Category: Ask John

Question: Why is it that there is always a new Gundam anime, the next being 00 (double O)? I know Gundam is quite popular, but so were Eva

Question: Would it be possible for an American investor to invest money into the production of an already existing anime? Would a company like Toei or Sunrise be

Question: I heard from a forum about a series called Bokurano and some guy called it the next Evangelionesque series (basically mechas with emo teen pilots trying to

Question: Between the recent release of When They Cry, plus the upcoming Shuffle, the harem anime has once again reared it’s ridiculously cliched head. When will this old,

Question: Would anime be as popular [in America] if it wasn’t edited? I would to know if you believe that anime (specifically tv series) would be more or

Question: I read Anime News Network’s interview with John Ledford in which Mr. Ledford stated anime titles with only “B” and “C” levels of popularity just will not

Question: I ask a question from Japan. I believe sports are a universal language. Indeed, sport-themed manga and anime are popular ranging from nerds to mainstream, and even

Question: Why is it that the afro appears a lot in anime? It has appeared in Keroro Gunso, Excel Saga, Bobobo just to name a few examples.

Question: With the huge popularity of pirate themes right now, why aren’t there any pirate anime besides One Piece? There are many space/air pirate shows, but I haven’t

Question: Why hasn’t Eyeshield 21 anime been licensed for released in the US? With football being the number one sport in America, I would think Eyeshield 21 would

Question: Why are the Japanese so obsessed with Italy and Italian food and culture? There are so many other countries in Europe with their own unique cultures, languages

Question: What’s the deal with the term “idol” in Japan? In the last 6 or 7 years I’ve notice in anime and just Japanese culture that instead of

Question: I have noticed in many anime and manga that when the characters are traveling somewhere they come across many huts or other small roofed buildings and there

Question: Gaara seems to be a love-him-or-hate-him character in the Naruto fan community. His fans seem to like his cold, almost inhuman attitude, his perfect defense, and his

Question: Recently I’ve heard of the term “wotaku” (‘wo’ being pronounced as ‘o’) being used in Japan as the “new” otaku, without the negative connotations. Can you shed