Ask John: Will the St. Seiya: Lost Canvas Anime Franchise?

Question:
Is there any chance that Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas ever gets to be a full anime series? I know that the new OVAs are just out, but reading the manga one can see that OVAs won’t be enough. Are the OVAs just a test to see if it will hit, or are they just throwing fans a bone?

Answer:
Whether we like it or not, in reality every anime title is a potential franchise. Series that perform especially or unexpectedly well are virtually assured of being advanced into sequel series. In certain cases, such as the announced third Black Lagoon series, that’s good. In cases like Dragon Ball GT, in which a successful franchise was artificially resuscitated beyond its natural lifespan, it’s bad. New installments of hit shows are quite common. The Ichigo Marshmallow TV series received two OVA series. The smash hit Lucky Star TV series got continued in an OVA. The Negima!? anime franchise is being extended specifically as a result of its strong sales. It’s probable that second seasons of Queen’s Blade and Asura Cryin’ wouldn’t have been announced had their first series underperformed.

Specifically when it comes to anime adaptations of Masami Kurumada creations, sequels are actually the rule rather than the exception. (The St. Seiya: Lost Canvas manga is actually written and illustrated by Shiori Teshirogi rather than Masami Kurumada, but I don’t think that detail will hinder the probability of additional Lost Canvas anime.) The B’tX TV series was continued into the B’tX Neo OVA series. The first Fuma no Kojirou OVA series was followed by a second OVA series and a movie. The Ring ni Kakero 1 TV series was followed by a second series two years later. And the venerable St. Seiya franchise has had numerous OVAs, movies, and TV series since its 1986 premiere, including the current St. Seiya: Lost Canvas OVA series. Considering the promotional effort that’s being thrown behind Lost Canvas, and the investment that’s gone into the admirable production quality of its initial two episodes, I’d be very surprised if this series becomes the first Kurumada-based anime to not get a sequel. Although no sequel to the current St. Seiya: Lost Canvas OVA series has been announced yet, I have no doubt that a second series will eventually follow the first one.