AnimeRaw.com

Question:
Do you foresee the future of anime releases in both Japan and the U.S. being in digital format only? I’ve read multiple articles on the subject of people preferring to watch anime via websites like Netflix, Hulu and Crunchyroll over hard disk formats like DVD and Blu-Ray. Do you think that companies that release anime in the U.S. and Japan will go to all digital releases in the future? What would the pros and cons be of such a maneuver?

Answer:
Practical necessity is requiring an unprecedented migration from physical video distribution to digital distribution. While consumers may appreciate the convenience of streaming anime delivery, increasingly an even larger number of American consumers are simply unwilling or unable to purchase anime on physical media. With DVD sales shrinking and Blu-ray sales failing to compensate, distributors are finding that they need to utilize streaming distribution to supplement their distribution and generate consumer awareness and brand loyalty. However, digital distribution has its own disadvantages and shortcomings which will probably prevent it from ever entirely supplanting physical media distribution.

Despite tremendous increases in global anime digital distribution, streaming anime still doesn’t generate tremendous profit. For example, according to industry whispers, Crunchyroll has not seen its user base grow significantly while operation costs have increased. American consumers presently pay an average of a few dollars per episode to own anime on physical media. Japanese consumers pay exponentially more, and increasingly American consumers can expect to pay Japanese prices for select titles like Kara no Kyoukai and Fate/zero. On the other hand, patrons of streaming sites pay a single, small flat fee to watch as much anime as they choose. While physical disc distribution entails a variety of production and distribution costs, physical media sales also generate revenue. Streaming distribution may have lower costs, but it still does have expenses while it doesn’t generate significant revenue. Online advertising pays very little because web advertising has yet to definitively create consistent sales increases. While anime producers and distributors can rely on physical disc sales revenue to recover costs, they can’t rely on the minimal income from streaming distribution to pay for new anime licenses, production, and development.

Japanese distributors may continue to encourage limited online distribution in order to cultivate an international market and create brand name recognition. FUNimation, Sentai, and Viz, in particular, utilize streaming distribution to attract traffic, generate brand loyalty, and advertise physical media releases. American online exclusive anime distributors including Crunchyroll and NicoNico don’t appear to be steadily growing. Rather, they’re simply maintaining. If the domestic market for physical discs entirely vanished, I envision that we’d see a majority of domestic anime streaming also evaporate rather than increase to fill the void. Streaming simply doesn’t pay the bills, but distributors have to increasingly rely on streaming anyway because the alternative appears to be ceasing distribution entirely. The Japanese market continues to be supported by a very devoted following of hardcore otaku collectors that appreciate physical disc releases and continue to be willing to purchase physical disc releases. So in both America and Japan, physical disc sales continue to generate much of the revenue that supports anime production and distribution while streaming is largely just a supplemental advertising method that sustains itself but doesn’t generate profit.

Question:
What might historians 100 years from now conclude if they were to watch anime produced in our time? On a less hypothetical note, are there any serious efforts to preserve anime for future generations? I’ve heard of a manga museum, but nothing for anime.

Answer:
Theorizing the assumptions future scholars may draw from contemporary anime is a difficult but intriguing thought, especially for a non-Japanese commentator. Some direction for speculation may be gleaned from considering the content of current anime, and also from considering how the cartoons of the 1800s are viewed today.

I guess that researchers a century from now examining anime with minimal surround context would perceive late 20th century and early 21st century Japan as a country discretely internally conflicted. Countless anime introduce a theme of distrust of adults, not necessarily authority or government, but pure adulthood, as though maturity itself petrifies innocence, free-spiritedness, passion, creativity, and compassion. Examiners may also conclude that the Japan of today is attempting to ignore or escape from its national problems. While the cartoons and comic strips of the 1800s were frequently political observation, and much of Japan’s early attempts at animation either subtly or overtly politicized, the anime of the late 20th century is largely fantasy. Even the anime which do recognize actual Japanese political or social concerns – Gasaraki, Final Approach, Rizelmine, Sanctuary, Narutaru, Zipang, to name a few – don’t revolve around solving the problems; instead, they revolve around satirizing the problem, or transmogrifying the problem into fantasy. Scholars may conclude that anime was conscious of national and social problems but tried to escape from them or dismiss them as insignificant. Of course, such conclusions are not entirely accurate. Although modern Japan does have some degree of age conflict, the contrast of youth and age in anime is pronounced because anime is targeted at a young demographic. Anime periodically addresses serious national & political concerns but doesn’t attempt to offer solutions because the function of anime is to provide catharsis, relief from the pressures of these pressing problems.

