Interest
Anime Producer Explains the Business of Greenlighting Sequels
posted on by Kim Morrissy
"What are the requirements for greenlighting an anime sequel? How can fans (politely) get their voices heard?"
Anime producer Masuo Ueda answered these questions and more when he appeared on JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable and Knights of the Zodiac: Saint Seiya character designer Terumi Nishii's YouTube channel in a video posted last Friday. The video has English subtitles.
Ueda explained that when it comes to anime adaptations, a sequel can't be created without the permission of the original creator, but it's better for fans to contact anime production companies over publishers. Companies are perfectly receptive to letters and emails submitted through their online forms, as long as they aren't disruptive to the business. Companies are also increasingly using social media for market research and to gauge interest, although this can sometimes backfire.
He also mentioned that although sequels are almost impossible to greenlight if the previous anime did not make a profit, certain titles and brands can be rebooted later, when the market demographics have changed. He brought up Fate/stay night as an example of a series that wasn't a massive financial success with its original anime adaptation, but later became a lot more successful thanks to a new anime.
Although he is no longer involved with Sunrise, Ueda expressed his personal hope that the City Hunter: Shinjuku Private Eyes anime film will get a sequel. From his understanding, the film made a profit, and he would like to see the production committee give back to the fans once more.
Ueda began working at Nippon Sunrise (now known as Sunrise) in 1979, then began working at Aniplex in 2003. He became president and CEO of A-1 Pictures in 2010. He left Aniplex in 2017. He is a representative and planning producer for Skyfall, LLC.
