Natsuki says "No Daichi" for new Fruits Basket?

[Pepperidge]

From Animetique (http://www.animetique.com/blogview.asp?pID=608):

Fruits Basket Second Season
In the Q&A, Funimation Marketing Director, Adam Sheehan, answered a question on a highly anticipated sequel to Fruits Basket (http://www.fruits-basket.com/) - one of Funimation's most popular titles.

Unfortunately, as of right now, a sequel isn't in the works through Funimation has been pushing the Japanese to do a second season - and they are ready to finance it. Mark gave three reasons for the hold up.

1) The Voice Cast - Most of the voice cast has retired and they aren't interested in coming back to do a second series. They came out of retirement to do the first season. Coming out of retirement again is less appealing.

2) The Mangaka - Natsuki Takaya (the mangaka - creator of the manga) didn't like the anime's director, Akitaro Daichi. If they were to do a second season, Takaya would want to replace the director.

3) The Producton Company - Unlike Takaya, the production company, NAS (http://www.nasinc.co.jp/en/index.php?action=USER.INFO.INDEX), likes Daichi and would want him to do the second season.

Adam claims they won't give up until they get a second season, but I'm guessing it won't be for a long while.

So she wasn't pleased with how he directed the series? I find that a bit surprising.

[Karl Olson]

It's almost silly because the show is shot for shot the manga, barring a little bit of rearranging so it ended in the right place.

However, if they don't get Daichi and the Japanese VAs back, I'd almost rather sleeping dogs lie on this. Barring maybe Morio Asaka (director on Nana, Cardcaptor Sakura and Gunslinger Girl, IE: very exacting manga to anime adaptations,) I don't think anyone can do the job as well Daichi.

Bleh, this is lame news.

[GWOtaku]

I'm a faithful follower of the manga as it comes here to the states and I found the anime very faithful to it. I'm shocked the author doesn't approve.

I can get past the director, but if they can't get the original VA's that's a huge problem. I loved Funi's dub so I'm not worried about consistency, but without the people that literally made the show what it was I just don't know.....

I hope they keep at this though! Who knows, a breakthrough may yet occur. And good for Funi for making the effort.

[Duke]

Maybe she wanted Daichi to put more "Kodocha," "Kuromi" or "Jubei" in Fruba?

Eh, who knows. Manga-ka are weird people to figure out.

While it'd be nice to have the OG cast back for the Japanese fans, I personally don't care as much since I'll likely stick to FUNi's dub 98% of the time.

And here I figured they really enjoyed Fruba from the video featurettes on the DVDs.

[Karl Olson]

Maybe she wanted Daichi to put more "Kodocha," "Kuromi" or "Jubei" in Fruba?

Actually, my bet is that some Daichi's humor might have been the problem. She might have wanted a more even flow to some of the show rather than snapping back and forth between extreme comedy and immense pathos. If anything, he reeled that kind of thing in from the level Kodocha went at it though, so I'm not sure whether he could make it work. I mean, I know he can do straight drama (Now and Then, Here and There proves that,) and he's a great director, but it might be difficult to prove to Takuya that he can bring his energy in line with hers.

Like I said though, if they couldn't book Daichi, I'd accept Morio Asaka, though, that would mean that the earliest we saw a Furuba 2 would be late 2007 (since Asaka's busy on Nana.)


Eh, who knows. Manga-ka are weird people to figure out.

Word.


While it'd be nice to have the OG cast back for the Japanese fans, I personally don't care as much since I'll likely stick to FUNi's dub 98% of the time.

Yeah, the saving grace is that Funi's cast would definitely be back, and in fact, they'll probably deliver even better performances than last time.


And here I figured they really enjoyed Fruba from the video featurettes on the DVDs.

Yeah, but they might not look forward to a half-year to year's recording if that literally means coming out of retirement. They might have other they'd rather do even if they did love working on Fruits Basket.

[Ben]

Shoujo manga-ka can be such huge prissy buzzkills (see: Kare Kano).

