The return of: Anime Insider gives odds on Adult Swim premieres!

[Gary L Thompson]

Earlier this year, in an article on movie premieres (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=129820, if you're interested), Anime Insider got an inside view on the chances of other movies appearing on Adult Swim.

In an article this month on the debut of "Evangelion" on Adult Swim (page 68), they ran a little sidebar on programming manager's Kim Manning's views of other series' prospects appearing on Adult Swim....

1. "Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu" (100-1). "A decent contender."
2. "Burst Angel" (1,000-1) "This is a fun series, but it's got a little too much fan serivce for us."
3. "Love Hina" (500,000-1) "I like this show, but we're not ready to try romantic comedy. And if we were, I'd probably start with "His and Her Circumstances."
4. "Kodacha" (1,000,000-1) "It just isn't Adult Swim material."
5. "Ramna 1/2" (5.000,000-1) "Although I love the show, and it's Rumiko Takahashi, the show is kind of old now."

Nothing here I consider head-scratching this time, though if I were the type to frequent Las Vegas (which I'm not, trust me), I'd be tempted to pick up a couple of these bets.

Adult Swim has tried a romantic comedy of sorts, "FLCL", though of course that was mostly sheer insanity than anything else. The basic question I have to ask is--why? If AS already airs comedies, why not romantic comedies? Gabby Hayes used to opine that he didn't think theaters would empty like someone shouted "Fire!" if Roy Rogers kissed the heroine, and I wonder if the Adult Swim programmers are gripped by the same dread for some reason. However, considering Adult Swim has gone to great lengths and some risk to finally bring "Evangelion" to its time block, it would only make sense that if Adult Swim were to finally change course on romantic comedy, an anime by the creator of "Evangelion" would top the list of acquisitions.

"Kodacha" not Anime Swim material? It already is, in a way, because AS already airs "Jubei-Chan the Ninja Girl" on VOD, a series sharing some creative lineage and more than passing similarities to "Kodacha". If Manning won't air "Kodacha", couldn't she consider airing "Jubei" (and I would strongly suggest picking up "Jubei 2" and "Carried By the Wind" as well to air with it) as some consolation for "Kodacha" fans, at least?

"Ramna" may well never air on Adult Swim, but I'd be willing to wager that someday a programmer of some struggling late-night anime block somewhere is going to look only at its being by Rumiko Takahashi, and its enduring popularity on video, and see this as a last-ditch path to ratings gold.

Finally, I notice in the article on "Evangelion", Manning said "Escaflowne" was one of the series that got her into anime. I wonder why the odds on that appearing on Adult Swim was never raised. It was a contemporary of "Evangelion" (frankly, I've always looked far more to seeing "Escaflowne" than Eva). It would allow Adult Swim to test the waters for romance lovers out there, and yet it has more than enough of the usual giant-robot angst and action to attract the standard Adult Swim crowd. And the movie has already aired on Adult Swim. Just surprised it wasn't even mentioned.

[Lachesis]

Finally, I notice in the article on "Evangelion", Manning said "Escaflowne" was one of the series that got her into anime. I wonder why the odds on that appearing on Adult Swim was never raised. It was a contemporary of "Evangelion" (frankly, I've always looked far more to seeing "Escaflowne" than Eva). It would allow Adult Swim to test the waters for romance lovers out there, and yet it has more than enough of the usual giant-robot angst and action to attract the standard Adult Swim crowd. And the movie has already aired on Adult Swim. Just surprised it wasn't even mentioned.

The short answer is: FOX Kids got to it first. A much maligned editited version was shown on Saturday mornings in '99 or '00 roughly around the same time as the "Cardcaptors" debacle. An uncut dub was produced, which I dislike intensely. I'm glad it was never rebroadcast.

Are we actively going to be speculating again about acquisitions? I''m placing my bets on "Bleach," "Mai HiME," and maybe "Monster."

[livingfruitvirus]

"Bleach,"

I don't think we'll see anything from Shonen Jump.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Bleach won't be on AS. While it may be more violent and have more jokes about boobs then Naruto, maturity wise Naruto is more adult, and it went to Toonami.

[Lachesis]

Bleach won't be on AS. While it may be more violent and have more jokes about boobs then Naruto, maturity wise Naruto is more adult, and it went to Toonami.

This does not explain "Inuyasha," which was stuck in AS *precisely* because of violence. But you're probably right. I don't follow the show myself. I just know it's the next big shonen fight program, and deals heavily with the supernatural and dead people.

