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Answerman - Why Do Streaming Anime Websites Still Use Flash?
Most anime streaming websites use Flash, which most people agree is a huge pain. Why don't they use the more accessible HTML5? Justin digs into it.
― Stefan asks: I notice that all the major anime streaming providers use Flash-based players for their desktop services. In view of the performance and compatibility advantages to HTML5 videos, why do you think this is the case? Is it a requirement impos...
Answerman - Is Anime Translated Faithfully In Other Languages?
Do non-English anime translations come directly from the original Japanese, or are they translated from the English version? Justin gets into why Spanish-language Pokemon sounds a lot like English-language Pokemon.
― Alfonso asks: The Latin American Spanish dubs of Sailor Moon and Pokemon used the American names of the characters on this region. While I haven't verified it myself, I would assume the...
Answerman - Are Physical Anime Releases In Danger?
Common wisdom dictates that most people watch anime streaming now - are DVD and Bluray headed for the dustbin of history? Justin chimes in.
― RPGothic asks: With streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon getting exclusive rights to series and anime programming blocks, plus the recent crunchyroll/kadokawa deal, what does this mean for the home video market? I know dvds and blurays sales are on th...
Answerman - Why Are Some Manga Printed In Such Limited Quantities?
If you're a fan of lesser-known manga (or in some cases, middle volumes of popular long-running series) tracking down copies can be a nightmare. Justin explains why.
― Melissa asks: I've been a longtime fujoshi and now that I've got a stable job and can really expand my yaoi manga collection, I've noticed that many series are out of print, making it hard for me to track them down. I know a lot of ya...
Answerman - What Does The Deal Between Crunchyroll And Kadokawa Mean?
Kadokawa and Crunchyroll announced a very significant partnership this week, but what does it mean for those companies and for the industry? Justin gets into it.
― Notorious2122 asks: I'm a little confused by the recently-announced deal between Crunchyroll and Kadokawa. Does this mean that CR will get all of the anime that Kadokawa publishes in Japan? Do publishing companies in Japan make the deals ...
Answerman - What Happened With Anime Sols?
A few years back, a new anime crowdfunding platform emerged, promising to stream classic unreleased anime while raising money for DVD releases - and then it folded. Justin gets in to what happened.
― Sam J. asks: My question is the following (though whether it's an appropriate question for this column, I'll have to let you judge): What happened to Anime Sols? Did it have to happen? What lessons are ...
Answerman - How Common Is It For Japanese Kids To Spend Time Overseas?
The mysterious overseas transfer student who is suddenly at the center of the story: you see it in countless anime, but how common is it? Justin gets into it.
― David asks: I've noticed that a common practice in anime to have a "foreign" character is to have them be someone born in Japan, but who moved to another country (it usually seems to be the US, although I believe I remember a few cases where...
Answerman - Why Would A Licensor Require a Dub?
Just how common is it for a Japanese company to require an English dub, like with Skip Beat, and why would any licensor demand that in the first place? Justin gets into it.
― Ryan asks: I have never thought of this until I read about the Skip Beat! kickstarter. Why would a Japanese company require a english dub for an American company to license a property? Wouldn't they be just as happy with a sub ...
Answerman - What's With All The Censorship Lately?
Justin cuts to the chase about what is and is not "censorship" and where all the content edits in anime and video games are coming from these days.
― James asks: I have been seeing much news about censorship in video games, recently, and I am wondering why it is still occurring; in this day and age, when people can access virtually anything instantly on the internet, how can companies still think th...
Answerman - Why Don't We Have A Subscription Manga Service Yet?
One reader wants to know why "The Netflix of Manga" doesn't appear to exist yet, and Justin digs into the many possible reasons why.
― Matthew asks: What's stopping an English language manga distributor (Viz, Yen Press, etc.) from incorporating an all access subscription model to their online libraries? Unlimited access for a monthly or yearly subscription fee seems to currently work well for the an...
Answerman - Why Haven't Light Novels And Visual Novels Caught On In America?
Light novels and visual novels have both had plenty of niche success in the US, but neither medium has broken mainstream - why is that? Justin considers the possibilities.
― Carl asks: I was wondering why light novels and visual novels haven't caught on in the US the way Anime and Manga have. While some Light Novels and arguably less Visual Novels have been translated they seem to be huge in Japan b...
Answerman - Is There A Future For "Spinoff" Anime Conventions?
Japan Expo USA is on hiatus indefinitely and a few other conventions "spun off" from larger events seem to be having a little trouble - is there a future for these shows?
― Chris asks: I see Japan Expo USA has gone into hiatus mode, and we're waiting on dates and a location for the next Otakon Vegas. Are these spinoff cons going to make it, and what's holding them back? Despite their popularity, ani...
Answerman - What Holidays Are Celebrated Only In Japan?
