Ask John: Will Valkyria Chronicles Fly in America?

Question:
Do you think there is any chance that Valkyria Chronicles will ever get licensed here in America?

Answer:
Yes. Even in America’s drastically reduced licensing climate, the Senjo no Valkyria anime television series is still a title which, I imagine, has a stronger chance for American acquisition than many other titles. A streaming debut may be unlikely at this point, but a domestic acquisition for DVD release is certainly a possibility. Anime adaptations of video games – particularly video games available domestically – are immediately an attractive candidate for American licensors because these titles benefit from existing and cross-market advertising, and potentially appeal to consumers beyond just the core anime fan. Art of Fighting, Samurai Shodown, Fatal Fury, Final Fantasy, Street Fighter, Arc the Lad, Gungrave, Ganbare Goeman, F-Zero Falcon Legend, Sonic X, Devil May Cry, Xenosaga, Rockman, Kirby, Toshinden, Blue Dragon, Disgaea, Panzer Dragoon, Monster Farmer, Power Stone, Tales of Phantasia, Vampire Hunter, Virtua Fighter, Tekken, Wild Arms, and Zone of the Enders, just to name a few, represent anime licensed for American release after their games first hit America. Most recently, FUNimation has licensed the World Destruction anime for domestic DVD release, to capitalize on Sega’s domestic release of the original Nintendo DS game. In fact, this year’s Valkyria Chronices and last year’s Persona -Trinity Soul- are among the very few major anime to have games present in America but not the anime adaptation. (I’m excluding instances like Sarugechu, Ar Tonelico, and Chrono Trigger in which the game is available in America but the anime isn’t because these sort of anime productions are short or unconventional anime that don’t lend themselves well to domestic DVD distribution.)

Selling anime has always been a tough battle in America. Video games outsell anime by several magnitudes, and video game distributors have much bigger advertising budgets than American anime distributors. So when given the option to license a title with little name recognition in America or a title that ties in to a heavily promoted and well known franchise in America, it’s just good business sense for anime licensors to consider anime based on video games. Furthermore, anime naturally appeals to anime fans. But anime with a connection to mainstream American video game releases may earn the attention of mainstream consumers and gamers that wouldn’t normally consider purchasing unfamiliar anime. The Senjo no Valkyria anime is contemporary, which will make it appealing and accessible to contemporary American consumers. The PS3 game it’s based on has received very positive critical reviews in its American release. The Persona franchise has always been a cult title in America, so I understand why it’s languished in Japan for a year already without an American license. But I do anticipate it eventually getting picked for US release. I anticipate that Valkyria Chronicles has a stronger potential for US acquisition and release because it’s more recent and because it’s not quite as niche as the Persona franchise. The weakness of the domestic anime distribution industry may hinder a swift acquisition and release for the Valkyria Chronicles anime, but on the hypothetical scale of anime more and less likely to interest domestic licensors, I expect the show to rest near the top of the list.