[Grenzer]

Yeah, but they might not look forward to a half-year to year's recording if that literally means coming out of retirement. They might have other they'd rather do even if they did love working on Fruits Basket.

I find it hard to believe that getting the VAs back would be a major problem. All of the three leads (Yui Horie, Tomokazu Seki, and Aya Hisakawa) are still active in voice work, as are many of the supporting cast members. Seki in particular is like the Steve Blum of Japan, so to even indirectly suggest that he would not be available to record Kyo because he is in "retirement" smacks of suspicion to me. Perhaps the VA's are getting some of the blame falsely put upon them so it does not look like it is entirely the manga-ka's fault?

[Space Cadet]

Shoujo manga-ka can be such huge prissy buzzkills (see: Kare Kano).

Maybe someday the whole story will be animated.

[Karl Olson]

I find it hard to believe that getting the VAs back would be a major problem. All of the three leads (Yui Horie, Tomokazu Seki, and Aya Hisakawa) are still active in voice work, as are many of the supporting cast members. Seki in particular is like the Steve Blum of Japan, so to even indirectly suggest that he would not be available to record Kyo because he is in "retirement" smacks of suspicion to me. Perhaps the VA's are getting some of the blame falsely put upon them so it does not look like it is entirely the manga-ka's fault?

Ah, but there are some of the other VAs who though not in the main cast are critical because they still have important roles, especially as the series goes on. Funimation tries to be a perfectionist when it comes to most things, so they'd probably rather wait to get the right cast and staff than push it and get a product that's less than excellent.

[Ben]

Though Jubei-chan 2 replaced the main character and came out better than OK. Throw me in the "not a big deal" camp re: VAs. Flexibility in that department is one of the best parts of animation.

[Karl Olson]

Though Jubei-chan 2 replaced the main character and came out better than OK. Throw me in the "not a big deal" camp re: VAs. Flexibility in that department is one of the best parts of animation.

Well, I'd certainly rather be w/o a few of the original VAs than Daichi myself as well. Especially since the only director that'd stand a chance of doing anything else with it is busy for so long that it's not even funny.

[Duke]

Seki in particular is like the Steve Blum of Japan, so to even indirectly suggest that he would not be available to record Kyo because he is in "retirement" smacks of suspicion to me.
Maybe he's busy recording the 700th re-telling of SEED Destiny? :p

[Weatherman]

Wow. So what are the Japanese going to do with the 50,000+ paper cranes they have coming over in boxes from Funi? This has to be majorly disapointign for Funi being that it's been one of their biggest non-TV shows.

[Grenzer]

Maybe he's busy recording the 700th re-telling of SEED Destiny? :p

No, more probably it's his recording of the 10,000th episode of Doraemon that keeping him from doing it. :p

[AstroNerdBoy]

I'm surprised that Takaya-sensei didn't approve of Daichi's adaptation. As manga adaptations go, Furuba is pretty darn good. I have more sypmathy for Tsuda-sensei's complaints on Kare Kano because she was going to take the manga to darker, unfunny places and so I understand her desire to not have the humor of her early volumes overshadow the drama.

As others have pointed out, most of the major character's seiyuu are still in action. Now what is this "came out of retirement to do the first season" business? I know some audio drama CD's were made before the anime (not unusual). So they hired some seiyuu for the audio CD's, then they mostly retired, but somehow got dragged away from the joys of retirement to do the anime? Weird.

Just out of curiousity, which seiyuu have retired?

As to the cast, should a 2nd series be produced, there will have to be at minimum, a VA change on the English side (the Japanese seiyuu for this character could remain the same). :sweat:

Anyway, Daichi has long stated he has no interest in doing a 2nd series. I also suspect that the Japanese may not be interested in making a 2nd series just because some gaijin want it.

[Ben]

Well, considering the saturation of the market, "some gaijin" are the only reason the anime industry doesn't implode on itself. That gives us a smidge of a say in what gets made.