At the same time scholars may perceive an opposition to age, they will also likely perceive an obsession with youth, vitality, principle, beauty, and cuteness. Anime characters are frequently young, and they’re frequently active. Anime characters go out; they socialize with friends; they participate in school clubs and extracurricular activities. In obvious exaggeration, they pilot robots and fight monsters. They stand up to defend justice and good against evil. Characters that aren’t outgoing, that are strictly studious or introverted are less common and are more frequently supporting characters. Scholars may conclude that Japan was a country that, at the time, encouraged its young people to experience life and be outspoken. Ironically, such an attitude is largely an idealism limited to anime and not actually a reflection of real Japanese society. More accurate to real life would be anime’s revelation that 20th century Japan was obsessed with cute and popular things. Anime characters are typically cute or handsome. Anime is filled with angels, kemonomimi, maids, idol singers, magical girls, mascot animals and characters. Scholars may interpret this fascination with cuteness as a reinforcement of a social willful ignorance of serious pressing national problems. But scholars may also simultaneously recognize this prevalent anime trend as evidence of 20th century Japan’s honesty with itself. If the country was, during the era, ignoring certain social perils, then it did so cheerfully by embracing cute, encouraging, pretty distractions. Unlike most countries that appear to reject or compartmentalize adoration of cute things, 20th century Japan unabashedly relished that fascination, signifying a very unique culture that was, at least on one respect, very honest with itself.

Of course, the pop culture entertainment of every era and nation is idealized, stylized, and exaggerated. So any future scholars would certainly realize that any and all trends and revelations inferred from anime can’t be literally extended to characterize the society from which they came.

Regarding the historical preservation of anime, regrettably, to a large degree, little effort has been made to preserve anime as a modern art form. The vast majority of the original hand-drawn and hand-painted art used to create anime no longer exists, as most of it was discarded or destroyed following production. Most completed anime productions still exist, at least as commercial copies, but archival master tapes for many older anime seem to be lost or presently slowly degrading. The Japanese government sponsors only one anime museum, the Suginami Animation Museum. Plans to construct a national anime museum and learning center in Tokyo were voted down in 2009 with the project criticized as superfluous and costly. Due to the commercial nature and popularity of anime and its relative youth – modern anime is only about sixty years old compared to live-action film, which is now over 100 – very few modern anime seem to be entirely lost, but even with today’s greater Japanese national recognition and valuation of anime, anime is still primarily considered a product of the day – a means to an end rather than a legitimate contemporary art form deserving of or necessitating preservation. In fact, that very absence of preservation may be one of unconscious factors that motivate private anime to archive their own, personal collections of anime – to ensure that copies remain even when corporate or governmental agencies don’t.

Question:
What are the odds of a 2012 Blu-ray release for Kenpu Denki Berserk? I see Vap released the Japanese BD box set (very nice) in January and the theatrical deal is coming very soon but seeing as how Media Blasters is in dire-straits are we totally s-word out of luck in the US? What are your thoughts?

Answer:
A particular conflict I envision here is that I suspect that Americans will eventually see Berserk on domestic Blu-ray, just not the 1997 television series. The complete Kenpu Denki Berserk television anime was released in Japan in a $300 five-disc Blu-ray boxed set on January 18, 2012. While the discs are compatible with American BD players, the discs do not include any English translations.

