Quote:
Originally Posted by Kayin
Have the Japanese ever considered stopping the show entirely so they could let the manga have time to move forward? Series like this seem to go on year round while other series like Code Geass actually have breaks while they work on the second season.
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No, they don't consider stopping the show. There are reasons for that... though I personally think they are bad reasons.
One of the main considerations is that they'll lose their primetime tv slot. Unlike in the US (and other places), the people who make programs have to compete with each other for time slots on TV stations. Since Bleach has a slot in prime time, as soon as they cease airing, someone else will snap it up. Then when Bleach resumes airing again, they'll have to wait for a time slot to open before they can take it. Odds are that they'll be relegated to late night while waiting for a chance. Or else they'll have to offer a lot of money and make deals in back rooms to get the slot. If you think this sounds like an insane way to create a TV schedule, I agree. However, this is how it is done in Japan, so they're afraid to relinquish their grip over Bleach's timeslot.
Another consideration is the fact that they make a lot of money from merchanising. If they stop creating new episodes of Bleach, then they'll stop selling merchandise as people stop thinking about it. The only way to be hot is to not let your property get cold.
A final thing to consider is that re-runs are not very common on Japanese TV. If they tried to put re-runs of Bleach on TV to keep their timeslot, then people would tune out just as if they went off the air. Re-runs just aren't part of their standard TV fare, so folks will feel gipped by them.