[livingfruitvirus]

This does not explain "Inuyasha," which was stuck in AS *precisely* because of violence. But you're probably right. I don't follow the show myself. I just know it's the next big shonen fight program, and deals heavily with the supernatural and dead people.

Oh yes it does. Inuyasha came in 2002 when Adult Swim was in desperate need of content. The days when TV-PG on CN was a pipe dream. If it came today, it probably WOULD be on Toonami, but it's simply a case of too little too late. And no, I don't want them to move it to Toonami. We're close to episode 120 now, and I'd rather Adult Swim just finish it and get it over with rather than have to move it to CN, start ALL OVER AGAIN, and let it continue festering on the schedule.

[Lachesis]

I seem to have hit a nerve here...

[Gary L Thompson]

The short answer is: FOX Kids got to it first. A much maligned editited version was shown on Saturday mornings in '99 or '00 roughly around the same time as the "Cardcaptors" debacle. An uncut dub was produced, which I dislike intensely. I'm glad it was never rebroadcast.

Are we actively going to be speculating again about acquisitions? I''m placing my bets on "Bleach," "Mai HiME," and maybe "Monster."

I'm well aware that Fox stole "Escaflowne" out from under Toonami without really looking at what they were getting, and that it ranks with "Cardcaptors" as one the classic examples of an adaptation pretty much cutting out everything that made the original appealing in the first place. However, I would assume that the rights of Fox Kids/Saban have almost certainly expired by now. As for the later uncut dub, I think the show is so great that even the worst voice acting job couldn't hurt it as long as the plot and musical score were left intact. Anyway, the availability or non-availability of "Escaflowne" doesn't answer the question of why it wasn't even mentioned in the odds-placing.

I'd feel more comfortable about the chances of "Bleach" if "Yu Yu Hakasho" had gotten better handling from CN. "Mai HiME" is clearly Bandai's big push to cash in on the shoujo wave in America, and Bandai seems to marketing its series to American TV strictly through CN these days. "Monster" seems to be a hard-boiled mystery show with sci-fi/fantasy overtones--not that much different from "Paranoia Agent" or "Ghost in the Shell", so it doesn't seem unlikely that it could end up on AS.

[Lachesis]

However, I would assume that the rights of Fox Kids/Saban have almost certainly expired by now. As for the later uncut dub, I think the show is so great that even the worst voice acting job couldn't hurt it as long as the plot and musical score were left intact. Anyway, the availability or non-availability of "Escaflowne" doesn't answer the question of why it wasn't even mentioned in the odds-placing.

Who knows? It's a random list of fan-favorites. They only mention one show with even a remote chance of making the block: FMP Fumoffu, and I think even that one's doubtful. Also, you've got to consider that Escaflowne is nine years old, and most of the buzz is long since gone.

I wouldn't hold your breath about the licensing either. None of Saban's other acquisitions, like Teknoman and Samurai Pizza Cats, have ever been heard from again.

[Sketch]

From what I hear of "Monster" it's an ideal acquisition for Adult Swim. And Adult Swim could use a horror thriller to mix it up a bit.

Fumoffu? Interesting... I would hope they'd air FMP first and eventually 2nd Raid. Given that we just finally got Evangelion I see no reason why FMP couldn't. It's short, doesn't need editing and would be a great show to throw on at any time. In the past I'd recommend it for Toonami but since it's not all that marketable it'd be another s-CRY-ed situation. Also... too many guns and military aspects. All 3 FMP series would probably interest a fair sum of Adult Swim's anime and comedy audiences. Certainly the Inuyasha crowd.

Inuyasha should not be the judge of anything anymore. Given that CN airs TV-PG-V Naruto at 12:30PM on weekends and just moved uncut DBZ to 7:30 on Toonami (though that wont likely get to the naughty content before it's taken off the block).

I really wish CN would give Conan a shot at the younger audiences now that they can air TV-PG comfortably throughout much of if not all of the schedule. Or even put it on Toonami. But it's apparent that shows like Conan and Inuyasha and maybe even FMA could air on Toonami now so a show like Bleach wouldn't be a problem. Especially since it's Shonen Jump. The only JUMP title I see ending up on Adult Swim is Black Cat due to the excessive gunplay. But who knows... maybe by then it could air on Toonami. It just seems like something the Bebop / Trigun fans would dig a LOT.

[Majin_Megabyte]

Aleast they are thinking about Burst Angel. Thats all I'm happy about.

[Nin-Nin69]

I don't think we'll see anything from Shonen Jump.

