Ask John: Will There Be More Last Exile?

Question:
How likely are the chances of Gonzo Studios producing more of the phenomenal Last Exile? And is it just me, or are there just very few Last Exile related merchandise? I can’t seem to find artbooks of it anywhere. The anime isn’t based on a manga series, is it?

Answer:
I think it’s an interesting parallel that if Gainax Studios is a studio that’s not shy about aiming for the money, Gonzo is a studio that’s not shy about targeting the hardcore anime fan market. In the ten years since its inception, Gonzo Studios has always produced anime series tailored specifically for hardcore anime fans, with the possible exception of Final Fantasy: Unlimited. While such a focus is certainly welcome by anime fans, it results in a relatively small audience in Japan. Last Exile is a typical representative of Gonzo Studio’s priorities.

Last Exile was, like many of Gonzo’s productions, an original concept not based on any pre-existing video game, novel, or manga source. Possibly because the show was an untested and unknown title aimed at the relatively small audience of hardcore anime otaku, it was broadcast on Japanese television between 2 and 3 in the morning once a week. Resultantly, the show’s ratings were not particularly high. Shows like Last Exile, though, are specifically broadcast late at night because creators and sponsors know that these shows won’t draw big mainstream audiences. However, even by Japanese late night standards, the ratings for Last Exile were low. So the odds of the series being revived for a second series are relatively slim. Furthermore, Last Exile actually had a self contained plot with a reasonably conclusive ending. While virtually any anime series can support a sequel, a show like Last Exile doesn’t really need one.

Perhaps related to Last Exile’s relatively obscurity in Japan, there isn’t very much Last Exile merchandise available. The series was not based on manga, and did not spawn a manga adaptation, although there was a Japanese novelization. There are also no art books based on the show’s animation, that I’m aware of, although there are two rare book collections of Range Murata’s character designs and concepts sketches for the show. These two books were printed in very limited quantities and were not widely distributed in Japan. The only copy I’ve ever seen for sale in person was priced at $100.

Gonzo Studios has gone as long as two years between first and second series in a franchise, so considering that Last Exile was an early 2003 release in Japan, it’s still recent enough for a follow-up to be a reasonable possibility. However, most Gonzo titles that have gotten sequels- Vandread, Fullmetal Panic, Gravion, Kaleidostar, and Gantz, all had their second series released within roughly a year after the end of the prior series. So while it’s not impossible for Last Exile to have a second series, the likelihood of that happening doesn’t seem to be very strong.