[ultimatemegax]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

So what about shows with good/great characters that don't sell well?

I'm sure most, if not all, of us can think of anime shows that fit this description (had great characters but didn't sell well). In fact, I can think of many shows with great characters that didn't sell well.

Of course. There are many shows with great characters that don't sell well. What I said was fans buy shows with characters they like. I should have clarified that they form a connection with those characters, but I left that portion out. It's the connection with those characters which allow for the mass sale of merchandise for them. As much as I like characters like Koizumi and Hisa, they're not seen as able to form a connection with in Japan like others in those shows (Yuki/Yuuki).

Originally Posted by Triple_R

On the other hand...

Brightly-colored, anatomically-correct moe done to top-notch animation: There's a consistent pattern of shows of this overall visual appeal/style selling well.

So I think that visuals do matter. A lot.

I think others have added some good points in here. I'd also add that while the first season of Saki sold well, it was very poorly animated. The currently airing Achiga has much better animation (besides being in HD), but it will not likely sell nearly as well as the first season. Why? Most likely a lack of connection with the characters.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Much of this is pretty subjective. I personally agree 80% or more with your assessment of the strengths of these shows, but still, I know loads of anime fans that would disagree with you on at least one of these shows.

But what is less subjective is a basic description of a particular artistic style, and high animation quality.

"Brightly colored anatomically-correct moe done to top-notch animation" is pretty objective. If a show has that, people will be able to see it. It's mostly objective - A show either has this visual style or it doesn't.

My observation is that shows with this visual style have a considerable tendency to sell well. That observation still stands as far as I can see.

The problem with this line of thinking is that more and more shows are being animated well, have "anatomically-correct moe", and won't sell. I'd be shocked if Acchi Kocchi or Kore wa Zombie sold well this season and they both have that in agreement (though the plots are different).

The other problem is that purchasing a show is highly subjective. There are many shows that I like or that appeal to me, but that I won't purchase due to budgetary reasons. Thus I have to prioritize, like the fans in Japan, and people prioritize differently. That's the subjective nature of sales.