Charlie Platt of AnimeMountain in Bend, Oregon read our coverage of the new Studio Ghibli features being released in the states by Buena Vista/Disney (see 'Disney to Release Two More Ghibli Films'), and felt our coverage was too 'gloomy:'

 

I feel I must comment on your article of May 10 in which you announced the release of Pom Poko and My Neighbors the Yamadas.  As more high quality animated features are released from Japan (even if it is by Buena Vista/Disney) we should rejoice.  I personally felt the tone of your article was slightly gloomy.

'While it is unlikely that Pom Poko and My Neighbors the  Yamadas will enjoy the kind of success on DVD that the Miyazaki-directed Ghibli efforts have, they should still do very well, at least in the anime context'

 
This comment could set the tone in the minds of some retailers that should be embracing anime.  Anime is getting more popular every month; most anime is a very high quality product; anime is here to stay.  Studio Ghibli (how much longer will we wait for Totoro?) is the gateway to anime for the general public.  I have started more new customers on Ghibli films than any other.  Some of these customers have gone on to become full-blown otaku.

'The Cat Returns, another non-Miyazaki-directed Ghibli film, made it into the VideoScan Top 50 earlier this year, a feat that very few anime releases accomplish.'
 
Nausicaa and Porco Rosso were the big hits at my store also and brought new customers to me.  If you educate yourself and your customers about 'culture and life in Japan' you can help consumers make better choices when dealing with 'thematic elements' that are responsible for the necessity of 'parental guidance.'

Spread the word -- the anime fan base is growing.  Sell to them and it will be likely that these films will do just as well as other Ghibli films. Distributors need to keep product in the pipe so let them know.