Ubu was talking at length about the upcoming nearly-simultaneous release of Kite: Liberator and related matters. Somehow he forgot to mention how the guinea pig itself matters. Some time ago, Samurai Gun was supposed to be the model of cooperation between Japanese and American companies, and the ADV’s PR flak even touted it as a weapon against fansubbers in a fluff article in Wired in Summer of 2005:
One answer to both of these problems, said ADV spokesman Chris Oarr, is to invest upfront in new anime shows rather than waiting around until a series hits it big in Japan. “ADV has been an equity partner and a co-producer of anime series for over 10 years. It’s now commonplace to see us in the credits for shows like Samurai Gun.”
Oarr also believes that sewing up U.S. rights early on helps prevent piracy. “They know that we will go after people who are ripping us off. You can’t find a single torrent of Samurai Gun out there.”
Aside from the rights issue, one of the reasons might have been that Samurai Gun was a horrible show who nobody in their right mind wanted to watch. But it’s interesting to imagine what would’ve happened if ADV accidentially invested into a hit. Similarly, the quality of Kite: Liberator will taint the experiment.
DiGiKerot writes by e-mail:
Regarding “it being interesting to imagine what would have happened if ADV accidently invested in a hit”, it’s perhaps worth noting that ADV did annouce their license of Gurren Lagann around halfway into it’s run. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t really have that much effect on the flow of fansubs other than the groups names changing. Admittedly, there’s been something of a delay in their release (although the first disk is due next month, with is actually impressively quick all things considered), but I think that speaks volumes about what’s likely to happen if ADV had funded something popular.
Actually, looking at what Geneon Entertainment USA were doing prior to closing up shop probably speaks louder - they’d invested in a few shows at production level, most notably (and recently) Fate/Stay Night (for some reason I’m thinking they’d been involved in the first season of Higurashi as well, but can’t remember why). They’d made it pretty clear from well before the show started that they’d invested in the show, even getting a copy of the trailer to show at a convention just a day or so after it was initially shown at a Japanese event. When the show did finally hit the airwaves in Japan, the only real result is that the inevitable fansubs didn’t appear at Animesuki. It reduces visibility, I guess, but that’s about it.
Ultimately, I think you’d be right in thinking that lack of interest is the only reason you don’t find torrents of Samurai Gun still floating around (though there were when the show first hit…).
On a final note, ADV have actually released a _good_ OAV in the US before it’s hit Japan before - Makasete Iruka! (released under the awful title Grrl Power in the US), directed by industry veteran Akitaro Daichi (of Fruits Basket, Kodomo no Omocha, Jubei-chan and a-stack-of-other-things-worth-watching fame). That was pretty much as independent production as you can get without being Makoto Shinkai, though (indeed, it was from the same publisher in Japan), rather than anything actually likely to be successful. It’s worth a look if you can find a copy, and it also claims to be the first (perhaps only) anime series where one of the main characters talks purely in sign language.
The point about cinicism of bulk fansubbers is well taken, even if stalvarts like Animesuki continue to pretend that the social contract still exists. Even if mass fansubbers themselves weren’t dishonest, ADV’s cinical attempts for exploitation, freely publicised by Mr. Oarr, would have ended it right there.
Since we’re on it, Grrl Power seems like something to rent at least. The outstanding Binchou-tan reduced my disdain for kiddy anime a few notches.
