Inspired by the Marvel series of the same name, I wanted to create one similar for anime. In this case, it would be for anime series that had the potential to take off in the west, but didn't due to various reasons. Let me do 3 examples:
1. The Vision of Escaflowne/Escaflowne: So this show was originally licensed by Bandai Entertainment back in the day and it did get a tv airing but it aired on FOX Kids in America and YTV in Canada. Because it aired on FOX Kids, the show was heavily edited. The first episode was skipped, music was mostly replaced and it didn't even get a full run on the block because it got cancelled(it did finish it's run on YTV). The "what if" in this case is what if the show aired on Toonami instead of FOX Kids? For those who don't know, Toonami actually tried to acquire the show for the block but were outbid by FOX Kids. I really wish they got it, I think the show would have been a huge success on the block and the show would be even more fondly remembered than what it is right now.
2. One Piece: This one has been done before many times but I might as well bring it up again. One of the biggest anime series of all time, it looked poised to have a similar level of success in America but as we know, 4Kids licensed the show and did it's "magic" to it. It looked like it might have gone the DBZ route of success, as the reruns on Toonami were doing well and then Funimation rescued the license and started dubbing the show during the Skypiea arc. Just as thing were turning around, the original Toonami got cancelled and One Piece was off the air until the Toonami revival on Adult Swim. But they controversially decided to continue the run from where they last left off versus starting from the beginning and after a couple years, the show was taken off the air. The "what if" in this case is what if Funimation had gotten the license first before 4Kids did? While I don't know if it would have reached DBZ-levels, One Piece would have been perfect for the weekday Toonami run. Obviously, the series is popular in America but it's never reached the levels like it did for DBZ, Naruto, Bleach, or Demon Slayer.
3. Mobile Suit Gundam: This scenario is interesting. So of course, the Gundam franchise has been very popular for decades but the original series was brought here to America after the major success of Gundam Wing on Toonami. MSG did ok on it's initial Toonami run but the series never completed its run due to the events of 9/11. The final two episodes were aired on New Year's Day at midnight. What hampered the show was that it was already 22 years at that point in 2001, so the animation was dated. The "what if" in this case is what if the show came to America in the 1980's? I dunno if it's true or not, but I thought I read somewhere that Carl Macek(the man who helped popularize Robotech) and Harmony Gold were thinking about bringing over MSG but couldn't get the rights to it. But imagine if they did? I think the show would have definitely taken off and be as fondly remembered as Robotech and Voltron. And even if they wanted to combine shows for American syndication, they could have easily done it with Zeta Gundam and ZZ Gundam and it would have worked since they were continuations of each other.
Anyone else have any examples of anime that just missed out? It doesn't have to be limited to America, it could be another country.
1. The Vision of Escaflowne/Escaflowne: So this show was originally licensed by Bandai Entertainment back in the day and it did get a tv airing but it aired on FOX Kids in America and YTV in Canada. Because it aired on FOX Kids, the show was heavily edited. The first episode was skipped, music was mostly replaced and it didn't even get a full run on the block because it got cancelled(it did finish it's run on YTV). The "what if" in this case is what if the show aired on Toonami instead of FOX Kids? For those who don't know, Toonami actually tried to acquire the show for the block but were outbid by FOX Kids. I really wish they got it, I think the show would have been a huge success on the block and the show would be even more fondly remembered than what it is right now.
2. One Piece: This one has been done before many times but I might as well bring it up again. One of the biggest anime series of all time, it looked poised to have a similar level of success in America but as we know, 4Kids licensed the show and did it's "magic" to it. It looked like it might have gone the DBZ route of success, as the reruns on Toonami were doing well and then Funimation rescued the license and started dubbing the show during the Skypiea arc. Just as thing were turning around, the original Toonami got cancelled and One Piece was off the air until the Toonami revival on Adult Swim. But they controversially decided to continue the run from where they last left off versus starting from the beginning and after a couple years, the show was taken off the air. The "what if" in this case is what if Funimation had gotten the license first before 4Kids did? While I don't know if it would have reached DBZ-levels, One Piece would have been perfect for the weekday Toonami run. Obviously, the series is popular in America but it's never reached the levels like it did for DBZ, Naruto, Bleach, or Demon Slayer.
3. Mobile Suit Gundam: This scenario is interesting. So of course, the Gundam franchise has been very popular for decades but the original series was brought here to America after the major success of Gundam Wing on Toonami. MSG did ok on it's initial Toonami run but the series never completed its run due to the events of 9/11. The final two episodes were aired on New Year's Day at midnight. What hampered the show was that it was already 22 years at that point in 2001, so the animation was dated. The "what if" in this case is what if the show came to America in the 1980's? I dunno if it's true or not, but I thought I read somewhere that Carl Macek(the man who helped popularize Robotech) and Harmony Gold were thinking about bringing over MSG but couldn't get the rights to it. But imagine if they did? I think the show would have definitely taken off and be as fondly remembered as Robotech and Voltron. And even if they wanted to combine shows for American syndication, they could have easily done it with Zeta Gundam and ZZ Gundam and it would have worked since they were continuations of each other.
Anyone else have any examples of anime that just missed out? It doesn't have to be limited to America, it could be another country.