That's where City Hunter comes in. Besides isn't a new version of the show in production?

[Keldran]

Of those brought up in the thread I believe that Monster has the best chance, mainly because it's actually good, and AS has shown an upward trend in quality, IMO. Burst Angel is pretty bad, worse than Scryed, so I don't see it deserving a spot on TV. Fumoffu, a great show, might very well get snapped up by G4TechTV, since they did take Cromartie. I wouldn't be too suprised to see Blood+ licensed then shown on AS, hell even Gunbuster 2 wouldn't have too bad a shot for license then AS. Mai-Hime... eh... you could find something better. Now if they ever made a decent length Battle Angel Alita anime, I could see that getting snapped up real quickly.

[Catlover]

That's where City Hunter comes in. Besides isn't a new version of the show in production?

That would be Angel Heart. It''s already aired three of four episodes in Japan. I too think City Hunter is the subed anime. Either that or whichever Gigantor series is airing.

I really think both FMP! or Fumoffu will be coming up next year. I doubt G4 will be getting anymore anime, and FMP! would work great on AS.

[Nyarl]

...I'd rather Adult Swim just finish [Inuyasha] and get it over with...

What are the odds that’ll really happen? It seems more likely that ‘Yasha will be taking up slots in reruns for a while after the last episode premiers, and by that time, there might be a ‘Yasha OVA series to acquire.

[Lord Dalek]

If Fumoffu is a strong contender than they HAVE to air the first series as well.

[Beat]

What are the odds that’ll really happen? It seems more likely that ‘Yasha will be taking up slots in reruns for a while after the last episode premiers, and by that time, there might be a ‘Yasha OVA series to acquire.

Don't scare the Adult Swim forum vets like that!

But you're right, IY looks like it has lots of rerun potential.

[Sketch]

Of course. Given the blend of action and comedy I'd say FMP is an even better contender but FMP's sequels are musts as well.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

I've always thought that His and Her Circumstances would be a tough sell to American TV. The dub dialogue is really intelligent, but I think a lot of viewers would be bewildered by the onscreen text and manga-scene stuff.

[Karl Olson]

I'd feel more comfortable about the chances of "Bleach" if "Yu Yu Hakasho" had gotten better handling from CN.

Since TVPG is cool on CN, I don't see why they wouldn't tap Bleach. It'd take some heavy rework at points, but it's really too immature for AS, and it's great for a Toonami that's having huge success with Naruto. However, if you can keep Ichigo atleast sorta badass (which is what a PG gives you,) I think it'll be an easy sell, especially if it's a Viz or Funi title. It's a lot newer than YYH, and it's got more of a crossover audience too. It'll also have the flavor and flare that YYH lost in the Y7 editing. I think it stands a pretty good shot on the whole really, cause the situation's changed a lot.

"Mai HiME" is clearly Bandai's big push to cash in on the shoujo wave in America, and Bandai seems to marketing its series to American TV strictly through CN these days.

No. It's a fanservice anime targetted at lonely otaku/hikikomori. It's arguably the direct spawn of stuff like Maria-sama ga Mitaru - shows full of girls for boys. It'll turn up on the on-demand probably - after-all it's a got S-cry-ed-like element, but I'd rather see Bandai push Planetes as it's leagues better than Mai HiME and almost everything else in their library of newer aquisitions.

"Monster" seems to be a hard-boiled mystery show with sci-fi/fantasy overtones--not that much different from "Paranoia Agent" or "Ghost in the Shell", so it doesn't seem unlikely that it could end up on AS.

Ah, but it's the kind of show AS needs if they want adults, not teens. It's a real BBC/PBS Masterpiece Theater-style drama with a traditional horror twist, and it's got adult characters with adult issues to back it up (and without nearly as much in the way philosophy-over-story hang ups as Paranoia and GitS.) It's not about kids and teens, and that's kind of thing AS needs in the long term. I mean, maybe they aren't going to ever be up for another risk in that direction, and they'll be content with teen shows, but it'd be nice to see some truely adult anime hit the network. Planetes sorta falls in that too.

Meanwhile, I think the interviewer at Anime Insider asked all the wrong questions. I wouldn't have even bothered asking about such blantantly otaku-centric fare outside of maybe Kodocha, and even then, I'd have done my research and recognized that it's already been shot down repeatedly. Kudos for AS saying they'd go the Gainax and shoujo route when it comes to romance anime though. Kare Kano is probably the best choice outside of maybe Fruits Basket (and I'd run Furuba on the general network if I were going to bother.)