|
What's "directly aimed at Americans"? Afro Samurai, Supernatural, Highlander, and the Marvel adaptations qualify as such products.
However, titles such as Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell were made for the Japanese and were even successful within that market. Let's not forget that it's the Japanese market that has narrowed (shoving most shows into late night slots doesn't help) and that the issue of taste isn't as clearcut (i.e. show appealing to Japanese tastes vs show appealing to western tastes) as some make it out to be. In the long run, focusing too much on a handful of niches is a good way of driving the industry into irrelevancy.
It's risky for producers to try different genres when the customer base is uncertain. However, if success in overseas markets (somehow, someway.....) can help sustain such productions, the home market only benefits. Given enough time, the market could even broaden again, which is what creators and producers both want.
|