Holidays are frequently strip-mined for use in anime storylines, but Japan's holidays often look a lot different from those in the West. Justin breaks it down.
― T. Brown asks: So many animes cover holidays like Christmas, Valentine's day, and White day, but at there any other holidays that are celebrated that are specifically Eastern or Japanese? It's true that Western holidays tend to get most of ...
Answerman - How Do Anime Companies Quality-Check Their Work?
There are a million little factors that can go wrong with any bluray - how do anime companies catch (or miss) all those little mistakes? Justin dives in.
― Brian asks: What sort of QA process to anime companies have? I ask this because it seems to me that I've come across a whole variety of issues that at points seem unacceptable for a retail release, such as a sub only show completely missing a spo...
Answerman - Why Aren't More Dubs Available For Streaming?
One reader observes that while subtitled anime is plentiful in the streaming world, dubbed shows still lag behind - why is that? Justin gets into it.
― Scotty asks: Do you know why site likes Hulu and Crunchyroll only let you steam the subbed versions of anime even if there is a dub available. I'm a paying member of both but they only have some dubs there but I know some shows actually have them. Ar...
Answerman - Why Do Companies Buy Rights For Territories They Don't Service?
Amazon is getting into the anime simulcast game, but their Prime service is available in a limited number of countries. Justin gets into the nitty-gritty of those rights.
― Corey asks: Hi! I'm asking this on the heels of the recent announcements from Amazon regarding Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, and now the entire Noitamina lineup. Amazon announced global streaming rights to Kabaneri, even though ...
Answerman - Who Watches Late Night Anime in Japan?
One reader wonders exactly who is watching something like Haruchika at 1:35am on a Wednesday. Justin has some insight.
― Ashley asks: Who does late-night anime in Japan target, age-wise? Lately it seems like when I talk about the intended audience for a late-night anime with my friends, a lot of them who only experience anime through a Western lens (i.e., only on Funimation, Crunchyroll, Adult Swim,...
Answerman - Are AMVs And Other Fan Works Really "Fair Use?"
Arguments about this one have raged forever: are AMVs and other fan works that use clips from anime really "fair use" or are they just copyright infringement? Justin digs in.
― Jake asks: I have been hearing a lot discussion over the last few months about fair use and how many artists are getting a lot of push back from the copy right holders. It has made me think about AMV's and there position at c...
Answerman - Why Do Voice Actors Work On Yaoi Drama CDs?
One reader wants to know why some Japanese voice actors (the straight ones, mostly) take yaoi and boys' love drama roles. Is there no stigma attached to playing gay in Japan? Justin gets into it.
― "Minako Sempai" asks: So this is something that I've always wondered about, most Yaoi manga tend to get adapted into drama cds or BL cds as some would like to call them. The male voice actors in these thi...
Answerman - Are Manga Sales Increasing in the US?
Things seem pretty great in the world of manga publishing, but just how well is the industry doing? Justin breaks down some numbers.
― Cody asks: With book stores increasing their manga sections last year, and the amount of new series being picked up from different companies, is this a sign that people buying more manga is increasing? and if so do you think we'll reach a point where the price of man...
Answerman - How Do You Cast Celebrities In An Anime Dub?
The casting process for your average anime dub is pretty well-known, but what happens when you have American celebrities in the mix? Justin explains.
― John asks: When you cast a dub full of celebrities like Only Yesterday, how is that process different from casting a "regular" anime dub that uses the usual pool of actors? Anime dubbing is a decidedly low-end affair when it comes to the entertainmen...
Answerman - How Important Are Hit Anime Series?
Does the anime industry need big hit shows to survive, or do people buy anime "because it's anime" and that sustains the market? Justin gets into it.
― Phil asks: Is the anime business hit-driven like other forms of media or do people buy it "because it's anime" and that sustains the market? Anime is, by and large, a hit-driven medium. By that I mean, the majority of anime series do not turn a profi...
Answerman - Who Actually "Owns" An Anime?
If you aren't familiar with what a production committee is, it's one of the most crucial components of the anime production pipeline. Justin lays it all out.
― Chris asks: While watching Clannad for the first time, I noticed that Pony Canyon leads in the production committee (they're listed on top of the credits). Do they own the show, or is it Kyoto Animation's? Is it like how there are higher ups ...
Answerman - Who Polices Anime Copyrights?
If you've ever seen a Youtube takedown notice, you may have wondered just who or what is actually policing anime copyrights on the internet - Justin has the answer.
― Jacob asks: I'm seeing that there is Anime that is uploaded to YouTube by people that don't have copyrights. My question is Who is enforcing the Copyright (The Japanese Holder, The American License Holder, or the Manga Holder)? It depe...
Answerman - Can English-Speaking Fans Critique Japanese Voice Acting?