[Karl Olson]

Well, considering the saturation of the market, "some gaijin" are the only reason the anime industry doesn't implode on itself. That gives us a smidge of a say in what gets made.


Bingo. Without the US money in the anime market, the variety of stuff that's currently being cranked out would collapse. IG wouldn't have money to make stuff like Windy Tales if they weren't already sloshing in cash from the Ghost in the Shell properties, Gonzo wouldn't be cranking 8 new titles per season, and Rondo Robe probably would never hired ABe again after Lain.

[AstroNerdBoy]

Well, considering the saturation of the market, "some gaijin" are the only reason the anime industry doesn't implode on itself. That gives us a smidge of a say in what gets made.

I don't disagree. However, without being disrespectful to the Japanese, they can be a pretty racist country (and I say this and still love Japan just the same). Yes, they've taken money for co-production of titles, but I still strongly believe that for Furuba, there are enough important Japanese people who aren't going to be convinced by cranes, even if they were made from large yen denominations. Even if FUNimation paid for the whole production, I can see the Japanese getting irked that we gaijin would dare tell them to make a 2nd series of Furuba, even if it made them a ton of cash.

This may be a stretch, but I see this same attitude in the massive delays FUNimation has experienced with Slayers because the Japanese can't be bothered to send the right materials over. Ditto TM!R OAV 3.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Corporations are corporations.

They're businessmen first and Japanese people second. If a second season of Fruba would make money(which it especially would if Funimation footed most of the bill), they'd be all for it.

And the manga-ka's displeasure with Daichi's adaption is baffling to me.

[Ben]

This may be a stretch

Ya think? Yikes. Making fun of Koreans occasionally is one thing. If a Japanese company were convinced they would make large amounts of money on a possible project they would do it just the same as any other company would. If they're hesitant to make another season of Fruits Basket maybe it's because there are too many risks involved (many of which are in fact detailed in this thread). That is, they'd have to get a new director, probably a mostly new staff, new VAs for certain roles and take the series in a different direction at the demand of the manga-ka. That sounds like waaaay less than a surefire deal.

[Weatherman]

Corporations are corporations.

They're businessmen first and Japanese people second. If a second season of Fruba would make money(which it especially would if Funimation footed most of the bill), they'd be all for it.

And the manga-ka's displeasure with Daichi's adaption is baffling to me.

And yet the Japanese business community can still be a strange beast to contend with, at least when compared to the American system. There are times that logic just doesn't seem to apply..:shrug:

[Ryan227]

As to the cast, should a 2nd series be produced, there will have to be at minimum, a VA change on the English side (the Japanese seiyuu for this character could remain the same). :sweat:

Why do people always say this English VA would have to change but not the Japanese one, unless I'm wrong (which I really, really, really could be) the Japanese seiyuu was the same gender as the english VA so wouldn't they both have to be changed?

I heard that Natsuki doesn't even approve of people making doujinshi of her characters even though she used to make doujinshi herself so yeah she seems sort of... I'm not suprised she doesn't approve of the anime adaptation. I don't really care about a second season of Fruits Basket, I enjoyed the first one but I don't think it really needs another season. If they do make a second one I think they should wait until the manga ends which shouldn't be too long now.

[Duke]

Why do people always say this English VA would have to change but not the Japanese one, unless I'm wrong (which I really, really, really could be) the Japanese seiyuu was the same gender as the english VA so wouldn't they both have to be changed?
Not necessarily. Yuki's Japanese VA was female, but his English VA is male.

