’s a pleasant change of pace to be able to discuss a title with a relatively strong chance of American release. When it comes to licensing anime for American distribution, there are no guarantees or certainties. If Japanese popularity and American market potential were guaranteed assurances of American release, than shows including Macross Zero, Monster, and Hunter x Hunter would be available in America. Even having a license agreement doesn’t always ensure an actual American release as there are examples of anime series being licensed for American distribution but never actually released, for a variety of reasons. Furthermore, anime licensing is a complex and partially arbitrary science that depends heavily upon availability, cost, market potential, the wishes of the Japanese licensor, and even the tastes of the American distributor. But observation of the domestic anime market over a long period of time provides some insight into which anime are more and less likely to be licensed for North American release. I think that Nana definitely falls into the category of “when” more than “if.”

The Nana manga is a consistent best-seller in Japan. Its popularity has spawned a pair of box office hit live action motion pictures and a successful anime television series. The success of the Nana franchise in Japan alone is an encouraging omen for a domestic release. Japanese distributors are often eager to market their biggest hits, and domestic licensors often presume that the qualities that make an anime successful in Japan can also make the show popular in America. Furthermore, the domestic release of dramatic, romantic anime including “Rumbling Hearts,” and Paradise Kiss (a show based on another manga by Nana creator Yazawa Ai) may be currently paving the way for Nana to make a future transition to America.

Possible obstacles I can see standing the way of the Nana anime reaching America include the show’s content and target audience, and probably more importantly its licensing cost. Despite being animated by the very fan friendly animation studio Madhouse, the Nana anime feels like a show targeted at a mainstream audience that doesn’t obsessively watch anime. The show, however, isn’t particularly suited to broadcast on American television. It’s not an action, adventure, or comedy series that would appeal to average American male television viewers. Getting the series to catch on and become successful among average American consumers may be difficult, but even though Nana is not a highly “otaku oriented” program, it is popular enough among hardcore American anime fans to justify a release. And a wise distributor will try to promote the series outside of the anime fan community. So the show’s audience demographic may pose a minor difficultly for an American distributor, but it shouldn’t be an insurmountable one. On the other hand, the phenomenal success of the franchise in Japan will likely elevate it into the top tier of expensive licenses. The number of American distributors likely to be able to afford distribution rights to Nana is a bit limited, which limits the show’s potential for American release.

The Nana anime is a major hit; it’s a relatively easily accessible show for American viewers; and it’s a show that has an unusually high potential to appeal to both hardcore anime fans and casual American viewers and consumers. It also doesn’t hurt that the show is animated well, attractive looking, well written, and beautifully scored. In short, it’s an excellent anime series. With so many attributes in its favor, I think that Nana is one of the biggest presently unlicensed candidates for American acquisition. In fact, I can easily envision Nana being one of the high profile announcements made during this year’s upcoming summer anime convention season.

Addendum added February 8, 2007
The previous response may be a moot discussion. AnimeNation Forum member “Narutamachan” reminded me that the Japanese television broadcast of Nana episode 31 ended with an announcement that the Nana anime would be released in America in the future. This announcement has not yet been confirmed by any American distributor.