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 One question we are frequently asked by American fans is "Why doesn't my local Japanese video store carry tapes of anime TV shows anymore?" We have addressed this question in the letters page of a previous issue, but it is only part of a small change taking place in the anime industry in Japan. The short version is that the Japanese government cracked down on all these places renting tapes of off-air TV shows. Or at least, anime. First the rental prices increased to cover a government-induced tax on these tapes, and then, in most places, the selection withered and died off completely. And yet, other genres, such as game shows and dramas, remained unaffected. Meanwhile, in Japan, satellite television is attempting to strengthen its
foothold. Many services are attempting to lure viewers with "anime
channels." And when this started a little over a year ago, these channels
were content to rebroadcast old favorites, such as MAISON
IKKOKU or SLAYERS.
But now these premium channels are getting original, first-run programming.
For example, the cable network WOWOW is broadcasting the new Tomino show,
BRAINPOWERD, while Anime Theater X has
NAZCA.And the reason is, of course, money. Regular television is "free." But
subscribers pay to get these satellite channels. Which of course translates
into more money for the show. And, since not everyone has satellite
television, having first-run shows only on satellite almost guarantees an
increase in rentals when these shows arrive in video stores. Fans, it
seems, are being forced to pay to see these shows in one way or another.Another telling sign is the increasing number of anime slated for late-night
time slots. While this may certainly allow for "more mature stories" to be
told, this too could be considered a matter of money. These late (or early,
depending on your point of view) time slots are certainly much cheaper than
a much more visible (and highly watched) time period. As a result, the
potential number of viewers is decreased, reduced to fans who are willing to
give up sleep (or know how to set their VCRs), and
insomniacs who are
channel-surfing. None of these groups is a significant portion of the
population, unfortunately.Ironically, though, the satellite and late-night anime trends seem to be
having a beneficial effect for some lucky American (and Japanese) fans.
Shows are now released to video more quickly than ever before. In many
cases, even before the show ends, like OUTLAW STAR. There are many reasons
for this, and among them are the mystical and complicated reasons of
marketing, but it can be boiled down to this: Get the show out on sale
while it's still hot enough to be featured in NEWTYPE or ANIMAGE. Because,
while some shows become titanic juggernauts that wander through time
seemingly immune to waning popularity, many shows have an increasingly
shorter shelf life. And while the anime airwaves may be thinning, video
shelves are even more crowded than ever.Anime is an industry, so it must make money in order to survive. Lately,
that means having to reevaluate how things are done and trying new and
different approaches. By removing the general television-watching public
from the equation, the industry could be placing an unrealistic financial burden on the
die-hard anime fans. If the number of fans doesn't grow, then the number of
shows they can support won't grow either.While it does not look like anime on television in Japan is an endangered
species, it certainly seems that most companies are putting their hopes of
money-making into video rentals and sales. Not a new trend, just an old one
reoccurring, like Godzilla surfacing in Tokyo Bay. Let's just hope that,
unlike the most recent incarnation of everyone's favorite radioactive
monster, this trend doesn't have offspring!
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  Charles McCarter
All contents submitted to EX are submitted and published on the basis of full assignment of copyright, unless otherwise agreed in advance and in writing. EX recognizes all copyrights and trademarks. Where possible, we acknowledge the copyright holder. Please contact us if we haven't credited your copyright and we'll correct any oversight. EX is a publication of The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation. EX: The Online World of Anime & Manga ©1996-1998 EX, The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation. All Rights Reserved. |
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