Considering the massive publicity push that has surrounded the Japanese production and theatrical premiere of the Berserk movie trilogy, and the fact that the movies are consciously being produced with accessibility to Western viewers in mind, the movies are very likely to eventually reach American home video. Of course, nothing’s guaranteed. The 2010 King of Thorn movie was initially promoted as designed for a wide international release, yet it never received any significant American distribution. While the same may occur with the Berserk movies, the film trilogy seems too high profile, too highly advertised, and too costly to produce not to eventually get a major American release. However, the high profile and release of the new movie trilogy will likely overshadow and supersede the earlier TV series. In fact, the exact same situation has occured with Hellsing and Evangelion. The production of the Hellsing OVA series and Rebuild of Evangelion movies has significantly diminished American demand for the original anime adaptations.

While Media Blasters still possesses the domestic DVD distribution rights for the 1997 Berserk anime, there’s no telling how much longer Media Blasters will be able to sustain its distribution, and there’s little reason why any other domestic licensor couldn’t acquire the Blu-ray rights to the series. After all, titles including Sola and Ice have been simultaneously licensed for domestic release by different distributors. However, all attention is presently focused on the new Berserk movies, and domestic distributors may be far more interested in acquiring those new properties than licensing a fifteen year-old show that’s already been released on domestic DVD several times. A Japanese Blu-ray release in anticipation of the brand new movie trilogy makes commercial sense. A domestic release, however, is far less timely and far less likely to meet eager consumer interest.

Question:
Are there any collaborations between anime studios and Western comic book creators? I remember this project 3 or so years ago, entitled “5 Killers” by Studio Gonzo with script by Mark Waid (Kingdom Come, Daredevil). For some reason, however, it fell through. As a fan of both anime/manga and standard Western comic books, I’d like to know if there are any such collaborations, except for the Marvel tie-ins with Madhouse.

Answer:
While collaboration between American comic artists and Japanese animators may seem like a natural and even inevitable marriage, it actually hasn’t occured frequently at all. In fact, apart from comic writer Warren Ellis providing initial scripts for the four Marvel Anime television series, I can only recall one instance of an American comic creator collaborating with Japanese animators. Stan Lee collaborated with anime studio BONES to create the 2010 Heroman anime television series, a show which inexplicably remains unreleased in America. A variety of other anime based on American comic properties exist, but all of them were either exclusively Japanese produced, or were comissions rather than collaborations. For example, American rocker & comic creator Glenn Danzig comissioned Madhouse to produce a Satanika anime pilot video in 1998. In 1996 Tsuburaya Productions animated a two episode Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles OVA series titled “Mutant Turtles: Choujin Densetsu-hen” (Mutant Turtles: Superman Legend) based on the animated series adaptation of Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird’s comic series. However, Eastman & Laird had no direct involvement in the Japanese exclusive anime production. Similarly, Gonzo produced its Witchblade anime series in 2006, based on Marc Silvestri’s American comic. However, American comic studio Top Cow had minimal creative involvement in Gonzo’s anime series. Select superhero animation has been produced in Japan. For example, Telecom Animation Film animated the Green Lantern: First Flight movie, Madhouse animated the Hulk Vs. and Planet Hulk movies, and TMS animated the Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker movie. However, these productions are most appropriately classified as commissions rather than collaborations.

Although a variety of Japanese artists have collaborated on American comics, including Kia Asamiya drawing Batman: Child of Dreams, Shin Nagasawa drawing Wolverine: Soultaker, Gurihiru creating a variety of Power Pack mini-series for Marvel, Junko Mizuno contributing to Marvel’s Strange Tales, and Yoshitaka Amano working with American comic creators including Neil Gaiman & Greg Rucka, American comic creators working in Japanese productions seem a far less frequent occurance, possibly because Japanese art seems to be more easily integrated into American creations than the reverse. American comics have a diverse visual and narrative style, from expressionistic and lyrical fine art to mundane and realistic indie drama to conventional superhero stories. However, while anime is very diverse in tone, style, and narrative, anime tends to have a different pacing and narrative approach than American comics, which makes American comic artists and writers less relevant to conventional Japanese style anime narratives.

Question:
Why is America being denied the Marvel anime on DVD/BD? It seems like it would have an instant buying audience here, and yet it’s only available through G4 and Amazon streams. Could there be some home video rights issues, now that Disney owns Marvel? Or is it a reverse importation issue?