One reader's actor friend had some words for the Japanese acting in Fullmetal Alchemist, and asks Justin if it's possible for Western fans to critique Japanese voice acting.
― Eldar asks: Recently I showed an anime (it was Fullmetal Alchemist) to my close friend, who's a professional theatre director (he works on television these days) and while he liked what he saw (I think), one of his questions b...
Answerman - Why Is There Still So Much Smoking In Anime?
Public smoking is largely a thing of the past in the US, but it's everywhere in anime even now. Justin explains the cultural gap.
― Chris asks: Nowadays it's very rare to see people smoking tobacco in Western media, wether it be on tv shows or films. When it does happen, it's usually seen in a very negative light, mostly due to people in this day and age being more knowledgeable of the adverse effec...
Answerman - Why Are Dubs Only Made in L.A. and Texas?
One reader wants to know why every English dub they hear comes from one of two places: Texas or LA. What happened to all those other dub studios? Are they still around? Justin investigates.
― Luke asks: Since the turn of the decade, it seems the only places to record dubs are Houston (Sentai), the Dallas-Fort Worth area (Funimation) and Los Angeles (Aniplex, Bang Zoom!). Canada used to make dubs, in...
Answerman - What's The Deal With Engrish?
You've seen it all over the internet: hilariously misguided English phrases on public signs and clothing from Japan and other Asian countries. Where does it come from?
― Michael asks: Something I've wondered for a long time is why in so many anime, the characters will be speaking in Japanese and then randomly say a few English words. An example would be in shonen anime when a character announces the...
Answerman - How Come More Anime Characters Don't Have Tattoos?
We live in a world where anime characters suffer from a woeful lack of sweet tattoos. One brave reader wants to know where all the ink is - Justin gets into it.
― Matthew asks: Something I've noticed in anime is that they're aren't a lot of characters that have tattoos. By tattoo I mean purely aesthetically ink tattoos used as a means of self expression. Most tattoos that I've seen in anime are tatt...
Answerman - Why Did Saint Seiya Bomb In North America?
It's one of the biggest and most influential anime franchises in Latin America, but the mythical golden warriors of Saint Seiya just never found a big audience in the states. Why is that?
― Geoff asks: Saint Seiya is one of the most popular anime of all time worldwide, especially in Europe and Latin America, even bigger than Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon. It is a Shonen fighting series, the most suc...
Answerman - How Was Anime Retouched for Television In The Old Days?
A little history about how all those digital underpants wound up on our favorite naked anime characters over the years and the arcane methods used to draw them.
― Maria asks: I've been watching old English dubs of Samurai Pizza Cats and Sailor Moon from the 90s and I wondered how they 'Airbrushed' and edited various things out before the use digital software. I had heard that for the 90s dub of Drag...
Answerman - How Are Short Anime Series Shown on Television?
Short anime comes in a huge variety of runtimes and start times. How in the world do they keep the television anime schedule straight in Japan?
― K. Anna asks: I recently got into shorts last year with "I Can't Understand What My Husband Is Saying" and I was actually really surprised by the number of shorts that come out each year. But with each show varying in length starting with anything from two...
Answerman - Why Do So Many Anime Take Place in High School?
It's an inevitable question: why are so many anime series set in and around high school, or star high-school age folks? Justin gets into it.
― Julian asks: After watching a lot of Anime, depending on the demographic, a good chunk of it tends to take place in a high school setting or the characters, while not always, range from the ages 14-17. This has led me to believe or assume writers of Anime or ...
Answerman - Why Are Americans In Anime Always Blonde?
One reader wants to know why Americans in anime are almost always portrayed as blonde-haired and blue-eyed. Justin Sevakis, a non-blonde American, explains.
― Dana asks: My question is how Americans are labeled in anime. I have read and seen a lot of anime and manga. In all of them, Americans are all drawn being blonde and blue eyed. This just irks me sometimes. I'm American and I have brown hair an...
Answerman - Why Do Guys In Yaoi Claim To Be Straight?
Justin navigates some of the fantasies and realities of the way men behave in yaoi manga and doujinshi, which, in a surprise to everyone, isn't particularly realistic.
― Quinn asks: Recently I stumbled upon "Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi - World's Greatest First Love" and all though I didn't know it was a yaoi title when I first started watching the show I did enjoy its story. However, one thing kept nagging ...
Answerman - Should FUNimation Be On NASDAQ?
One questioner thinks it's time for anime companies like Funimation to go public on the stock market, along with all the risk and reward that could entail. Justin has a few thoughts about that.
― CastMember1991 asks: Now with Funimation launching a streaming service that serves as the anime industry's answer to Netflix, I think it's time for Funimation (or its parent company G1200 Media) to file for...
Answerman - What Do The Changes To Oscar Rules Mean For Anime?
