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Would work:

-Michiko & Hatchin. How this hasn't been licensed utterly boggles my mind. Like, I can only assume that there's some kind of legal hang up. That seems like the only plausible explanation.

-Dennou Coil. This show has great potential to me because it would be a real crossover hit. It offers a little something for everyone. Boys and girls, young fans and old. I think everyone can enjoy this show.

-Fate/Zero. Yeah, this show can be a bit dense at times but overall it's largely action oriented and would be a wonderful licensing choice. Give it a proper release with a dub and a cheap price tag.

I'd still like to think would work:

-Tatami Galaxy. If House of Five Leaves (which me and like...two other people actually seem to like) can work then surely this can work. Surely the fanbase is relatively small but it's pretty dedicated. As much as I'd like it to though, it definitely shouldn't get a dub. A NISA release though? Yeah.

Probably wouldn't work:

-Kaiba. An art style that just won't jive with what most consumers want. It's way too cartoonish which tends to lead people to dismiss shows. Maybe it could still support a NISA style release but at this point, after this long, I really have to question just how many fans this show has. At least Tatami is a bit more recent.

Absolutely wouldn't work:

-Kaiji. Great show. Also an art style that absolutely guarantees it would never succeed in the US in a million years.

-Trapeze. There's niche and then there's super niche and then there's Trapeze.

EireformContinent wrote:

(and Church doesn't support piracy:))

I dunno. What about when Jesus fed the 5000 by duplicating a single loaf of bread? If you ask me, Jesus was the original file sharer Wink

Let's see...

Would work:
-Macross Frontier- If the ugly legal matters between Japanese and American rights holders with the Macross franchise were nonexistent, this series would be a gold mine for whichever anime distributor had rights to it as it is the most recent chapter of the Macross saga; sports a slick visual and aural presentation; and has the typical mix of music, mecha and a love triangle that Macross fans are saps for.
-Michiko to Hatchin- Would be a definite hit to American fans thanks to its Western influences. Like ikillchicken, it's surprising to me this has yet to be picked up by anyone.
-Aoi Bungaku Series- Could likely be a random niche title for licensors like Sentai and Rightstuf to pick up. Would be a treat for those who like psychological thriller and suspense coming from many of the stories in this anthology series.
-Bakemonogatari- The Gatari franchise is a hit among many online fans. Quite surprised no one has picked up the series yet.
-Berserk film trilogy- With how well received the series is here in the West, the trilogy would be a shoe-in for any Western licensor to pick up.
-Mawaru Penguindrum- Drama, comedy, tragedy, romance, mind-bending symbolism, bright and vivid visuals, penguins, a powerful and energetic soundtrack. There's plenty in the series that would hook in fans to buy it.

Wouldn't work:
-Bartender- While I did personally enjoy this original gem, I'm well aware that the premise for this is way too niche to appeal to many anime fans.
-Kemonozume- While it has a well-told mature story of the struggles Toshiko and Yuka have with advancing their relationship and the former's family due to Yuka's status as a monster, the crude animation style would be a big turn-off to many fans.

Unlicensed favorites that would be successful? There's one I can think of....
Sailor Moon.
I think it would do pretty well. Very Happy

Wouldn't Work:
Various old Rumiko Takahashi OVAs like Fire Tripper and One Pound Gospel. I really want these to come over, but even with Rumiko's big name, they're just too old and unknown.

My 'would work's

Macross Zero: This OVA seriously needs a US Blu-Ray release with subtitles...Eye candy, audio candy, and cool aerial battles. Not the top 'realistic' combat title aircraft (Yukikaze takes that) but it's high on adrenaline and cinematographic sequences. Beautiful MATURE looking character designs and a story that works. It's a shame it has yet to be released with subtitles...
PROS: Astounding visuals and excellent character designs, even 10 years after it's initial release. Well told story and an exciting watch.
CONS: None that are worth a mention.

Viper's Creed: More mature and action orientated than Rideback while still feeling like a similar show. I think while not a huge success, Rideback was still well received.
PROS: Very good CGi mecha designs by probably the top mecha designer in the industry IMO. Good action right from the first episode and the show is more on the serious side of things. Plot feels like it could have somewhat come from the GITS franchise but not as deep.
Cons: Character designs are okay, nothing special. Repeated stock footage sequences. Plot feels like it could have somewhat come from the GITS franchise but not as deep.

