Anime Expo held a panel this year to discuss “Anime in America“. Some of the big names in US anime distribution were present to weigh in on the topic:
- GDH International
- Right Stuf International
- Bang Zoom! Entertainment
- Bandai Visual
- ADV Films
- FUNimation
- Geneon.
Gary Steinman, Editor in Chief for Newtype USA moderated the panel.
The panel started with the keynote speech by Keizo Tsuchiya, who highlighted how much Japanese culture has had an impact on the entertainment industry. Mr.Tsuchiya (no relation to Ana) works for JETRO (Japanese External Trade Organization), a government agency whose prime goal is to expand the mutual trade between Japan and the world. He works in the EPJ (Entertainment Promotion of Japan) division. According to Keizo Tsuchiya, Japanese culture is now rapidly entering US markets, and that includes the influx of more anime. Co-Productions, such as Afro Samurai, are the next generation of anime. These mutual efforts by both the US and Japan will further the anime industry.
changes and developments in the industry
One of the focal points for the discussion were the changes and developments in the industry this past year. Almost all the panelists agreed that the internet is the most significant change for the industry. Matt Greenfield of ADV Films stated that downloading anime is a big force in the industry. Lance Heiskell of FUNimation said that people are trying anime online before they buy it. However, downloading, as a business, is a huge step mentally for licensees and consumers alike to make.
Fansubs
Anime continues to grow in popularity, in fact, it beat out sex as a search topic on the internet. However, DVD sales are actually way down. Fansubs are mainly to blame for the current slump in DVD sales. Lance Heiskell feels that if fansubs are ignored, they will literally kill the industry. Fans downloading anime are hurting DVD sales and some panelists feel that this will eventually lead to the end of the industry in America.
Fans will pay money for bandwidth to watch their fave anime online, but they won’t pay for a DVD. Why? Matt Greenfield feels that education on the effect of fansubbing on anime won’t do the trick. He thinks it’s just human nature to want something for free. Most fans, he says, who watch anime will never buy it. They’ll give feedback as to what they want from anime, but they’re only really into it because it’s free. If anime wasn’t free, they wouldn’t be as interested if they had to put money down for it. So even if there were different price structures, different modes of delivery, and different channels for viewing, those fans who are downloading the majority of their anime will NEVER purchase anime.
“…If anime moves because it’s free, you have to find ways to deliver it at the price, which, those fans are willing to pay; which is nothing.”
Downloading
Downloading is becoming a business in China, but even if downloading became a business in America, the vast majority of anime fans still will not pay. There’s a new generation of anime fans and those are the fans who are creating some of the problems. There’s even a new generation of fans among the fansubbers: The Uploader. These are the fans who upload anime like mad and toss up anime for all to share.
Some of these fans think they’re helping the industry, speculates Lance Heiskell. They want to expose more people to anime, but in fact, they’re hurting the industry. Matt Greenfield, however, feels “…that’s a pile of sh*t.”
The people who are doing the uploading - they know what they’re doing, he says. Mr. Greenfield says the fans who organize these downloading sites are well aware of the effect they’re having.
The Uploaders are this new type of person who could benefit from an education on the detrimental impact fansubbing has on the overall industry, says Lance Heiskell.
But this form of “sharing” is really nothing new. It’s been around as long as audio/visual media has. People have been copying vinyl onto eight tracks, and eight-track to cassette, CD to cassette, and CD to CD forever. The difference is the mind-set.
Fans who are 30 years plus will have the mind-set that, if they want something, they’ll go to the store and buy it. Fans nowadays (18-21) have this sense of entitlement. There’s not even a concept that they should go and buy it. If they want something and it’s not readily available for download online, then they’ll lay down some cash. They think that intellectual properties aren’t something they have to pay for.
The anime industry doesn’t have a group who go out to actively protect the copyrights of titles. It takes a lot of effort to do that and some companies can’t afford that. Copyright laws can be hard to decipher and understand, but the major, more established companies (Disney) have the money and have the lawyers who protect all their properties. Anime companies still do not, making it difficult to go after pirates.
Anime Fan Demographics
Speaking towards the demography of the anime fan; the majority are still young men. Women buy mostly manga and are considered smarter with their money then men. But female anime fans do exist and the industry should start to appeal to that sector. Getting younger Americans (children) to develop an interest in anime isn’t as difficult as it used to be. With shows like Pokemon and Dragonball Z, the doors have been, not only cracked open, but flung wide to the world of anime. When anime starts showing up in Happy Meals, you know it’s mainstream and that children are at least aware of anime.
Anime Themes
Themes of anime (moe for example) that are big in Japan sometimes just don’t click with US culture. What does that mean for the US market? It means that non-anime companies are acknowledging the anime phenomena and are creating knock-offs for the younger US generation to fill the gap (WINX Club, W.I.T.C.H., Xaolin Showdown). It comes down to choosing which anime is chosen to be pushed in America by companies.
Anime is a form of storytelling. This mode of entertainment can have any theme and still be considered anime. Themes aren’t necessarily the definitive factor of anime as much the delivery. Nor does it have to be made in Japan to be “real” anime. It can be created anywhere, and as long as it adheres to its storytelling roots, it can have any theme and any point of origin and be considered anime. Good entertainment is all about the story. Anime started out as an inexpensive way to deliver a good story on a budget.
Media
As to marketing anime in the US, companies are starting their own TV channels, and are pushing cable companies to carry channels that show anime. They’re making anime available in more forms and they understand that we’re living in a mobile world and are trying to adapt to fit the changing times.
Cost
Pricing is a big issue in moving anime over here. How to make purchasing a series on DVD worth the money? Companies are selling the DVDs by putting in a lot of bells and whistles; liner notes, fancy packaging, cast interviews, commentary, exclusive figures, and on and on. If fans just wanted to watch a series, more than likely, they’ll download it.
Trying to end on an up-note, the panel wrapped up with the guests predicting that anime will expand and grow and evolve in its mode of delivery. There was a sense of great hope for anime in the US and the feeling that this is only the beginning for the medium.