They're making a bunch of changes to the rules for Academy Award voting, but what does that mean for the anime that occasionally gets nominated? Are anime's Oscar chances changing?
― Bill asks: I've been hearing a lot lately about changes to the rules for voting in the Oscars. What does this mean for anime? Will this make it easier or harder for anime to get recognized by the Academy? Indeed, much a...
Answerman - What Does Darker Than Black's License Withdrawal Mean?
Funimation's license for Darker than Black recently expired, and Aniplex chose not to renew it. What does that mean for that show, for Funimation and for the industry? Justin gets into it.
― Stan asks: I heard the news of Funimation losing their license to Darker Than Black. People speculate (or is it confirmed?) that the license was taken away by Aniplex of America. So I was wondering, is this one ...
Answerman - Who Makes Anime Opening Sequences?
An opening sequence can be the chief way people are sold on a show and can live on long after the show's relevancy has faded. Justin explains how these little works of art get made.
― Adam asks: You've talked before about how music gets chosen for opening and ending sequences, but I'm curious about the animating side of it. I've noticed most openings and endings specifically credit a single storyboa...
Answerman - What Are Japanese Student Councils REALLY Like?
Is it true that high school student councils in Japan are all-powerful organizations that rule the nation's high schools with an iron fist and limitless resources? Not quite.
― Jason asks: As an avid anime watcher and a high school student in the US, I've noticed that most student governments in anime are organized in the same way and do the same things, however they differ drastically compared to t...
Answerman - Why Does Unfinished Manga Get Adapted To Anime?
One reader wants to know why so many anime based on manga go into production long before the manga's even close to finishing. Justin gets into it.
― Jessica asks: Hi, I don't know if someone asked this question before but I will ask anyway. I just finished watching Ao Haru Ride and its been bothering me. Why does the anime industry adapt from manga series that are already running, showing no signs o...
Answerman - Is Streaming The Future of Anime Kids' Programming?
Children's programming seems to be migrating from TV to streaming services, and someone's curious if this is where anime for children is heading next. Justin gets into it.
― Vee asks: I was recently browsing through Netflix and came across "Glitter Force". It looked familiar so I went online and discovered that it's one series in the Pretty Cure franchise. But, Saban Entertainment (who've been in th...
Answerman - Why Does CG Anime Have Such Low Frame Rates?
With BBK/BRNK airing now and more and more fully-CG anime hitting theaters and the airwaves, most folks seem to agree that it looks pretty off. What's up with that?
― Scott asks: Hello! Recently I've seen some talk about anime CGI in regards to frame rates. I've read that Japanese animators tend to cut frames leading to not-so-great-looking final products. Can you explain the mechanics of this and w...
Answerman - Did Westerners Always Call It Anime?
Unfortunately sometimes we do need to reflect on the past, which means it's time to discuss the days when someone apparently thought "Japanimation" was a great term for anime.
― Whisper asks: I have been wondering about the etymology of the terms "anime" and "manga" in American culture, particularly why Japanese animation and comics are often called a special name while, say, Japanese video games th...
Answerman - Why Do Some Voice Actors Like Not Knowing About Their Roles?
Plenty of English-language anime voice actors talk about how they don't like to know the story of the show they're performing in beforehand. What's behind this practice?
― Jitendar asks: In interviews and commentaries on anime discs, I often hear English VAs state that they like to be surprised regarding their characters and the story, which would be good if most of your work involved turning up to ...
Answerman - Why Did Sgt. Frog Hit In Japan But Not America?
Sgt. Frog is enormous in Japan, but despite several full-hearted attempts by multiple US publishers, it never left the lily pad. Justin investigates.
― Tamenish asks: I've been wondering for a while now about the popularity of the anime series 'Sgt. Frog', also known as 'Keroro Gunso'. In the West few people have heard of this obscure anime, yet I have heard it is quite popular in Japan. Why hasn't ...
Answerman - Why Did Shonen Jump Succeed In America?
It has a sizable percentage of the most popular manga in the world between its pages, but what exactly was it that made Shonen Jump hit in America the way it did? Justin has some thoughts.
― Agni asks: In Japan, a huge amount of manga is serialized in magazines. But in the west, the only such magazine was Shonen Jump. Why did Viz and Shueisha take this chance, how did it manage to keep running for n...
Answerman - What's With All The Monkeys On New Years Greetings?
Someone wants to know why all the New Year's greeting cards from the anime industry are swarming with monkeys. Justin's on it.
― Ashley asks: I recently went through the articles "Happy New Year -- Anime Style!" While looking though all of the celebration pictures, I noticed a few of them involving monkeys in one way or another. So I was wondering if you could explain to me why that is or if it was ...
Answerman - Do Japanese Students Really Go On Huge School Trips?
In anime, high school kids go on lavish school trips overnight as a school function. Is that really a thing? Justin investigates.