My "I want it to work" title but it may not...
Capeta: I know Initial D has a big north american following, well imagine a show with a little better character and CG vehicle designs that is about racing. First Season may not work as well for the Initial D crowd as it's about when they are kids. Second season is more akin to Intial D character ages when Capeta switches from karts to formula cars.
PROS: The best anime about car racing that has been made - PERIOD. You grow with the main character as he goes from a youngster whose traffic construction working father introduces him to karting to a young adult who is one of the top national formula racing drivers...
CONS: Season 1 while good in story and character development, may appeal more to a younger crowd than the target audience because of the more rounded/cute character designs.

I looked into the Japanese release of Capeta but ~$1300 (if you could find all the discs too) and no subtitles to boot kinda killed it for me...might just have to get the manga...

EireformContinent wrote:

EricJ wrote:

EireformContinent wrote:

-Matsumoto Queen Millennia movie- brings nostalgia about naive yet fascinating SF.

Queen Millenia (coming out on fansub, one episode every six months?)....nnnot so much of the instantly cult-addictive power.
Gives away its "surprise" ending in the title screen spoiler[("A New Version of the Bamboo Princess")], and feels too much like an earthbound version of Tetsuo and Maetel, without the cool Anna Karenina dress

EricJ- you've lost the key word. Queen Millennia movie.

Well, like the Galaxy Express movie, it does save you a lot of time in watching the Series, but even so.

Tris8 wrote:

Unlicensed favorites that would be successful? There's one I can think of....
Sailor Moon.
I think it would do pretty well. Very Happy

Wouldn't Work:
Various old Rumiko Takahashi OVAs like Fire Tripper and One Pound Gospel. I really want these to come over, but even with Rumiko's big name, they're just too old and unknown.

Serious Rumiko was Inu-Yasha'ed to death in the US, and it ain't coming back. Confused

(But it would be nice to see some of the late-80's AnimEigo back and relicensed again, like Maris the Choujo/Supergal, Super Deformed Double Feature or the original Spirit of Wonder.
And on that subject, if we're going down the lost-license Sailor Moon road, a company brave enough to pick up more compact Dragonball-style season boxes of UY wouldn't be bad either...Better than hoping someone would finally try for a TV dub, now that everyone finally knows how to do it.

Would Work:

Bakemonogatari/Nisemonogatari- These are insanely popular both in Japan and elsewhere. I'm sure they would make someone a loads of cash.

King of Thorn- This is a pretty good sci-fi/horror movie with elements of a psychological thriller. I think this would probably sell.

Macross Frontier- An amazingly well animated installment related to a well-established and popular franchise with a great story.

Real Drive- This is another work by the creator of Ghost in the Shell and Appleseed. Those sold pretty well here and I believe this would too, being about similar subject matter.

What Might Not:

Denno Coil- I think this title is great but frankly a bit too niche to be financially successful. Never know 'til you try though...too bad nobody's willing to do that. Sad

Kemonozume- Also a great series but but as mentioned would be seriously hampered by it's unconventionally ugly animation style.

Library War- An excellent slice of life show with great characters and a bit of action now and then. Like Denno Coil though it's sort of a niche title that probably wouldn't sell that great.

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0- I don't know how many people would want to buy a natural disaster anime series, even though it was excellent. There's also the recent, real life, disaster last year in Japan that makes the series hit a bit too eerily close to home even as a resident of another nation.

Would work:

Hatsukoi Limited - Along the same lines as Amagami SS and KimiKiss, but I think it's so much better then those two.

Omamori Himari - Harem, ecchi and action. How many other shows fall under this trifecta. Seems like a no-brainer for Funi.

Lovely Complex - Fantastic Rom-Com with one of the best couples ever. I can't count how many times I laughed out loud with this show. If you've read the manga, it's spot on. It boggles my mind how this has been passed up for shows like Kimi no Todoke or Maid Sama. Come on somebody!

Wouldn't work:

KissxSis - Incest is a hard sell even if it is comedic, yet it had some genuinely hilarious episodes that made me squirm but also had me laughing on the floor with ease at the same time. Easy to dismiss for the subject matter, but so well done for what it is; a sex comedy that crosses over the line. If you're puritan give it a pass, if not, give it a try and try not to laugh so hard. I would faint if this ever were to be licensed, anime OR manga.