Answer:
At this point in time, I’m not prepared to concede that American consumers are being consciously or even practically “denied” the three Marvel Anime series on domestic home video. Certainly, they haven’t reached American DVD quite as quickly as 4C’s Thundercats animation went from American broadcast to DVD, but less than six months has passed since the G4 broadcast of the final episode of Blade. The first season of the Japanese animated 2011 Thundercats did reach American DVD only four months after broadcast premiere, but that turnover from broadcast to home video was unusually swift.

Reverse importation may be a concern, but considering that the Marvel Anime series haven’t threatened any Japanese sales records and the shows were produced with American release certainly in mind, reverse importation doesn’t seem like an especially likely explanation for a home video delay. The possibility of an American home video release was probably negotiated early in production, if not before Madhouse even began animating the four shows.

Licensing, particularly audio tracks, may be a concern, but again probably isn’t especially likely. Voice actors appearing in the show would almost certainly have contracted in advance regarding the distribution of their work in multiple channels, including TV broadcast, digital distribution, and home video.

The most likely explanation for the present absence of a DVD or Blu-ray release is a matter of practicality. Who’s going to release it? The G4 television network is own by NBC Universal. Streaming is simple because digital distribution requires minimal investment and places most of the onus on the streaming host rather than the title owner. A home video release requires far more logistics and resource investment. Presumably, either NBC Universal or Disney may presently own the domestic distribution rights or possess temporary domestic distribution exclusivity to the Wolverine, Iron Man, X-Men, and Blade anime series. Both companies are multi-billion dollar conglomerates that may deem a domestic DVD or Blu-ray release of these four anime series a relatively insignificant priority, especially given the limited exposure of the four series in the American viewer marketplace and the small size of the domestic anime market. An American DVD release of the Marvel Anime might be foreseen to sell 50,000 discs. A domestic anime specialty distributor like Viz, Funimation, or Sentai Filmworks would certainly be thrilled with that sort of sales success. However, the estimated sales of Marvel Anime on domestic disc, however many units that may be, may be a piddling amount to a distributor like NBC Universal or Disney that counts sales in millions, not thousands or even tens of thousands.

Given the massive variety of programming available on domestic DVD and the potential consumer interest from both anime fans and Marvel Comics fans, I don’t expect that we’ll go indefinitely without the Marvel Anime available on domestic disc. But we may have to wait until their domestic distributor gets around to them, or decides to sub-license them to another domestic home video distributor more eager and likely to rush the titles to DVD or Blu-ray production.

Question:
A couple of posts ago while announcing the second season of Phi Brain, you mentioned your misgivings about watching a second season of a series that “wasn’t that good”. My own opinions about the show aside, if you do not like the show, why do you keep watching? Are there specific animes you commit you’re self to watching no matter what?

Answer:
I consider myself an anime fan in the literal sense that I enjoy and appreciate anime: all genres, vintages, and varieties. Naturally, I find certain anime more appealing than others, and I don’t hesitate to call bad anime “bad.” But I want to like every anime, and give every anime the benefit of as much positive goodwill as I can muster until I actually watch some of the show to determine whether or not it actually deserves my respect. I don’t ever predetermine that I’ll certainly watch the entirety of any given anime, especially if the show is a multi-episode series, although certainly some shows immediately seem more or less likely to be titles I’ll routinely watch. Following excellent anime is fulfilling and rewarding. But I’ve also watched the entirety of some very bad anime, because bad anime sometimes have their own, unique appeal.

I’ve watched all of particularly bad anime series including Umineko no Naku Koro ni, Koi Koi 7, Chou Henshin Cos-Prayers, Narutaru, Ghost Hunt (starts good but quickly becomes very, very bad) and Soukou no Strain. In comparison, the current Phi-Brain is far from the worst anime I’ve ever watched. Phi-Brain is rather silly because it revolves around a goofy concept – the idea that a multi-national organization implements deadly and even terrorist-worthy brain puzzles in order to train genius puzzle solvers. Furthermore, the show’s characters consistently maintain a deadly serious approach, even when joking around and being playful, despite being involved in such a patently ridiculous environment. The show’s two supporting masculine characters, Gammon and Cubic, also exude a devotion and infatuation with male protagonist Kaito that seems to extend beyond ordinary friendship or rivalry into sublimated homosexual attraction. I have no objection to homosexual characters or themes, but the presence of such passion feels entirely out of place and awkward in this particular show. And, in fact, it’s particularly these characteristics of the show which partially keep me watching.

