Category: Ask John

Question: Is there an anime title currently released in Region 1 territory that you felt did not deserve to be licensed?

Question: Why is it that a good number of anime series have weak, confusing, unsatisfying or just plain bad endings? Gainax series like Neon Genesis Evangelion, Mahoromatic and

Question: Will there be more Trinity Blood anime because the series ended on episode twenty-four and not twenty-six, a full season?

Question: I don’t get this. How come some “adult” American cartoons (such as South Park and Family Guy) can get away with sexual content, violence, etc. on American

Question: Why is Naruto so popular? At anime conventions there are tons and tons of Naruto cosplayers. Also there seems to be a lot of merchandise. What exactly

Question: To what extent do you think piracy hurts the anime and manga market, as it exists in North America? I am referring to “fans” downloading/burning commercially released

Question: Do you think that some anime creators make some anime for Americans, or maybe they might think it could be popular in America or other parts of

Question: What is Moetan? The new Moetan banner looks really cute on AnimeNation’s website, but I can’t figure out if Moetan is a graphic novel or something else.

Question: In several columns you have mentioned increasing licensing costs as a key factor in the decreased size of the American anime market. Do you see a shift

Question: What are John’s thoughts about independent animators/creators such as Makoto Shinkai, Yamato Works and US’ own Terrence Walker – advocates of indie anime production not bound by

Question: I’ve noticed throughout lots of anime that many characters run without using their arms, such as in Inuyusha, Naruto, and Bleach, for example. Is there a reason

Question: What’s with Viz and One Piece? Won’t they sell more DVDs if they release it unedited with the edited version? It doesn’t really make sense.

Question: Do you think the popularity of anime and manga in North America is in any way correlated to a “failure” of the domestic comic and cartoon market?

Question: What’s the big deal with Gantz? I’m sorry, but I just don’t get it. Everywhere I looked there were reports that Gantz was this highly controversial show

Question: Why can’t licensing companies release all the DVDs or episodes of an anime all at once? Is it because the dubbing of the series is still being