Nagasarete Airantou - So bizarre, yet isn't that why we love this stuff. A harem show with very colorful characters that's extremely sweet. It's only fault for some is it's 26 episode length and maybe that's why it hasn't been licensed. Yet, in my eyes, it fleshes out the characters wonderfully and when you get to the end it's so satisfying it's one of the few harem shows to get it right. Oh! Edo Rocket gets picked up but not this!? So wrong!

Chocotto Sister - I couldn't begin to describe this anime. You'll have to read the ANN plot summary and even with that it's a head scratcher. One part loveable, one part mysterious, one part weird. Only in Japan! A volcano would spit out ice cubes before this got licensed. Sigh! But damn, it's so effin' good and I'm glad I got to see it.

njprogfan wrote:

Would work:
Lovely Complex - Fantastic Rom-Com with one of the best couples ever. I can't count how many times I laughed out loud with this show. If you've read the manga, it's spot on. It boggles my mind how this has been passed up for shows like Kimi no Todoke or Maid Sama. Come on somebody!

One of the smartest, snarkier, AND more realistically sentimental date comedies out there.

Which leads me to ask: Just why did the streaming Animax dub of Nodame Cantabile's first season have to leave so soon? Sad

I'd be one of the first people in line if both Macross Zero, and Macross Frontier were to get a domestic release! Sadly, I know that's a pipe dream due to the legal mess that Macross is currently in, so I'll have to settle for the Japanese releases.

Too bad there's no legal loophole that would allow Big West and Bandai to override Harmony Gold's trademark of the Macross name in the US.

I'm just glad for our AU friends who have answered the call for a great many titles on my unlicensed wish list.

So, I'll look a bit further to the unlicensed-anywhere shows, mostly the recent ones (since "it's old" is an easy way of saying 'won't be successful')

Kemonozume - To complete the Masaaki Yuasa TV trilogy of awesomeness. This show might have a hard time finding an audience, because it's just so weird.

Heartcatch Precure - This one could be a big hit, and has TV-potential.

Comet-san - Even for magical girl shows, I think that this one's a hard sell, since it isn't action-focused.

Mawaru Penguindrum - There's no reason why this one wouldn't be successful.

Kaiji - Those noses. If it's a hard sell, even in Japan, and it's about Pachinko... I give this one a snowball's chance in, well, a very hot place. Probably southern Arizona.

Popolocrois - Eh... As a story, it's fine, but I can't see the art style being very popular. I know that I put off watching it because of the character designs.

Future Boy Conan - Ok, it's old, but this title needs to come out here. If it did... well, the art is really dated, but the story is timeless.

I'd recommend they go for Ginban Kaleidoscope. They'd get sports, comedy and romance all in the same show. It would make for a fun dub and at 12 episodes it's not a huge commitment.

If I were going by my heart...I'd push them to get Mokke. A release with some extras telling about the traditional folklore/spirits could make a few waves. I don't know if it would be a success but at least I'd finally get to own it Anime smile

Would work:
Minami-ke - There's really no reason why this was never licensed as far as I know. It has a lot of fans and Sentai seems to have gone after almost every SoL comedy.
Yondemasu yo, Azazel-san - I'd like to think that since Dokuro-chan and Punie-chan sold well enough for Media Blasters to dub them, then Azazel-san is an obvious pick conisdering it's the same type of dark comedy and has the same director.
Time of Eve - Yes, it's on iTunes, but it has no physical release. One would be quite successful as it is an acclaimed film/ONA (I'd prefer the movie being licensed).
Nodame Cantabile - Okay, it would work if you go past the music licensing stuff and Sony (I think it's Sony right?) not wanting it on anything other than that Crackle site.
Tatami Galaxy - Maybe I'm giving North American fans too much credit with this, but I think there is a place for intelligent anime. Maybe not enough for a dubbed release, but certainly something sub-only like Siren Visual's sets.
Sayonara Zetsubou-sensei - Media Blasters licensed this and then never did anything with it. I have no idea why. Maybe because there aren't a lot of boobs or something. But yeah, again, a sub-only set would be profitable.
Usagi Drop - Heartwarming show about raising a kid? Yep, that'll sell.
Skip Beat! - The manga is consistently in the top 10 US manga sales list for the week it is released so I don't really get why this was never licensed.
Shugo Chara - This along with Skip Beat is always on the first page of Crunchyroll's anime list when sorted by popularity. Seriously, why was this never licensed?