The adage “so bad it’s good” does have some occasional validity. I particularly continued to watch the Umineko no Naku Koro ni and Cos-Prayers television series motivated by a masochistic curiosity to see just how ridiculous, disjointed, and unbelievable the shows would get. Bad anime like Musashi Gundoh and Zaizen Jotaro have developed a bit of a cult following because the programs are fun to ridicule. I don’t particularly like insulting anime, so the only shows I watch to laugh at are designed comedies. But certain bad anime are fascinating because they’re so unpredictable and unconventional. Simply watching an anime that’s so unlike the majority of anime in tone and production is sometimes a refreshing change of pace. Often times, bad anime are also easy to watch. Excellent anime are often very engrossing. They mandate intellectual and emotional engagement. Mediocre and bad anime often don’t require or engage such exhaustive engagement. Anime is meant to entertain and relax. So sometimes just watching a show to pass the time and ease the stress of the day is satisfying. Watching very disposable episodes of Phi-Brain is enjoyable because it’s much less taxing than watching shows like Nisemonogatari, Ano Natsu de Matteru, or Inu x Boku SS that naturally require more conscious investment and viewer engagement to watch and enjoy.

I’m not masochistic enough to force myself to watch bad anime. I’ve begun and quickly stopped watching countless bad anime, including Zaizen Jotaro, Hikari to Mizu no Daphne, Giniro no Olynsis, Kujibiki Unbalance, R-15, and Maken-ki, to name just a few. But a seasoned connoisseur is, or should be, familiar with both the good and the bad, as familiarity with the bad provides context for the good. Furthermore, drivel has its periodic place and purpose. An exclusive diet of expensive excellence risks becoming stultifying. A mixture of good and occasional bad keeps the palate refreshed and taste diversified and receptive.

Question:
I was wondering are there anyother monster collecting anime that hasn’t been brought over to America?

Answer:
Since the spring 1997 debut of the Pocket Monster anime, the anime medium has felt like it’s been heavily populated by monster collecting shows. To a limited degree, and in a certain sense, collecting shows and anime involving kids partnering with a monster have been prolific since 1997. However, strictly speaking, actual monster collecting shows have not been especially common. Provided that clearly unaffiliated children’s hobby anime are excluded, including shows like Kabutoborg VxV, Medarot, and Danboru Senki, which may include kids, toys, and competition but don’t include anything resembling monsters, a relatively large number of anime series still remain for consideration. Some of those anime are “monster collecting” shows while some are not but may get arbitrarily lumped into the category due to superficial similarity.

In the years since 1997, a number of anime have premiered that revolve around kids partnering with and battling monsters, creatures, or insects. For example, the Jibaku-kun (1999), Bouken Yuuki Plusterworld (2003), Konjiki no Gash Bell!! (2003), Kochu Ouja Mushiking ~Mori no Tami no Densetsu~ (2005), Spider Riders ~Oracle no Yuusha-tachi~ (2006), and Net Ghost PiPoPa (2008) television series all star kids that partner with creatures, but none of these shows involve collecting anything.

Simply defining “monster collecting” anime becomes further confusing due to the presence of numerous shows that revolve around kids partnering with a collectable creature or involve collecting of some sort, but still don’t actual contain literal monster collecting. In the Rockman.exe (2002), Dragon Drive (2002), Legendz: Yomigaeru Ryuuou Densetsu (2004), Onmyou Taisenki (2004), Bakegyamon (2006), Bakugan Battle Brawlers (2007), and Kodai Ouja Kyouryuu King D Kids Adventure (2007), the protagonists only have one monster partner rather than collecting a variety of them. But these shows do revolve around collecting something other than monsters, or the protagonists simply don’t make an effort to collect a variety of monsters, although they could.

