Over the last few decades, anime has quickly become one of the most dominant forms of entertainment in the West. Many amazing series have become dearly beloved to international fans, becoming a pivotal part of pop culture discussions. Shows like Dragon Ball, Naruto, or even the more recent Demon Slayer are proof of how beloved this medium has become among American audiences.
Yet, on rare occasions, what most Western fans consider a classic anime turns out to be much less popular in its home country. Some shows were forced to leave their country of origin in order to find an audience fit for them. Whether this is because of their inherent traits not sitting well with Japanese fans or simply because they were never given the proper recognition in Japan, these shows became instant successes with international fans after failing back home.
Widely regarded as having one of the most controversial and eccentric dubs of all time, Ghost Stories is a comedy-horror show that follows a group of children as they investigate the various ghostly apparitions taking place in their home. Due to an extremely lenient dubbing studio, the voice actors took this terrifying experience and transformed it into a bizarre yet hilarious parody of paranormal anime.
What many fans who grew up watching this series don't know is the fact that the original Japanese dub has none of the jokes or references made in the American version. The unedited Ghost Stories anime is a serious and somewhat slow show that, despite not being a failure by any means, never managed to step out of the shadow of other series released around the same time.
One of the 2010s’ most surprising successes, Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt follows a pair of unusually crude and violent angels who fight against evil forces trying to take over their home. The series quickly found its home with Western fans thanks to its unique animation style, which greatly resembled classic cartoons, as well as its multiple references and parodies of pop culture topics.
While American fans were laughing uncontrollably at Panty and Stocking’s misadventures, Japanese fans were pushed away from the series due to its Western inspiration. The anime could not appeal to an audience that had not grown up with or could fully understand and embrace its multiple references. As such, the series is barely ever spoken about back in its home country.
The Big O is an anime heavily inspired by one of the best cartoons from the 90s era, Batman: The Animated Series. The series follows a hardened professional negotiator named Roger Smith who was tasked with caring for an android girl called Dorothy. The series takes a much darker approach to the sci-fi genre typical of anime of its time, delving into the mysteries and crimes of the corrupt and dystopian Paradigm City.
Although the series proved to be a major success during its time airing on Toonami, appealing to fans who grew up watching Batman’s adventures, it was a massive failure in Japan. The gritty setting and Western inspiration did not manage to enchant fans the same way they did in America, causing it to be prematurely canceled and reduced to half its expected runtime.
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