In my younger days, back when anime was still trying to break through to mainstream, there was a little show called Sailor Moon. Why point out Sailor Moon you say? Simple. Sailor Moon was one of a kind in that day and age. It was the only Shojo anime on American TV. That is overly ironic though, because now there is virtually no Shojo anime aired in America, but anime is bigger now than its ever been here in the states.
So what went wrong? Why was there a sudden decline in shojo, or "girl's" anime? Sure we can argue that Inuyasha falls into the shojo bracket, but Adult Swim pretty much sees it as an action or shonen like the rest of the anime they air, and its pure accident that it got grouped in. I honestly believe its not purposely being ignored, though. It may just be that Americans love explosions and strong male protagonists so much that channels are afraid to air an anime with a female lead role that has romance, fashion, friendship, and other shojo motifs as the main focus. (Thanks a lot Goku, you overrated bastard.)
However, all hope is not lost. Shojo could have a second shot at fame in America if its done with the right anime. The reason why Sailor Moon was such a hit, is because it was a shojo with a lot of shonen and action elements. So, an anime like Shugo Chara, could be perfect to reintroduce shojo to America. It's aimed at a slightly younger demographic than Sailor Moon, but it has that same type of blend and deep engaging plot that both guys and girls can get into. All they have to do is air it alongside the Pokemon and Beyblade shows (just make sure 4kids doesn't get it) and it could potentially bring shojo to the mainstream American audience. Who Knows? Maybe it has the potential to pick up where CardCaptor left off.
That's my take on it all. Like what you read? comment, follow me on twitter, or click that button to buy me a taco. Until next time, Be you. Be true. Be human.
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