A variety of card battle anime have premiered since 1997, including Yu-Gi-Oh (1998), Duel Masters (2002), the Kabutomushi Ouji Mushiking: Greatest Champion e no Michi motion picture (2005), Treasure Gaust (2007), Battle Spirits (2008), Live On Cardliver Kakeru (2008), and Cardfight!! Vanguard (2011). Strictly speaking, these aren’t monster collecting anime because the children actually collect trading cards, many of which depict monster avatars.

Among the anime which may be strictly and accurately defined as “monster collecting,” Pokemon (1997), Digimon Adventure (1999), Monster Farm ~Enbanseki no Himitsu~ (1999), and Rokumon Tengai Mon Colle Knight (2000) have all received official American release, although Mon Colle Knight, the anime adaptation of the Monster Collection trading card game, did not get a home video release. The only remaining strictly defined “monster collecting” anime that I can recall which has never received an American release is the 50 episode Shin Megami Tensei Devichil TV series from 2000 and its 52 episode sequel from 2002, Shin Megami Tensei D Children Light & Dark. While the 2002 Shin Megami Tensei Devil Children: Hikari no Sho/Yami no Sho Game Boy Advance RPG was released in America in 2003, none of the anime based on the game series was ever officially brought to America.

Question:
If you owned a television network and had carte blanche to put any anime on you wanted to at anytime you wanted which ones would you choose?

Answer:
Following a bit of consideration over this question, I realize that I probably wouldn’t be a good programming executive because my ideal line-up is too eclectic and idealistic to be practically effective. After a few minutes of thought, I realized that if I had carte blanche to program a television network of anime the way I wanted, I’d envision a network that encapsulated the spirit of anime. I’d select many of the shows that influenced, intrigued, and inspired me; shows that contributed to forming my perception of anime.

From the 1960s, I’d pull titles like Goku no Daiboken, Ribon no Kishi, Gegege no Kitarou, Sasuke, and Dororo because they’re stylish, creative, and simply still very fun to watch even by today’s standards.

From the 1970s, I’d want influential, memorable titles like Matsumoto’s Uchu Senkan Yamato, Uchu Kaizoku Captain Harlock, and Ginga Tetsudo 999. I’d also select landmarks titles like Cutey Honey, Shin Lupin III, and Shinzo Ningen Casshan because they’re good, and they contributed to the tone and style of modern anime. I’d select Sasurai no Taiyo, Muteki Chojin Zambot 3, and Tosho Daimos because they’re good shows that reflect the spirit and feeling of their time. For the same reason, I’d pick Chojin Sentai Baratack. It’s not one of the best 70′s robot anime, but it’s the one which most epitomizes 70′s robot anime in my mind. I’d also love to expose more viewers to the Manga Nihon Mukashi Banashi series that’s little known in America but far ahead of its time in terms of esoteric, experimental, stylish animation techniques and design.

From the 1980s I’d largely select shows that I think emblemize the spirit of the golden era of anime: Sue Cat, Urusei Yatsura, Taiyo no Kiba Dougram, Patalliro, The Kabocha Wine, Tokimeki Tonight, Macross, Stop!! Hibari-kun!, Cat’s Eye, Tokuso Kihei Dorvack, Tongari Boshi no Memoru, Kyoshin Gorg, Dirty Pair, Aoki Ryusei SPT Layzner, What’s Michael, Kido Senshi Gundam Z, Maison Ikkoku & Ranma 1/2, City Hunter, Kimagure Orange Road, Chouon Senshi Borgman, Warau Salesman. Among these picks, Sue Cat, Patalliro, Stop! Hibari-kun, Tokimeki Tonight, What’s Michael, and Urusei Yatsura reflect the casual weirdness of 80′s anime. Dorvack isn’t one of the golden era’s greatest robot anime, but it epitomizes the look and style of golden era sci-fi anime better than most of its sibling shows. Warau Salesman may be one of the 1980′s best loved iconic characters that remains practically entirely unknown in America.