Wouldn't work
Bokurano - Narutaru was a flop. This would be as well.
Kaiba - As witty the social commentary and satire is, the animation is far too different for it to have any sort of supporting fanbase.
Saki - Mahjong anime? Yeah, that will never sell.
Chihayafuru - Karuta anime? Yeah, that will never sell.
Major (first season only) - Little league baseball anime? Yeah, that will never sell.
Zoids Chaotic Century - Really want to own this on DVD, but it just never had that big of a fanbase and Viz lost the license eons ago.
Mononoke - Too artistically bizarre

njprogfan wrote:

Lovely Complex - Fantastic Rom-Com with one of the best couples ever. I can't count how many times I laughed out loud with this show. If you've read the manga, it's spot on. It boggles my mind how this has been passed up for shows like Kimi no Todoke or Maid Sama. Come on somebody!

There are worse shoujo romcoms that have been licensed, that's for sure.

Would work:
Seitokai Yakuindomo: If Yamada made it, this one should be next. The rise of the lustfull woman in comedy, I'm all for it. And I love Hata, she's just so focused.
Mayoi Neko Overrun: I don't know where to start with this one. Perverted extreme comedy produced by a series of different directors. I'd say it was trying too hard if it didn't work.
Ladies versus Butlers: You know what most ecchi/harem comedies are missing? Nudity. Sometimes comedy. This one has both.
Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko: Do you feel isolated, like you don't fit in? Then this show's for you. Shaft's most underrated work.
A Bridge to the Starry Skies: You know all those romance Shonen dramatic animes that Sentai's been licensing? This is like those but but better structured with actual romantic tension done in a good thirteen episodes.
I don't like you at all, Big Brother: What I love about this show is not how it depicts relationships but how it depicts fetishes. It's borderline, it's so borderline...
Yuruyuri: No, you didn't see this title listed here, move along. {Yuruyuri, woo!}
Potemayo: It's wierd but not just wierd in a Japanese way.

Wouldn't work

Potemayo: It's wierd.
GA and Sketchbook: It's Hidamari Sketch, only not done by Shaft.
Yosuga no Sora: Kiss X Sis is a incest anime, that's so funny. I'd love to see someone try to release this one. Dramatic, not really comedy and there's little romance, it's just trash. It's not bad, it's just not much.
Myself, Yourself: Another dramatic romance like True Tears but it's just too simple. Yawn.
Kodomo no Jikan: It's a great show, I'll say that and move on.
Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu: The mating dance of the beautiful, outgoing, wealthy female Otaku so talk about wishful thinking. It has to be seen for that scene about Dokuro-Chan but that's it.
Hanamaru Youchien: It's funny, it's well animated so what's wrong? It's a show aimed at adults about kindergartners. Wait, there's more. It's a Japanense show about kindergartners aimed at adults. "Oh, it's one of those kind of shows..."
Hyakko: A female focused high school comedy that doesn't have them moe-fied so they actual look like high schoolers? It'll never work as it has no audience. It was good but that doesn't matter.
Kanon: Both Clannad and Air adaptations were licensed but there's a reason this turkey won't fly. Well, not that turkeys fly...

Quote:

Usagi Drop - Heartwarming show about raising a kid? Yep, that'll sell.

That's not the Bunny Drop I know. Is there more than one?

Animegomaniac wrote:

Would work:
Seitokai Yakuindomo: If Yamada made it, this one should be next. The rise of the lustfull woman in comedy, I'm all for it. And I love Hata, she's just so focused.

Unfortunately I think this isn't the case. It's not the perversion that's the problem, or the hilarious characters. It's the fact that it is packed with Japanese specific jokes, more than usual, especially very frequent word puns.... Even with on screen notes some of them are hard to understand... like the "Santa's Semen" joke? If it got a dub it would have to be a very creative one and a sub would probably have to include translation notes.

Animegomaniac wrote:

I don't like you at all, Big Brother: What I love about this show is not how it depicts relationships but how it depicts fetishes. It's borderline, it's so borderline...

It's also ugly. How does it fit into the "would work" category again?

Quote:

Yuruyuri: No, you didn't see this title listed here, move along. {Yuruyuri, woo!}

Unfortunately yuri titles almost never get licensed for R1. Of course, that just works in its favor should it be an exception(read: somebody lighten my goddamn wallet already).

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Unlicensed favourites -- which would/wouldn't be successful?