Anime Sales in Japan - 2010

[Quarkboy]

Originally Posted by hissatsu

Don't you mean Kodansha? Not that it makes a difference. I don't expect to see it here any time soon, though I really can't say I even care much. After all the hours I invested in "fixing" the subs for this show for the BDs, I think I can live just fine with the BDs I have.

Ah yes, sorry about that. I have a habit of mixing up the names.

[oneeyedjacks]

But this is Kodansha we're talking about.

Whats the deal with Kodansha? Do they have really high asking prices for their shows or are they really hard to bargain with or something?

[Quarkboy]

Originally Posted by oneeyedjacks

Whats the deal with Kodansha? Do they have really high asking prices for their shows or are they really hard to bargain with or something?

Yes and yes.

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by Quarkboy

Uh, no...

Neither are
1. Bakemonogatari
5. Macross Frontier
13. Angel Beats!
21. Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS
26. Ookiku Furikabutte (s2)
28. Working!!

Release dates for these series:
Mononoke 12-July-07

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS 1-Apr-07
Macross Frontier 3-Apr-08
Bakemonogatari 3-July-09
Ookiku Furikabutte S2 1-Apr-10
Angel Beats 3-April-10
Working!! 4-Apr-10

Three of these six have aired in just the past few months; I suspect Angel Beats and maybe Working!! will eventually be licensed. I already heard about Funi's decision concerning the Big Windup sequel.

Of the remainder, only Macross and Nanoha are of the same vintage as Mononoke. I guess it just never overcame the bad sales of Ayakashi Samurai Horror Tales and was expected to be a flop in R1.

That, and the fact that it shares that poisonous "artsy" character you mentioned in terms of Bakemonogatari.

[something]

NOTE: Added Clannad After Story to the list. Seems like the person who compiled the list initially just added the first season and thus missed it. And damn it's sooo close to the 20k club.

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

I'm hardly an expert on what shows have been licensed, but looking down that list it seems like every one of the shows in the top-50 slots is licensed in R1 except for Mononoke!

Others mentioned that there are more that have not been licensed, but the thing with Mononoke is, it's in a weird situation. Normally I'd say "not gonna get licensed", and I still don't think it will, but since we already had the Bakeneko arc of Ayakashi released, well... that kinda puts Mononoke a lot closer to having been licensed than most.

But, it's one of those "so close yet so far" situations, isn't it? Precisely because something similar to Mononoke has been licensed already, the industry must have some idea of how it sold, and it wouldn't be too crazy for them to guesstimate Mononoke sales based on it. Now of course, Mononoke sold much better in Japan than Ayakashi Bakeneko did. And that could be the case over here too. But having recently seen half of Mononoke myself (first two arcs, will finish it eventually) I'm not all that surprised it's not licensed. I think one of the smaller licensors would give it a shot if the asking price fairly reflected its sales potential though.

As for unlicensed series:
You can add K-ON!! (second season), but of course it's still airing ongoing and the first is licensed so I expect we'll see it licensed as well.
Gintama is licensed too but if I'm not mistaken that's one of the shows Sentai is looking like they'll drop partway. Might be mistaking it with something else.
Da Capo is in the top 50, and also unlicensed in any incarnation.
Sub-50 we can add Minami-ke and both Natsume Yuujinchou series.
Edit: Hakuouki too; it's ongoing but with almost 15k after half its volumes it will end up over 10k as well. Also unlicensed, but also very new.

Of course for the most part you'd expect the most popular shows in Japan to be licensed in at least some form so it's not a surprise most of them are. As much as Western and Japanese tastes differ, the most popular shows (especially in the age of easy to find fansubs) should usually have at least a decent level of crossover appeal in western fandom. Not necessarily enough to make it as a big a seller here, but enough to make a release seem feasible if the license can be gotten for the right price.

[EmperorBrandon]

Originally Posted by Fencedude

Good sales don't guarantee a second season.

Hand Maid May felt pretty complete as it is, anyway. More of the characters would be great, but it didn't really feel like the kind of series that really needed a second season either.

[something]

Decided to take a look at which shows on this list I have not seen.

Have not seen at all, in DVD backlog:
31) Mahou Sensei Negima [probably won't ever get to]
55) Mahoromatic Motto Utsukushii Mono [probably won't ever get to]
68) Mushishi [will definitely get to]

Have not seen and don't currently plan to:
02) Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny
15,59) Initial D 4th/2nd Stage
23) Love Hina
27) Ookiku Furikabutte
33-35,52) Gintama Series 1-4
62) Mugen no Ryvius

Have seen part and dropped:
05) Macross Frontier
36) Death Note
40) Kuroshitsuji
47) Fullmetal Alchemist (second series)

Seen all the rest in full except K-ON!! (still airing) and Mononoke (started recently, half done). I actually bought the Ryvius R1 brick like twice over the past few years but in both cases the order had to be canceled because they couldn't get stock, so I took that as a sign that I should stop bothering. I don't blind-buy anymore so it's too late now.

[Buster Darkwings]

Originally Posted by Quarkboy

Big Windup has already been passed up by Funimation officially. Chances of season 2 being picked up are really slim, since if Sentai did it they wouldn't dub it and that would cause insane backlash.

I take it by "insane backlash" you mean "Baby Naruto and a few others who didn't buy season 1 anyways would bitch on the internet."

[ilmaestro]

Originally Posted by Buster Darkwings

"and a few others who didn't buy season 1 anyways"

:lol: Too true.

edit: bah, I always forget about the lack of laughing face smiley on here.

[Draneor]

I haven't watched most of them and likely never will, to be honest. So making a list of titles I bought would make the most sense for me.

Titles I bought (R2): Angel Beats!, Bakemonogatari (Except volumes 1 and 3).,Clannad (Singles and boxset), D.C. ~Da Capo~, Kannagi, Kanon, Lucky☆Star (First two volumes only), Strike Witches (Boxset), K-ON!, & To Aru Kagaku no Railgun (First four volumes only).

Titles I bought (R1): Air, Aria the Origination, Ai Yori Aoshi, Azumanga Daiou, Clannad, Fate/Stay Night, Full Metal Alchemist, Fruits Basket, Kannagi, Lucky☆Star, Love Hina, Mahoromatic, Mahou Sensei Negima, Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha A's, Onegai Teacher, Onegai Twins, Shakugan no Shana, Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu, Tengen toppa Gurren Lagann, Toradora!, & Tsukuhime.

Titles I bought (R3): Clannad (Volumes one and five, nine, and eleven) and Kannagi (Volume five).

So I bought between 8-9 R2 series and 21 R2 series. I'm actually kind of surprised it's that high. Most of the stuff I buy tends to sell under 3,000.