I divide the 1990s in half. From the first half, I’d pick titles including Fushigi no Umi no Nadia, Kingyo Chuuihou!, Mahou no Princess Minky Momo, Dragon Ball Z, Hime-chan no Ribbon, Ghost Sweeper Mikami, Akazukin Chacha, Mahou Kishi Rayearth, Fushigi Yuugi, and in substitute for the OVA series, the first Tenchi Muyo TV series. These are fun shows that begin to reveal the emerging sophistication of contemporary anime.

Beginning with Evangelion, my picks from the 1990s are divided into the mature, serious exceptional anime like Tenkou no Escaflowne, Kido Senkan Nadesico, Kido Senshi Gundam W, Shojo Kakumei Utena, Kenfu Denki Berserk, Hameln no Violin-Hiki, Seihou Bukyou Outlaw Star, Cowboy Bebop, and Serial Experiments Lain, then a selection of contrasting fun and unique shows that serve as a counterbalance: Kiko-chan Smile, Slayers, Momoiro Sisters, Popolocrois Monogatari, D4 Princess, and Soreike! Uchu Senkan Yamamoto Yohko.

Because I think that the 2000s are adequately represented with domestic DVD releases and largely aren’t that unfamiliar, I’d personally concentrate on contemporary anime that I consider forgotten and deserving, or shows deserving of re-evaluation. Among them: Miami Guns, Hidamari no Ki, Chikyu Bouei Kazoku, Jyuuni Kokuki, Saishu Heiki Kanojo, Princess Tutu, Hanada Shonen-shi, Air Master, Uchu no Stellvia, Futari wa Pretty Cure & Pretty Cure Max Heart, Fuujin Monogatari, Damekko Doubutsu, Gallery Fake, Fushigi Hoshi no Futago Hime, Hachimitsu to Clover, Ichigo Mashimaro, Renkin San Kyu Magical? Pokaan, Yakushiji Ryouko no Kaiki Jikenbo, Binbou Shimai Monogatari, and Shion no Ou.

I realize upon reflection that my own picks largely exclude shounen adventure anime. Shows like Yu Yu Hakusho, Naruto, One Piece, and Bleach may contribute to the popularity of anime, but in my mind they don’t contribute as much to the subconscious impression of what anime is. Sailor Moon is also not on my lists, possibly because its influence wasn’t especially strong on my own development as an otaku. While I think that a selection of titles like these would evoke a palpable impression of anime as a pulsing, maturing, creative entertainment medium, I’m not convinced that a large American audience would be eager to watch these shows in order to appreciate them individually and absorb the impression that they create collectively.

Question:
Does buying out of print anime from defunct or dormant companies (like CPM or Animego) benefit the anime industry? I’d like to know if buying old OOP helps the Western market for anime in any way even though it may be a company that’s not around anymore. Especially since now it’s easy to just download nearly anything, is only brand new releases from vital companies the way to help the market for anime stay alive?

Answer:
Actually, where consumers purchase their anime from is just as important, if not more so, than what anime they purchase. Practically speaking, collecting out-of-print domestic anime DVDs does little to support the anime industry. The original manufacturer/distributor earned its wholesale revenue from out-of-print DVDs long ago, so the consumer sale of the disc now only provides revenue to the retailer. However, purchasing anime DVDs from a retailer may encourage the retailer to continue stocking or even purchase more anime DVDs from current, active distributors. Simply purchasing anime DVDs – any anime DVDs – from retail companies lets these companies know that a demand for anime DVDs still exists. While the purchase of out-of-print discs may not contribute profit directly to any anime company, the purchase encourages retailers to not disregard or dismiss current anime releases from active distributors.

Certainly, purchasing new release discs does the most to benefit the domestic anime industry. Typically American anime distributors deliver a supply of new anime DVDs to a wholesale distributor that sells a supply of the discs to retailers. When those discs sell to consumers, the original distributor receives the wholesale cost of the disc plus a small amount of per-disc sales royalty, usually 90 days after the initial DVD release street date. Typically small retailers purchase their supply of DVDs from the wholesaler and keep the discs until consumers buy them. Big, influential chain retailers like Best Buy and Wal-mart have the clout to force wholesalers to accept returns of unsold discs after 90 days. If wholesalers receive large shipments of returned, unsold DVDs from retailers, the wholesalers eventually return those discs to the original manufacturer/distributor in place of monetary revenue. So distributors like FUNimation, Viz, and Media Blasters patiently wait the initial 90 days after release and hope to receive money from sold discs, not returned unsold discs.