― Jake asks: I have watched a lot of school anime over the years and I have always found school trips to be a bit peculiar. Most of the time they are beach trips, which is pretty normal fare. But more often than not it's to some exotic expensive local that is multiple day...
Answerman - A Hentai Question
Justin answers a particularly frank question about a particularly NSFW feature that is usually missing when it comes to anime characters. Maybe you've wondered about this yourself! WARNING: NSFW Language.
― Hentai Tenchi asks: Why has there been so few non-hentai anime with pubic hair? I doubt TV stations would air it without it being censored, but couldn't it still be added to the home release vers...
Answerman - How Did Christmas in Japan Become A Thing?
Justin explains a bit about how Christmas became a popular holiday in Japan.
― James asks: As Christmas approaches, I have noticed that that holiday seems to be popular in Japan, despite the fact that Christianity is not widespread in that nation. How did Christmas become popular in Japan, and why do the people there enjoy celebrating a foreign holiday? It's true, Japan isn't a particularly Christia...
Answerman - How Were VHS Releases Mastered?
Justin runs through what it took to get an anime series out on that most hallowed of formats, the VHS cassette.
― Nate A.M. asks: What was mastering a VHS release like, in the dark times before NLE software and in-house video editing? What was the typical relationship between a licensee and a post-production firm? How did the technical process work? Aside from materials issues, what could (and did) ...
Answerman - What's The Difference Between BD-Rs And Regular Blu-Rays?
Justin gets in to some of the technical differences between different types of Bluray discs, and how that impacts your anime experience.
― Anonymous asks: So one thing I've been wondering about is what exactly is the difference between a BD-R and a regular BD for Blu-Ray Discs? I've been wondering since I recently went on a search for them, but all I can find is BD-R or BD-RE etc, yet companies at l...
Answerman - Why Do Engrish Titles Only Sometimes Get Corrected For America?
Justin explains where garbled English titles for anime like "Blast of Tempest" and, yes, "Attack on Titan" come from.
― Ben asks: My question is why are some Engrish titles in anime like "Still World is Beautiful" (changed to "The World is Still Beautiful") and "Break Blade" (changed to Broken Blade) altered for their official English releases, while other titles like "Blast of Tempest" and "Riddle ...
Answerman - Why Do Some Classic Anime Never Get Re-Released?
Justin runs down some of the reasons why plenty of anime from the 80s and 90s never saw a release in English and maybe never will.
― archivisth asks: Why have some shows, often of quite decent quality, never been reissued on modern digital media, like DVD, when all sorts of other stuff has? Some examples include OVAs like Oz, Sanctuary, Hi-Speed Jecy and Tomoe ga Yuku; and movies like 1992's Hashire...
Answerman - Does Uncensored or Re-Animated Anime get Streamed?
Broadcast anime is frequently full of mistakes or edited nudity that get fixed later for bluray. Do these versions wind up getting streamed anywhere?
― Miguel asks: Most TV series are made on a tight schedule and because of that Blu-ray and DVD releases are usually fixed up here and there, series with nudity and gore are also usually censored because they can't air nudity on TV. My question is, if a...
Answerman - Why Do Anime Discs Go On Clearance?
How DID that copy of UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie wind up at $2.99 in the discount bin? Justin gets in to the whys and hows of anime DVDs going on clearance.
― Andre asks: I always scour discount video bins for anime when i get the chance. Stuff from the 00s boom haunts them, with old Geneon, ADV & Funi discs to be had for cheap. But I've noticed some stuff never turns up, like Media Blasters, Honneamis...
Answerman - Why is it so tough to buy Japanese digital media downloads?
Ever try to buy a song digitally, from a Japanese website? Ever actually succeed at doing that? Justin explains why it's so weirdly difficult.
― Vanessa asks: Hello, is it impossible to buy Japanese digital media from any website while living outside of Japan? Cds and books are easily attainable from Amazon Japan, which even will display the website in English for foreigners. While browsing mp3s and...
Answerman - How Does Old Anime Get Remastered?
Older anime shows are coming in out in HD at a remarkable clip, but how do these shows go from dusty and neglected to sparkling and new for the bluray treatment?
― Julian asks: So I know a couple people who like to collect old animation cels, and I've read before that materials get lost or destroyed so that when it comes time to re-master a show they have to use old releases (see the new Eva BD). My...
Answerman - How Is Online Streaming Doing in Japan?
Streaming video services are completely ubiquitous in America, and it's the #1 way people keep up with new anime, but how do these services perform in Japan?
― Wayland asks: So apparently everyone in US and Aust is loving streaming services, (despite issues with people trying to get on the US site). I've also heard that it hasn't really taken off in Japan, yet. Hulu wasn't really able to make a dent...
Answerman - Why Are Anime DVDs More Expensive Than Western Animation?
