Ask John: Do the Big Three Shonen Titles Need to Continue Indefinitely?

Question:
Do you think the anime industry need the top three anime/manga series, One Piece, Naruto, Bleach to keep going for the next 5 years or even pass 2016.

Answer:
This question fascinates me because it’s one which has never occurred to me before and probably never would have. That’s not to say that I have an instinctive, positive answer, rather that I simply approach anime from a different perspective. I’m personally grateful that anime exists, and thankful for every episode of every show. So I don’t think about particular anime series in terms of how long they should continue; rather, I’m glad that they continue for as short or long a length as they do.

Now, in respect to the three contemporary shounen anime that serve as the current cornerstone of successful and definitive mainstream anime, One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach, observers should note that none of these three titles are Japan’s most popular anime. The long running family sitcoms Sazae-san and Chibi Maruko-chan are Japan’s most watched anime. Furthermore, two more of Japan’s most watched anime television series, Heartcatch Precure and Renzoku Ningyo Katsugeki: Shin Sanjushi, are less than a year old, demonstrating that new series can break into Japan’s top ten. The One Piece manga, granted, continues to set new Japanese sales records on a regular basis, but that means two things. Given the series’ tremendous success, it’s unlikely to end in the foreseeable future. One Piece is the creation, property, and discretion of Eichiro Oda, but previous examples like Dragon Ball and Crayon Shin-chan have demonstrated that highly successful franchises will continue in Japan even if they need to do so without the involvement of their original creators. Furthermore, regardless of the commercial success of the One Piece manga, one title, or even three titles, will not and cannot support and sustain the entire Japanese manga publishing industry. There should be no doubt that publishers, sponsors, and consumers certainly want these series to continue, but the anime and manga industry will survive and continue without them. Since the One Piece anime has now been on the air for eleven years, it’s difficult to think about the anime world without One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach concurrently ongoing, but observers should remember that anime was highly successful before these series. For example, the very popular and long running Hokuto no Ken, Dragon Ball, and St. Seiya television series aired concurrently during 1986, 1987, and 1988. Furthermore, no one ever knows when new landmark shows will emerge. No one expected the Inazuma Eleven television anime to become a mainstay when it premiered two years ago, but it’s now approaching a hundred episodes and its popularity seems to be growing.

Particularly Naruto and Bleach dominate the American fan community. However, anime was already approaching its pinnacle of American success before either series was even licensed for official American distribution. One Piece was the last of the three to make it big in America. These three titles do top American manga sales charts, but just like in Japan, three titles can’t prop up the entire American manga publishing industry. The American fan community for manga and anime existed prior to One Piece, and I have no doubt that it has the persistence to outlast any singular manga title. I’m sure that the Japanese and American publication and distribution industries would certainly feel more secure and relieved if all three of the current tentpole shounen titles continued indefinitely, but I believe that the creative industry and its consumer audience are both strong and devoted and diverse enough to carry on should one or even all three of these titles expire. I’ve read the anxious observation that no new manga titles have appeared in recent years that rival One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach, and exhibit the potential to inherit the role of these three titles, but I have have two responses to that observation. No new title may have recently arisen to usurp the position of the current champions because readers and viewers are satisfied with the current generation of titles. As long as readers and viewers are happy with One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach, they may not look for equal alternatives. Then it follows that the anime industry will fill a void. Should the current favorites stagnate or expire, readers and viewers will seek a new king, and that demand will encourage both consumers and creators to introduce new titles to take the place of former mainstays.

I won’t be especially surprised if 2016 comes around and One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach are all still ongoing. Titles like Detective Conan, Crayon Shin-chan, Pokemon, and Golgo 13 have been running even longer. But no one can predict when particular manga titles will conclude or end. While I think these popular titles will continue into the foreseeable future, and countless people will be glad of that, I don’t believe that any of them absolutely need to continue in order to buoy the manga and anime industry from drowning, in Japan or America.