Purchasing new release DVDs keeps retailers happy, prevents unsold discs from being returned to the distributors, and sends money back to the licensor/distributor. Purchasing old, out of print DVDs that remain on the shelves of small, specialty retailers helps them recover their original cost of purchasing the discs, and provides revenue for these small companies to continue stocking new anime. Purchasing out of print discs that remain on the shelves of big retailers doesn’t contribute any money to the anime industry but does show the big retailer that anime still sells, hopefully encouraging the retailer to continue stocking current anime. Purchasing anime DVDs from fellow fans, for example, through Ebay, doesn’t really make any significant contribution to the anime industry in any way, but hopefully the fans that do purchase anime DVDs from other private fans are also devoted enough to likewise purchase new discs from commercial retailers.

Ultimately, buying new release anime DVDs and Blu-rays is the most effective way to support and sustain the domestic anime industry. But purchasing any legitimate anime DVDs any way is still a greater help to the anime industry than not purchasing any DVDs at all. After all, if no one buys domestic anime DVDs, there will be no reason to produce, release, and distribute domestic anime DVDs. Practically speaking, doing something is better than doing nothing.

Question:
The world’s most expensive comic book was Action Comics #1, the first appearance of Superman. It fetched a record 2.16 million. Several other top comics have fetched several hundred thousand dollars, and the first appearance of Spider-Man has netted over a million.

This price is because of the ongoing cultural popularity of many characters and the rarity of the comic books. (Most people didn’t keep their old comic collections, basic supply and demand.) I’m curious but does the world of Japanese manga have any similar rare collectibles which have collected extraordinary prices? And which one was the most expensive of them all that Japanese otaku dreaming of finding hidden away in their houses or at a garage sale?

Answer:
I first need to explain that my primary field of interest and knowledge if anime rather than manga, so my consciousness of manga valuations and scarcity is itself very limited. Partially based on differences in the philosophy of Japanese collectors compared to Americans, I’m not aware of any existing manga that have collector values that rival the most expensive American comics, like Action Comics issue 1, Detective Comics issue 27, or Superman issue 1. America’s comic collecting community is largely focused around possessing archival copies of landmark books. The Japanese otaku community, on the other hand, is typically far more concerned with reading comics than necessarily possessing historical artifacts. Vintage and rare manga do accrue some significant collector value in Japan, but typically these exuberant prices are based solely on scarcity, not innate historical relevance. For example, the first volume of Seimu Yoshizaki’s contemporary manga series Kingyo Used Books – a manga series about respecting vintage manga – cites that Mitsuhiro Kawashima’s 1954 adventure manga series Billy Puck has been out of print for years, and first edition books are the valuable “envy of all serious manga fans” due to their scarcity and historical significance. Likewise, the first volume of Kingyo Used Books cites mint condition copies of Yukiko Kai’s manga from the early 1980s as especially valuable because they’re no longer widely available. However, again citing Kingyo Used Books, even first editions of Akira Toriyama’s perennially popular Dr. Slump have minimal collector value because the series is still in print and is widely available. So there’s little reason for Japanese collectors to seek out vintage first editions when current reprints are cheap and conveniently available.

Another cause for some degree of Japanese manga valuation can be censorship. While I’m not aware that books like the early printings of Katsura Masakazu’s Video Girl Ai manga volumes 3 & 5 are especially valuable, they are relatively sought after because they’re uncensored while later printings of the books changed the art in select panels to cover up nudity.

The Kingyo Used Books manga series partially revolves around “sedori,” professional speculators/scavengers who spend their days buying rare manga cheaply from bookstores and collectors that don’t realize the books’ values, then reselling the treasures at a profit. The existence of such professionals clearly dictates that Japan does have a large number of valuable, collectible manga. However, possibly due to my own forgetfulness or ignorance, I’m not aware of any Japanese manga that command collector values approaching the million plus recently paid for comics like Detective Comics 27 and Action Comics 1.