Your average new anime series on bluray costs about $60, while your average new American TV series costs about half that. Why is that?
― Cody asks: I have a question about retail price differences between Japanese animation and Western animation, specifically regarding series. For example, if I wanted to buy Maoyu on Blu-ray from Amazon, I'd be paying $34.77, yet season four of Legend of Korra is on...
Answerman - Why Do Delta Airlines Flights Have Japanese Movies?
Delta flights are routinely loaded with mainstream Japanese movies, including subtitled live-action anime adaptations and often anime itself. Why is that?
― Jake asks: I recently was on a red eye Delta flight to the west coast over the holiday and was flipping through the movie section on those new tablets they now have built into the seats and found something quite surprising. I was expecting to fi...
Answerman - Why Is Sunday So Dead At Anime Conventions?
Sundays are usually a ghost town at any given convention, no matter how popular the show is. What's up with that?
― Chris asks: I somehow made it to three major anime cons this year (Anime Central, Anime Weekend Atlanta, and Youmacon), and every time I was surprised and dismayed by the retrenchment from the dealer's room on Sunday. At each of these cons, a number of informational booths simply weren...
Answerman - Why Are Some Gundam Series Getting Simultaneous Dubs?
Gundam Unicorn and Gundam The Origin both got simultaneous English dub releases, while a lot of other Gundam is released subtitled-only. What's up with that?
― Matt asks: I've been surprised how first Gundam Unicorn and now Gundam the Origin have been getting simultaneous dubs upon release. Even though Unicorn's North American release got thrown into the chaos surrounding Bandai Entertainment's clos...
Answerman - What Made The Big Anime Conventions So Big?
Anime conventions are bigger than ever, with the largest attracting nearly 100,000 people in 2015. How'd they get that way?
― Brandon asks: I've been able to attend a few conventions, spend way too much at some, and meet new and old friends at others. However, when I look at the conventions and the news you all cover from events like Sakura-Con or Anime Expo, I wonder “What made these specific conve...
Answerman - Why Does Funimation License Shows They Won't Dub?
Funimation has said they only license shows they think are worth dubbing - so what's up with the sub-only releases of OniAi and Buddy Complex?
― Steven asks: Until recently, Funimation dubbed everything they ever released. So now that some shows like Buddy Complex and OniAi are going to DVD as subtitle-only, why do they bother? Funimation has stated outright, on ANNCast among other places, that they...
Answerman - What's Wrong With Fan Translations?
Some champion fan translations. Others champion professional translations. Someone asks Justin to clarify his position on this.
― James asks: Why do you and the other staff of Anime News Network seem to have a dislike for (unofficial) fan translations of Japanese animation and manga? How do those media affect you and your website in any way, and do you have some personal stake in the matter? BIG STU...
Answerman - What Will The Trans-Pacific Partnership Do To Anime?
There's an enormous trade agreement on the table right now that could impact the anime industry and, in particular, the legality of fanart and other fan-created works. Justin gets into it.
― Usakun asks: I haven't been following news about the impending Trans-Pacific Partnership very closely, but most of what I am hearing now is increasingly negative, at least from fans living in Japan and how they ...
Answerman - Why Can't I Change The Subtitles and Audio on My Blu-rays?
Sometimes when you're watching anime on an R1 Bluray you can't turn off the subtitles or change the audio while you're watching. What's up with that?
― Before we get started, a foot note to a previous column... My assessment of the English-speaking acting scene in Japan was quite scathing, but was only part of the story. There is, as it turns out, a small community of actual, professional multi-ling...
Answerman - Why Is Anime Getting More Popular In The West (Again)?
Anime seems more popular than ever in the West, with merchandise and DVDs common on store shelves and convention populations exploding. What happened?
― Joachim asks: If i look around me, there's more and more people starting to like anime. and i love that. but of course those people are all of western origin and not japanese, so my question is: why is anime growing so much in popularity in the west...
Answerman - Why Are Adapted Dubs Still Being Made?
You hear fans complain about one thing more than anything else: heavily rewritten and whitewashed English dubs of kids' shows like Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokemon. But why do these hatchet jobs still exist?
― Mitchell asks: So I wanna know, why do bad dubs continue to exist to this day? I find it odd that dubbing companies out there still continue to do things that they know will annoy the fans like replace b...
Answerman - Why Don't I Find Anime Comedies Funny?
One reader wonders why he can't connect with anime comedy the same way so many other fans seem to. Justin gets into it.
― Jsphro asks: I'm a casual anime fan, only watching a small handful of shows a year. One genera I've had always had hard time grasping my enjoyment on is Comedy. Very few anime have ever made me laugh, which I don't know is either the fault on the creators for making something un-...
Answerman - Does Japan Have Otaku For American Animation?
