Ask John: Will The Rumic World Exhibition Films Ever Reach America?

Question:
Do you think the “It’s A Rumik World” DVD will see a future U.S. release? With the popularity of Rumiko Takahashi’s works, plus the fact that all 3 titles contained within the DVD have been released in the U.S. before (Urusei Yatsura, Ranma ½ and Inuyasha), do you think that a U.S. distributor will release this DVD stateside?

Answer:
This is an intriguing question because the seeming rational answer is “yes” while my instinctual answer is “no.”

Just for reference, the “It’s a Rumic World” art exhibition was held in Tokyo’s Ginza district from July 30 to August 11, 2008. The exhibition featured exclusive screenings of three original 27 minute long anime short films, each of them starting with the same three minute introductory animation that depicted Ataru Moroboshi and Lum from Urusei Yatsura, Ranma Saotome from Ranma Ninbunoichi, and Inuyasha and Kagome from Inuyasha meeting on a street somewhere in Japan. The three films were: Urusei Yatsura: Shougaibutsu Suieitaikai (Obstacle Course Swim Meet), Ranma ½: Okumu! Shunmin Kou (Nightmare! Incense of Deep Sleep), and Inuyasha: Kuroi Tetsusaiga (Black Tetsusaiga). A year and a half later the three movies were released on Japanese DVD on January 29, 2010 in a limited edition “It’s a Rumic World Special Anime Box” DVD set that retailed at 19,950 yen. By American standards, that’s pretty expensive for 90 minutes of anime, a 32 page booklet, and small figures of Lum, female Ranma, and Inuyasha.

Judging by precedent, these sort of short and event exclusive anime productions occasionally but rarely reach official American home video. American DVD buyers did get the Fullmetal Alchemist Premium Collection, and the initial American DVD release of the Azumanga Daioh television series included the short theatrical movie, which was released individually on DVD in Japan. However, many more similar anime have never been brought to America. Few of the Shounen Jump Festa annual promotional tour movies have hit American DVD despite having Japanese DVD releases. The 2003 Jump Festa Naruto ~ Mission: Find the Red Four-Leaf Clover event movie has not been released on American DVD while the 2004 film, Mission: Protect the Hidden Waterfall Village, is available on American DVD. Even though franchises including Dragon Ball Z, One Piece, Eyeshield 21, and Gintama have hit American DVD, their Jump Festa movies have not. Anime adaptations of CLAMP creations have consistently proven successful and popular in America. However, despite getting the X movie, OVA, and television series on American DVD, the original X² OVA, which includes the stunning first four minutes of X anime ever created, has never been released on American DVD. Likewise, the Wish, Clover, and two CLAMP in Wonderland short films have also never been brought to American DVD despite being available on DVD in Japan. The Detective Conan television series and several of its motion pictures have hit American DVD, but none of the franchise’s ten (so far) Shounen Sunday Magazine promotional OVAs have reached American DVD. The Japanese DVD release of The Cat Returns included the Ghiblies Episode 2 short film while the American DVD release didn’t.

Logically, Viz Media would be the most probable domestic distributor for the It’s A Rumic World shorts since they’re owned by Viz Media’s parent companies, and Viz Media has been the exclusive American distributor of the Ranma and Inuyasha anime. But Viz has never mentioned any hint about possibly bringing these short films to America. Unfortunately, more often than not these sort of short anime films just seem to get overlooked when it comes to American DVD release. There may also be some extent of corporate or financial hesitation involved that keeps them exclusively in Japan since shorts like the 2008 Dragon Ball: Yo! The Return of Son Goku and Friends!! event movie was streamed with English subtitles and has been released on DVD in Japan but not in America. Given the American history of DVD releases, there’s not reason to assume that the It’s A Rumic World shorts will never reach American DVD. But considering that these type of films rarely reach American DVD, and the fact that these shorts are rather rare even in Japan, the chance of an American DVD release seems unlikely.