I heard that Natsuki doesn't even approve of people making doujinshi of her characters even though she used to make doujinshi herself so yeah she seems sort of... I'm not suprised she doesn't approve of the anime adaptation. I don't really care about a second season of Fruits Basket, I enjoyed the first one but I don't think it really needs another season. If they do make a second one I think they should wait until the manga ends which shouldn't be too long now.[/quote]

[Ryan227]

Not necessarily. Yuki's Japanese VA was female, but his English VA is male.
No I think he was talking about another character. And then I was replying to that, I was going to put who it was in a spoiler but I won't because if you know you know if you don't I don't want to ruin it... :sweat:

[purplehairedwonder]

Why do people always say this English VA would have to change but not the Japanese one, unless I'm wrong (which I really, really, really could be) the Japanese seiyuu was the same gender as the english VA so wouldn't they both have to be changed?
The Japanese VA was a lot more ambiguous for that character as opposed to the English VA.

I am a bit surprised that Natsuki was displeased with Daichi's adaptation as well. It was almost exactly except for a few tweaks... and the ending of course. Otherwise, spot on.

[AstroNerdBoy]

Corporations are corporations.

They're businessmen first and Japanese people second. If a second season of Fruba would make money(which it especially would if Funimation footed most of the bill), they'd be all for it.
Yeah. My experience with Japanese people says no. Heck, even in my own company, our Japanese division does things their own way. For all of the other overseas departments we deal with, including other Asian countries, things are done a certain way and my department has to talk with theirs on the phone from time-to-time -- in English. The Japanese informed us that they would not be speaking to anyone in English, via phone, instant message, or e-mail. So even if every server died, or if their entire network went down, it was "oh well." Down servers and networks cost money, but the Japanese weren't concerned over that as much as they were over having to hire English-speaking people to do the job. Even though the other Asian countries had English-speaking people on their staffs to do this, the Japanese didn't, wouldn't, and astonishingly got an exemption.

So logically, what you say makes sense, but the reality is not so clear in Japan. Nationalism, which I'm not knocking, runs strong in Japan. Try to buy some property there sometime as a non-Japanese person. ^_^


And the manga-ka's displeasure with Daichi's adaption is baffling to me.

Me to. I'd love to ask her why.


If a Japanese company were convinced they would make large amounts of money on a possible project they would do it just the same as any other company would. If they're hesitant to make another season of Fruits Basket maybe it's because there are too many risks involved (many of which are in fact detailed in this thread). That is, they'd have to get a new director, probably a mostly new staff, new VAs for certain roles and take the series in a different direction at the demand of the manga-ka. That sounds like waaaay less than a surefire deal.
Those other reasons give them official excuses not to proceed. However, if the project is fully funded by another company willing to take the risk (say FUNimation), than the risk falls on the funder not the Japanese. The series may not be as big a hit in Japan, but since FUNi would have the same English VA cast, it wouldn't change things here.

Besides, of all the excuses, the only legitimate one (if there is full funding as has been reported) is the manga-ka's concerns. There are plenty of series who get staff changes, and a few that get entire new animation companies to take over the series (most recently Negima!, but also when Gonzo lost the Full Metal Panic franchise). While the Japanese don't change seiyuu that often for parts, even that does happen from time-to-time. The seiyuu for Sayoko in the two Ah! My Goddess TV series is different from the one in the original OAV.


And yet the Japanese business community can still be a strange beast to contend with, at least when compared to the American system. There are times that logic just doesn't seem to apply..:shrug:
Exactly...and I mentioned an example earlier in this post. And I'd like to again say that I'm not bashing the Japanese. They can do as they like. Further, I love Japanese culture (as I think I've well documented), but that doesn't mean I don't ignore certain "realities" of Japanese society. :)


I heard that Natsuki doesn't even approve of people making doujinshi of her characters even though she used to make doujinshi herself so yeah she seems sort of... I'm not suprised she doesn't approve of the anime adaptation. I don't really care about a second season of Fruits Basket, I enjoyed the first one but I don't think it really needs another season. If they do make a second one I think they should wait until the manga ends which shouldn't be too long now.
Considering the Furuba doujinshi that I've seen, maybe she just doesn't like seeing her characters engaged in all that sexual stuff. :sweat:

As to a 2nd series/season for the anime, the only reason I started reading the manga was because when the series ended, it was pretty clear that the story wasn't over. I know Daichi's attitude was "Its over" but my first thought was, "What about the rooster and the horse?" Clearly if you introduce 10 of 12 zodiac members, one would think the ongoing story would have them in it (which it does). Then there was the whole curse thing, which the anime doesn't resolve.