Are there Japanese fans of American animated shows like South Park, Family Guy and Rick & Morty? Do they resemble American anime fans? Justin gets into it.
― Christopher asks: With the anime/otaku industry being a fairly robust fandom in the west, I was wondering: is that mirrored for western animation/cartoons over in Japan? Are there groups that work on fansubbing new episodes of Steven Universe a...
Answerman - Why Isn't American Animation Outsourced To Japan?
American animation used to be outsourced to Japan all the time - obviously that isn't the case anymore. What happened, and where is animation outsourced to these days?
― Abe asks: Why are so many American animated shows sent to Korea for main production and not Japan? The Japanese animation industry seems to be a more logical choice considering how much animation is produced there compared to the am...
Answerman - Is Japan Over-Reacting To Ai Takabe's Arrest?
Ai Takabe is a voice actress who was recently arrested on drug charges in Japan. The kick in the pants the Japanese justice system is giving her seems excessive; is this business as usual?
― Dimitri asks: Today I noticed a huge uproar in regards to Ai Takabe and her arrest for drug possession and potential usage. Now would this not have interested me, was it not for the fact that here whole presence...
Answerman - How Popular Are American Movies In Japan?
Justin delves into the Japanese box office and just how American films stack up to Japan's domestic output when it comes to the bottom line.
― Cordelia asks: I noticed that in Japan, American movies are highly popular such as Titanic and Frozen for examples. I even heard Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean are really popular and are some of the top grossing movies there. Are American films rel...
Answerman - Are There More American Otaku Than Japanese Otaku?
Someone asks whether or not there are more American otaku than Japanese otaku, and Justin tries his best to figure that out.
― Randall asks: Given the rising attendance figures at anime conventions here in the US, comparing to attendance figures from the (two?) comikets and assuming that such convention attendees would be considered otaku if living in Japan, is it possible that the US now has more o...
Answerman - Do Anime Creators Pay Attention To Reviews?
Does the production staff of an anime pay attention to the reviews their show gets, either from Japanese or American media? More importantly, how do they handle reviews via social media?
― Norman asks: Id like to ask if any of the anime studios or production committees that pay attention to review scores or ratings from any Japanese review sites or even large English anime review sites like ANN? Is ...
Answerman - How Did American Manga Releases Become Right-To-Left?
Justin recalls exactly when and why manga releases in the US became "authentic", reading right-to-left.
― Carlo asks: When I first started reading manga in the late nineties, a lot of the books were printed in left to right format instead of right to left. What was it that made US companies decide to change to the Japanese style? Prior to 2002, the vast majority of manga released in English was "flo...
Answerman - Why Are OVAs Formatted Like TV Episodes?
OVAs are straight-to-video animation, so why are they frequently formatted exactly like television shows?
― Alec asks: I am a big fan of both Gunbuster and Diebuster and have noticed that both contain an opening video and framing for a commercial break. I am assuming that Diebuster was merely following the lead of Gunbuster in this regard. But as for Gunbuster, was this put in place in case it ever ...
Answerman - Is The Anime Glut And The American TV Glut The Same Thing?
Most everyone acknowledges that we're in a "content bubble" both for anime and American TV. But how much similarity is there between these two overproductive industries?
― Chris asks: Over the Summer, there was a lot of talk about “Peak TV”, the idea that there is more good scripted TV being produced than there are viewers with time to watch it. The argument was succinctly made by FX's John Landgraf...
Answerman - Where Do The English-Speaking Actors In Japan Come From?
Every now and then you'll hear a native English speaker in the cast of a Japanese-language track for an anime. Where do those voice actors come from, and do they get a lot of work?
― Matthew asks: I recently watched Terror in Resonance, and was surprised to hear the American characters (as well as--occasionally--Five) speaking English. I imagine this is relatively rare, so I was wondering--what are ...
Answerman - Do Edited-For-Television Versions Of Anime Get Preserved?
Sometimes people really like anime that's been edited for television and want to preserve it for posterity... but does anyone make those versions legally available?
― Kevin asks: In cases of shows that have "Edited for TV" versions, such as YuYu Hakusho and Rurouni Kenshin, what happens to them? Do they get stored away? Do they exist somewhere on the Funimation or Bang Zoom's servers? You see, I've ...
Answerman - What Would've Saved Manglobe?
Justin examines the conditions and potential causes of what might've triggered Samurai Champloo studio Manglobe's recent bankruptcy.
― Amanda asks: Last week we heard that Manglobe, the animation studio that made Samurai Champloo, Ergo Proxy, Karneval, Samurai Flamenco and a bunch of others had filed for bankruptcy and went out of business. I know they were in trouble for a while and a number of the...
Answerman - Does A Stronger US Dollar Help Anime Companies?
With the yen weak against the dollar, does the exchange rate help US anime companies when it comes to licensing fees? Justin explains.
