Aaeru: For the fans in 2008, there was little doubt. A Little Busters’ anime adaptation would soon come to light and that light was going to be KyoAni (i.e. Kyoto Animation)… or so they thought… but far from it. Because KyoAni ended up announcing K-ON! and ever since, an LB anime has not come to pass and almost feels like it never will.
So what happened? Why does a 300,000 strong Mega-Hit game like Little Busters not get the anime treatment? How is that even possible?
And so on the 23rd of November Vava, the president of Visual Art’s spoke at Kyoto University to answer why. Here is a selected transcript of what he said (including some questions he answered on twitter. I have removed all spoilers):
Vava Reason 1. repetition is the problem. In Little Busters, repetition of their daily lives is a structurally integral motif that runs through the story.
Vava: Since then our staff have come up with a solution… but we can’t tell you the solution because it would be a spoiler. So here’s the hint: ”all I can say is that it requires a conciliation between viewers who know the ‘Secret to the world’ and those viewers who do not.”
Vava Reason 2. negotiations broke down with Kyoto Animation. Because Kyoto Animation esteems itself in the creation of very high quality works, they are sworn only to animate one project at a time. But at that particular time their line-up was already booked out by Pony Canyon and Kadokawa.
Vava: Because we lost KyoAni, we felt (insecure) about handing out our franchise to another studio. (implied: and so we rejected all other proposals) Nowadays I am fully aware of the fact that there are other studios out there who are capable of carrying our franchise.
Vava: Anime adaptations of bishoujo-games used to result in inferior products. In fact I didn’t particularly like them. (Vava cites Kanon’s first anime to which he said: “Please stop making these awful adaptations of our games!” He pleaded.) but now they do not. Anime technology have grown leaps and bounds. In fact now they are able to go beyond the original work.
At present the project is on-hold and under active consideration. Its reality really hinges on the amount of fan support they can get. Fans are advised to write letters to Key urging them to reconsider about an LB anime. Please write! Even 10 letters will do a bit to sway their feelings. Vava in person has expressed that he is willing.
Soon after, several producers got together during the after-party to do a very informal video. There was: 鳥羽洋典 (Aniplex), 轟P (FW previously Bandai)、Yamanaka (King Records)、Kawase (Warner Bros) as well as numerous other heads of animation studios such as Yamakan.
鳥羽洋典 (Aniplex): It was during a time when Vava tweeted daily, saying: “Is Little Busters anime ready to go yet?” “Is Angel Beats the game ready to go yet?”
From the way Vava spoke, Angel Beats game was still in very early stages and at that time nobody had claimed Little Busters yet. So I figured 11 to 18 million per episode x 13 plus airing fees = between 3 to 4 hundred million. Given Little Busters sold 300 thousand copies…
…at that point I knew I had my mind set. This is doable! Let’s do it!… So we raced to claim the project before anyone else does… but in the end we couldn’t arrange a team that was strong enough for Key. (implied: Key declined us.)
Yamanaka (King Records):
When asked if he knew what LB was: “I know Little Busters. I was there in person during the Kud Wafter launch.”
When asked if he knew why LB has no anime: ”Huh? Why is LB not an anime yet? Uhh… didn’t they do Kanon and Air already so LB should’ve been done ages ago… in fact I have no idea why, so let me move aside…”
川瀬浩平 (Warner Bros): “Why LB is not an anime… well that is one of the 7 mysteries of this industry! (laughs) Maybe it’s got to do with ownership of rights, money, business and personal relationships, in fact it’s got nothing to do with that, it’s not a business problem at all it’s that the thing is hard to make into anime but in the end I think it’s money (laughs)”
From here on the producers continued their discussion. Unfortunately they were too far from the mic so the rest could not be heard properly.
Other fragments heard:
“Kyoto Animation’s insistence on their one-project-at-a-time philosophy is a hurdle for us, what can we do to overcome this limitation in the future…”
“We really should have gotten together at that time and spoken about this properly.” (implying a sense of regret at the disorganization).
