During the past week ADV has announced four new anime properties: Xenosaga, 5 Cm per Second,
Which of the nine to ten new licenses that ADV has announced do you feel has the best chance of getting on the Cartoon Network? Why?
As you point out, ADV has a lot of new licenses. We are talking to a lot of broadcasters too. I can't jeopardize those conversations with a hasty comment here.
But while it's too early to discuss any particular series going to a particular network, Pumpkin Scissors and Tokyo Majin are two shows that have great potential. They have everything I look for in a hit series: great characters, quick pacing, and plenty of action. These shows are going to succeed on the air no matter who broadcasts them, because they're accessible and engaging.
We have a number of other licenses that fit the same bill, but most of those we haven't announced yet. Let me just say we're loaded for bear and leave it at that.
Which other series do you feel have a chance to make it to Toonami or Adult Swim?
Like I said, I can't comment on specific shows and broadcasters. But of course we're big fans of Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. They're good people, and we enjoy working with them. As you suggest they've done more than most to grow the market for anime in the
How important do you think exposure on free cable is? Leaving aside the anime-based networks, what are the best venues on American TV for anime series?
It's hard to leave Anime Network aside, because it's such a popular destination for anime fans. Their audience is growing, and their viewers are the same fans that buy our DVDs. You can definitely say that Anime Network has an impact on our bottom line.
When it comes to putting anime on TV or the Internet or in theaters, more is always better. No matter what someone tells you about an anime series, it won't have the same impact as seeing an episode for yourself. That's really what's fueled the growth of anime in
It appears to us at ICv2 that video games are under-rated as sales drivers and sources for anime series -- you have announced a couple of game-based series, tell us why you think they will be successful?
Video games and anime have fed off each other for years, and that's not going to change. A new anime based on a successful video game franchise has no guarantee of success, but the connection certainly doesn't hurt. Especially if you have a great anime following a great game!
The challenge is positioning a show to benefit from the enthusiasm built up for a game. ADV is like any other entertainment company in that respect: Faced with a successful franchise from another medium, how do you position your product to fit within that franchise and hopefully extend it further? This is something we spend a lot of time thinking about, and I have to say we're learning new things all the time. Fortunately we have some very big game tie-ins coming down the pike.
Most of the best-selling anime series here in the
Well we know there's a huge female audience for anime too. We're working closely with Del Rey Manga to let Wallflower fans know the anime is coming, and that it's a top-notch production. After all, Nabeshin is the director!
Our friends at Del Rey informed us of one other thing that might interest you: Wallflower has a huge male readership. That's probably because Wallflower doesn't really fit into any single category. In any event, we believe the fan base for the Wallflower anime is pretty much an even split of male and female.
With other new series with great manga tie-ins such as Welcome to the NHK and Pumpkin Scissors has ADV got any joint marketing plans with Tokyopop or Del Rey, the publishers of those series here in the
We're working more closely than ever before with other publishers to cross-promote our titles. We have some very big plans taking shape, really creative programs that are a lot of fun. Since it's not just ADV's gig, and some of these things haven't been finalized yet, I don't feel comfortable spilling the beans. But if everything works out, you'll see some pretty trailblazing cross-promotions in the fourth quarter.
Since the first season (Dark Law Chapters) of Tokyo Majin contains only 14 episodes and your announcement indicates that you have contracted for 26 episodes -- will you have the Tokyo Majin Second Act (Martial Fist Chapters) episodes as well?
Yes, we have both seasons. We're releasing them in a steady stream. Trust me, we're not going to do anything weird with our release strategy to mess with the fans. This is an 'A' list series.
Can you tell us anything about your theatrical plans for 5 Cm Per Second? What are the advantages of getting a theatrical release for an anime film?
Like I said, anytime you can provide a new platform for anime it's a good thing. On that basis, theatrical is just another vehicle to expand the audience. What's special about theatrical exhibition is how it furthers your reach. Even small films get reviewed in newspapers and magazines that might never cover an anime DVD.
In the case of 5 Cm Per Second, theatrical screenings are all the more important, because Makoto Shinkai has such a unique vision. This picture is made for the big screen, and we're committed to sharing that experience with as many fans as possible. Beginning with our sneak preview at a theater near Anime Expo this weekend, you're going to see screenings of 5 Centimeters in dozens of venues across the country.
With a retro sci-fi anime like Project Blue Earth SOS that is composed of six 45-minute segments, how many segments do you plan to put on each DVD you release? Does the 45-minute length of each segment make it more difficult to place the property on American TV?
We haven't put Project Blue Earth SOS on the DVD schedule yet, because we're currently weighing a couple of different broadcast options that have been presented to us. That discussion is going to impact the DVD release pattern as well as the timing.
There is evidently a huge market in the U.S. for retro cartoon properties (Transformers, etc.) and the Japanese have remade numerous 1960s,70s and 80s anime series and marketed them successfully in Japan, but anime series with retro character designs that weren't originally shown here have yet to do well in the States, especially with younger fans. Do you think that ADV's 009-1 will be able to overcome this barrier?
Breasts and bullets never go out of style, and 009-1 has plenty of both!
Seriously even though it harkens back to another age, I think this is a series with a certain charm that goes beyond 'retro.' Volume one already launched strong at retail, and the feedback from both fans and critics is nothing but positive.
ADV's CEO John Ledford recently said in an interview that anime series with 'B' and 'C' levels of popularity will no longer make the grade here in the
We look at a lot of factors when evaluating new licenses, including the track record in
Perhaps the confusion arises from the compressed licensing window. These days a lot of series are getting licensed and slated for North American release before they've even finished their broadcast run in
I love screening a new show that's just getting underway on Japanese television and knowing that we're going to bring it to fans here at home in just a few months (a la Le Chevalier D'eon, which is bar none one of the best releases of the year).
The number of anime releases has continued to decline in 2007 and fewer new series have been announced than just a few years ago, but it appears that quality and commercial potential of ADVs new series is very high -- which series excites you most from the commercial perspective, and which one is your favorite from an aesthetic point of view?
I'm probably most excited about right now 009-1, because I grew up watching a lot of cold war spy thrillers, and I think the creators have captured a lot of what was cool about that era. Stylistically 009-1 is somewhere between Golgo 13 and In Like Flynt, but with a female lead. And has breasts that shoot bullets. Because she's a cyborg. I think it's over the top and great fun and I don't see it failing. Plus 009-1 has great pacing, which is important to me.
I've already said that I think Le Chevalier D'Eon is one of the top releases of the year. The styling, the story, and the animation are all top-notch. It's not a typical anime, and it's one that I thoroughly enjoy. It's also commercially successful.
Aesthetically I'm most excited about 5 Centimeters Per Second. Shinkai is a director to watch, and I couldn't be more proud to lead the team bringing his latest masterpiece to