― Branko asks: With the strength of the US dollar right now, I wondered, how much does the value of a currency affect the profitability of an anime when it gets licensed abroad? While a strong dollar hurts US exports, is it actually a benefit to American companies li...
Answerman - What Makes An Anime A Crossover Hit?
Justin examines what it takes to make an anime series a hit in the west. It isn't an exact science, however.
― Ahmed asks: As a person who is unfamiliar with the way the anime world works, I've seen enough of peoples' reactions, including several of my friends', to know that Attack on Titan is really popular to the point where I'm slightly annoyed at how much it's being hyped (I just wish that Jojo'...
Answerman - Why Did Funimation's Attack On Titan Subtitles Fail?
Justin dissects the recent Attack on Titan subtitle mishap with an in-depth look at the incredibly tricky world of digitally-delivered cinema.
― Bill asks: Funimation just had a very public failure of its subtitles for the live action Attack on Titan theatrical release, when the line "I've been waiting for this day!" got stuck on the screen while the movie continued playing. Funimation blamed a tech...
Answerman - How Popular Are Anime Songs In Japan?
Anime fans know anime music - a mountain of pop songs comes with every new anime season, but how popular are all those songs in Japan itself?
― Fredrik asks: I've been to Japan twice, and one thing I noticed (and was disappointed about) is the relative lack of prominence of anison in Japan. I didn't get to hear radio much but in the few times I did most of the time they were playing non-anison J-Pop...
Answerman - How Can I Get Anime Soundtracks on Vinyl?
Vinyl is everywhere, taking over the remaining music stores and warming the hearts of audiophiles across the country. But where are all the anime soundtracks?
― Kyuubei the 3rd asks: I recently got back into vinyl. I was wondering who do I ask to get an anime soundtrack on vinyl? I know Wicked City's BGM is getting a release soon, but who do I talk to about getting a recent soundtrack on vinyl (such...
Answerman - What Are Those Japanese Shows Where Celebrities React To Videos?
If you've ever turned on a TV in Japan, odds are you've watched celebrities - actors, athletes, you name it - reacting to clips of food or animals. What's up with that?
― Chris asks: Every now and then, some tidbit of news will come to us in the form of a Japanese TV show where guests or panelists in a studio or person-on-the-street-style participants are seen reacting to some video clip. The partic...
Answerman - What Will Happen To A Convict's Voice Acting Work?
Voice Actor Scott Freeman was recently convicted of a crime and imprisoned; what happens to the work he's done that's already out there, and what are the responsibilities of the company that hired him?
― Lee asks: With the recent imprisonment of Scott Freeman, what is likely to happen with future releases of shows that he has already dubbed? I am a big fan of both Highschool DxD and Baka and Test am...
Answerman - Whatever Happened to Manga Entertainment? (PART TWO: UK Edition)
As it turns out, a whole lot is happening with Manga UK; Justin gets the inside information from Animatsu Ltd. CEO Jerome Mazandarani in this exclusive report.
― In Monday's installment, I wrote in detail about how Manga Entertainment had fallen far from their place of dominance in the late VHS era, when they had such titles as Ninja Scroll, Macross Plus, Ghost in the Shell and Perfect Blue. The his...
Answerman - Whatever Happened To Manga Entertainment?
Justin recounts the fascinating tale of Manga Entertainment, once the biggest name in anime in the US, but now a shadow of its former self. PLUS: the Answerman column is turning 15 years old!
― I was chatting with Zac last week when the two of us came to a major realization: In just a few short months, the "Answerman" column on Anime News Network turns FIFTEEN YEARS OLD. Think about that for a secon...
Answerman - How Are English Dub Voice Actors Cast?
If you've ever wondered exactly how voice actors are chosen for roles in anime dubs, Justin has the rundown for you.
― Dakota asks: After watching Shirobako I gained a general understanding of how the Japanese voice actors are cast for anime. The process was basically what one would expect, but it got me wondering: How do English distributors like Funimation choose who will voice each roll? I know t...
Answerman - Whatever Happened To Saban Entertainment?
Saban Entertainment brought over kids' anime en masse in the 90s; shows like Noozles, Flint the Time Detective, the original Dragon Ball Z dub, and more. So where'd they go?
― Drew asks: As a child of the late-80s/early-90s, I grew up with a lot of anime dubbed by Saban (not even knowing it was anime half the time, i.e. Maya the Bee). However with Saban being bought by Disney and then coming back re...
Answerman - How Do Anime Budgets Compare to American Animation Budgets?
You hear a lot about how anime is inexpensive to make compared to American animation, but what exactly are the numbers? Justin breaks it down.
― Allan asks: I often read that anime is made with a much lower production budget than "western animation". That certainly makes sense when comparing the average TV anime with a big-name western production like a movie from Disney/Pixar. But I'm curious how a...
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