Adult Swim Cancels Moribito Broadcast?
Adult Swim has evidently canceled its scheduled broadcast of the Moribito – Guardian of the Spirit television series throughout the next three months. The network has twice broadcast the first 10 episodes of the 26 episode series. Moribito has been replaced by re-broadcast Inuyasha episodes.
Media Blasters CEO John Sirabella has informed Mania.com that Media Blasters has no affiliation with the Cartoon Network broadcast. Media Blasters acquired American DVD distribution rights to the series after the Cartoon Network had already negotiated its broadcast deal with the series’ Japanese licensor.
It’s a terrible shame, and hopefully not a true reflection of the state of the American anime viewing audience that one of America’s most significant anime distributors has canceled its broadcast of one of the finest anime productions available.
Source: Anime News Network
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It absolutely IS a true reflection of the state of the American anime viewing audience — add the other CN cuts and the end of Toonami on CN, and I don’t think you need to see the writing on the wall.
People are downloading all their anime. They aren’t paying for it — they aren’t getting it on TV — and, soon, they won’t be getting it at all.
I disagree with Starcade. It seems very unlikely that the hardcore fans downloading fansubs represent much of a threat to the Cartoon Network’s market: dubbed anime on television.
It’s more likely that Guardian of the Spirit just doesn’t appeal to CN’s audience, who may be looking for something a bit less sophisticated. Or maybe it has nothing to do with the audience and just involves a business dispute between CN and the Japanese company.
You’re both correct, as I see it.
It isn’t so much fansubs that are killing the western market, though they still factor in quite a bit, as much as it is digital distribution of anime programming on the whole that affects the speed and breadth of title acquisition, pricing and distribution models, and broadcast initiatives.
I enjoyed Moribito, but I can’t say that it was a smart acquisition for Adult Swim. For a network that banks on fast-moving epics or involving adventures, Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit simply never fit the bill — regardless of the quality of animation, and regardless of the quality of storytelling. To that end, is anyone really, genuinely surprised that the series didn’t pull in remarkable ratings?
Japanese animation is about to hit a very strange point in western fandom over the next two years… big budget film adaptations will increase, but local industry support will struggle to survive; digital distribution will continue to increase, but revenue supporting title licenses will diminish; the fanbase will continue to grow, but the sometimes errant and othertimes diluted support for the anime business will continue to mislead those in key positions to push the industry forward.
Jonathan Tappan:
You’re presuming there IS a market for dubbed anime (on television or at all) anymore.
In my own opinion (and backed by many of the recent moves by CN), fansubbery and piracy has basically aced out the television market, for all intents and purposes.
I see the day, within a few months, that the remaining NA dub studios will probably have to throw in the towel because there is really no sustainable market (and there hasn’t really been for two or three years previous to this) for the dub market because fans don’t give two damns about actually buying the anime. They want the anime, and they want it for free — that’s why you’re even seeing Funimation put together a streaming service for their titles, and, as an example, within two months of the release of Ouran v.1, the entire sub v.1 and half the dub v.1 are on the streaming service.
There isn’t a market for dubbed anime anymore, because people don’t give a damn, except for the dub artist fans such as myself, but that’s more as a Luci or Vic or Laura fan than any fan of anime.
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Aaron: The only problem I would have with your statement on digital distro is that it was the thieves and the leech-fans who forced the hand on digital distro, making the DVD, dub, and most money-making off of anime markets irrelevant. If not for the thieves who have basically run over anime in the last three years, leaving it for dead, digital distro would not be nearly where it is today.
The anime industry as we knew it died when Crunchyroll got the venture capital money and a place at the legit table. This doomed the remaining NA companies.
I mean, if you’ve taken a look at what’s been happening, both here and in Japan, you’re finding that people aren’t really giving a damn about storytelling and quality anymore — while, on top of it, most of the studios can no longer afford either (Gonzo and their recent junk is a great example of that…).
So what you’re telling me, basically, is that we’re headed back to another OVA age. I doubt even that’s going to be around. I’ve been very public in saying that anime will cease to exist entirely (as too expense to be carried on at all) within 4 years. I stand by that comment, as most of the Japanese studios probably are not long for this Earth even now.
I don’t agree with your projection that Japanese animation will cease production in all forms in four years, but your point about illegal distribution of content through the internet having put a stake through the heart of international anime business is right on. I’m well aware of the weak infrastructure the anime business has in Japan and I’m aware of the poor working/paying conditions there as well… but the lack of oversight in production committees and never-ending commoditization of brand after brand suggests to me that even if creative wells run dry, network executives and music producers will find a way to fill the void; regardless of what quality product remains.
Crunchyroll is a manifestation of the greed, selfishness, and impatience of the fan community (and monetized at that); and for better or for worse, it’s here to stay. Illegal distribution was certainly the bedrock of the site, and others; but the simple fact that these institutions evolve in a manner that is socially and legally convenient for themselves and no one else will continue to force anime distributors (proper) to restructure their business policy. (Interesting how FUNimation’s licensing announcements specifically mention digital as one of their officially signed avenues to disseminate an acquired title.)
Online sites are going to make a lot more money, quicker, with swifter turnaround, than the typical distributor… which in turn presses brick and mortar distributors to think of a way to save their own hides, reworking how their company operates from top to bottom. Which is actually quite sad, when you get right down to it.
About eight to ten months ago I wasn’t sure that DVD season sets, or half-season sets for that matter, would be an accurate long-term solution for the North American anime industry… and I still don’t to this day. The models and methods for releasing anime are becoming so distorted now, that it seems almost impossible to make money on a release. And why is that? Many reasons, perhaps the chieftest of which is the truth that distributors are setting themselves up in an endless battle against an invisible competitor, an entity manufactured by the doubt, apathy, and arrogance of inadequate expectations.