The Japanese VA was a lot more ambiguous for that character as opposed to the English VA.
Exactly, which is why the Japanese wouldn't have to change seiyuu.

[Ben]

Yeah. My experience with Japanese people says no. Heck, even in my own company, our Japanese division does things their own way. For all of the other overseas departments we deal with, including other Asian countries, things are done a certain way and my department has to talk with theirs on the phone from time-to-time -- in English. The Japanese informed us that they would not be speaking to anyone in English, via phone, instant message, or e-mail. So even if every server died, or if their entire network went down, it was "oh well." Down servers and networks cost money, but the Japanese weren't concerned over that as much as they were over having to hire English-speaking people to do the job.

I dunno, have you met many English-speaking people (i.e. Americans)? They're all psycho crazy. :p Seriously, though, Americans are notoriously unwilling to adapt themselves to new social work environments. The attitude, even among Americans who think of themselves as open-minded, is that they know the best way to do things and that everyone should change to accomodate them. Keep in mind that I'm speaking in enormous generalities here, but putting an American into an Asian workplace is a much bigger deal than putting an Asian into an American workplace, because in general Asians will wait and see what's expected and Americans will loudly declare what they like and what they don't. Advantages and disadvantages to both sides, and I'll admit there are many times when the Asian work culture has frustrated me, but you can't call it irrational just because it irritates you or you don't understand it.

Considering how important social cohesion is to Japanese companies, it's not surprising many would rather solve problems themselves than have to bring an American into their "zone." The same thing happens all the time here in Korea, and, I'm sure, in Singapore and Hong Kong. The difference is that tons of Koreans can speak excellent English, whereas not many Japanese can. Besides, I'm sure the Japanese are perfectly capable of fixing their servers without your help, even if it takes a little longer.

There is logic to Japanese corporate culture. It's just a different logic than you're used to.


So logically, what you say makes sense, but the reality is not so clear in Japan. Nationalism, which I'm not knocking, runs strong in Japan. Try to buy some property there sometime as a non-Japanese person. ^_^

Again, these problems apply to almost all Asian countries and are not unique to Japan.


Those other reasons give them official excuses not to proceed. However, if the project is fully funded by another company willing to take the risk (say FUNimation), than the risk falls on the funder not the Japanese. The series may not be as big a hit in Japan, but since FUNi would have the same English VA cast, it wouldn't change things here.

A bad second season could still affect the Japanese company regardless of who's paying for it, in that it could reduce the financial power of the franchise and reduce the value of anything else the company decides to do with the license in the future. Remember, Activision sued Paramount a few years ago, arguing that a string of bad Star Trek movies and series had reduced the monetary value of the Star Trek video game license below what Activision had paid for it. They settled out of court IIRC.


Besides, of all the excuses, the only legitimate one (if there is full funding as has been reported) is the manga-ka's concerns. There are plenty of series who get staff changes, and a few that get entire new animation companies to take over the series (most recently Negima!, but also when Gonzo lost the Full Metal Panic franchise). While the Japanese don't change seiyuu that often for parts, even that does happen from time-to-time.

I remember agreeing with that earlier in the thread. All that proves is that often Japanese companies are willing to accept the risk of changing VAs in some cases. It doesn't prove that changing VAs isn't a risk.


Exactly...and I mentioned an example earlier in this post. And I'd like to again say that I'm not bashing the Japanese. They can do as they like. Further, I love Japanese culture (as I think I've well documented), but that doesn't mean I don't ignore certain "realities" of Japanese society. :)

I think you mean that you don't ignore the realities of Japanese society. Double-negatives are treacherous beasts.