And also: “It’s clear everyone here greatly wanted KyoAni to do it. Let’s think about how we could have gotten them instead next time… etc.”
Fuwanovel
Hau~ Omochikaeri~!
Comments
Of course KyoAni will keep putting off LB. Those buggers still owe us a continuation of FMP first!
I don’t get it. They let P.A. Works make Angel Beats, but not Little Busters?
Oh I think Angel Beats was more of a Jun Maeda individual thing not really Key
http://forums.animesuki.com/showthread.php?t=82070 see the first post
Oh I see.
Well, I look forward to the day when we’ll one day see a Little Busters! anime.
That said, I’m quite interested in how the possible VN adaptation of Angel Beats! is going…
it won’t happen. Vava was asked that question and he said it all depends on Maeda but then he says, “Maeda is not interested”.
That’s too bad.
I really wanted to know how everyone else died…
Really? Last I heard he was working on it.
omg let me do this.
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I’ll plug in my next post too
Really interesting post! As for some opinions.
I don’t really buy the “repetition is the problem…” part. There are many anime based solely in everyday life these days.
Reason 2 is acceptable but when put together with “Because we lost KyoAni…” it makes me believe that Visual Art’s wants KyoAni and only KyoAni to handle their current and future works. After all, they “rejected” the team aniplex had put together.
I don’t believe we will see a LB anime in the near future simply because Visual Art will keep rejecting any studio insterested on it until KyoAni decides they want to do it.
Personally, it would be great if KyoAni ever decides to animate LB but, if they never show interest on it, White Fox did a great job with Steins;Gate so they should be up to the task.
The repetition may be referring to a more big-scale repetition. Remember Kurugaya and Mio’s routes? They probably didn’t know how to properly show this without making it obvious or without tiring/confusing the viewer.
I’m not surprised. Nice information, as the combination of the focus on one series at a time and KEY not wanting to go with another studio is sufficient enough of an explanation. I believe it’s more on the one series at a time restriction, though as stated, LB certainly could have been animated with another studio. The art and technology has been improved relatively speaking, so you’d pretty much want to make sure the directing was good (art and animation would be a non-issue).
I mean naturally when other series/studios see how KyoAni has performed, there will be others that want to gather slots. Oh, and it’s worked too. (And yeah that FMP delay thing. I still think KyoAni animating that will fully maximize their animation strength, as opposed to a 4koma which doesn’t use as much intensive animation). KyoAni looks best when integrating linearity, detail, accuracy, action, and humor in a good flow.
Though I do think it’s getting late now. Every prior KEY game that got animated got animated within 3.5 years. In other words, there’s a certain reasonable time span. There are certainly series that get animated well after 4 years of release and whatnot, but it gets less and less current.
On a super random note, if the information gathered was that specific, I am curious how KEY got KyoAni to do AIR in the first place, as that worked out fine.
I find this slightly too bad since KEY had the advantage in brand name, so you’d want to get it available when the demand is there (you said 300,000 some copies).
okay im sorry for replying late but im confused are they saying once kyo ani isnt working on anything they will work on little busters or are they saying it wont happen? and why is it silver fox got to do the animation for rewrite?
well there has been no announcements from Kyoani, so no. not at this point.
Silver fox only did the Opening video for Rewrite (the game). so there is a good chance they will do the Rewrite (the anime) as well, and then there is a good chance that they won’t. actually I know nothing. haven’t been keeping up with the news well enough
ah thanks i was a little concerned since from the sound of it there would never be a little busters anime and kyoani is doing a mystery anime in 2012 so hopfully in 2013 they make a LB anime. has their been any mention of rewrite about the possibility of a anime since thats one im also curious about?
In your face aaeru, little busters will be an anime
Yep. I’ve been waiting 5 years for this!
But from how the trailer looks like, it won’t be KyoAni I guess…I’m not fanboying right now, but to be honest the animation looks very pale.
http://blog.livedoor.jp/insidears/archives/52537737.html
It is J.C staff.See for yourself.
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