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I'm reading Koe no Katachi and have been hoping for it to be animated. It looks like it's getting more popular. However, it makes me wonder what requirements should be fulfilled before they decide to create an anime based on a certain manga in general.

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  • I might try and answer this later but I do know it needs to be popular and probably needs sponsors too and probably a good fan base maybe too.
    – Izumi-reiLuLu
    Commented Jun 24, 2014 at 11:03
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    As an aside, thanks for this question; I started reading Koe no Katachi last night because of it. I also got caught up to chapter 43 last night. Definitely a good read. I'd speculate it'll see an anime at some point.
    – Az-
    Commented Jun 25, 2014 at 16:23
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    Your wish for an adaptation has been heard. Kyoto Animation will be producing an anime film of Koe no Katachi. animenewsnetwork.com/news/2015-10-11/… haruhichan.com/wpblog/54862/…
    – user18460
    Commented Oct 11, 2015 at 17:52

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There is no written path, but there are several factors and steps that must happen for that:

  1. Fanbase

    • The overall reaction to the manga, the volume of internet traffic it generates (fan-art, forums, discussions, fan pages, fan fiction, even porn of the main characters).
    • Are fans cosplaying as the characters even before anime?

  2. Connections and reputation

    • The reputation of the mangaka. For example, I doubt any new manga by Rumiko Takahashi (for example) is NOT going to become an anime.
    • Who the mangaka and the manga producers/managers know. Sometimes the hardest part is to put your work in front of the right eyes. It's all in the pitch.

  3. Possible merchandising and target audience

    • Can the manga become a toy line? Can you sell costumes of the main characters?
    • The target audience (gender, age, genre) spending power.

  4. Series health and controversy

    • Is the manga series long enough? Are the arcs and plots interesting? Are the characters well developed and of enough depth?
    • Is there any group that will get grossly offended if the manga becomes an anime? Remember that printed media is pulled by the reader (you have to actively persuse the media) while audiovisual media is PUSHED into the viewer.

  5. Competition and market mood

    • Is the manga a mecha manga, and it's on its peak during a new Gundam season and yet another Evangelion Retcon?
    • What was the reaction of fans to the animes of the same genre that aired in the previous seasons? Are they craving for more of the genre or had they have enough?

  6. Releases and versions

    • Is the series already compiled into tankobon? Is it on Crunchyroll? Was it already translated (by fans or officially)?
    • Also, check if the manga is being pirated. It is a sad fact, but popular manga that will become anime is widely pirated, translated, fansubbed, etc.
    • Do some specialized Google searches for the manga series, its main characters and villains. Check the result count, and compare to other popular manga that already became anime.

After all of those factors, there are some things you can look for in specialized media to see if your favorite manga is really going to become anime:

Option: Did some studio or media company purchase the option for the IP? Options are commonplace in the Western media world, but it's becoming very popular around the world. Check the media and news for the option signing.

Rumors: Check some blogs (mostly in Japanese) for the titles they think will make next season (Dear Reader: suggest some blogs in the comments).

Wikipedia: The folks at the WikiProject Anime and Manga work really hard to keep their corner of the wiki fresh. If your manga series already have a Wikipedia page, chances are high.

As for your particular manga, I would say it certainly will become anime.

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    So this all seems logical, but how do you know that this is what actually happens? Are you involved in the industry and/or have you heard this from someone who is? As is, this sees awfully speculative.
    – senshin
    Commented Jun 25, 2014 at 2:59
  • These guidelines draw parallels with many industries, such as movies, TV shows, video games, etc... Why not anime? For almost any industry, the key point is "Will this sell?". The stronger your case is when trying to tell a producer "Spend $X per episode and make $Y back", the more likely they're going to bite. These are all good points when making that sale, hell consider these the bare essentials. No studio is going to commission an anime for a manga that hardly pulls an audience, the risk of loss at that point is too great.
    – BlueBuddy
    Commented Jun 25, 2014 at 3:30
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    Some of these are good points, but some of them are dubious to me, and you haven't provided any sources. In particular, the stuff about studios considering the status of the manga overseas seems rather strange considering that the profit model for a standard late-night anime is essentially entirely built on DVD sales. Given the number of manga Crunchyroll has (approximately 40 currently), I also can't see that being relevant. Can you provide some evidence that these are actually things production studios look at? (contd.)
    – Logan M
    Commented Jun 25, 2014 at 4:39
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    ...As for objectionable content, this can affect what kind of anime is made (daytime vs late night vs OVA etc), but it's not at all clear to me how it affects the chances of an anime adaptation. If anything, given the number of late-night shows and hentai OVAs that come out these days, I might suspect it would be more likely that a well-recieved manga with some objectionable content would get an adaptation. Can you provide credible evidence supporting your claim that controversial series are less likely to get adapted? (contd.)
    – Logan M
    Commented Jun 25, 2014 at 4:39
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    ...In addition, I've not heard of a case of anime adaptation rights options being bought/sold in public. It may happen in private, but there's no way for us to know. Do you have an example of this? Anyway, if you can add citations for some of these dubious claims, this will be a very good answer, but right now there's too much that I'm skeptical of to trust this answer without any sources.
    – Logan M
    Commented Jun 25, 2014 at 4:40
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I'm in in the process of getting my own Manga, Seeds of Arcadia, funded. Aside from creating a fanbase, which may not lead to much, you really want to focus on a detailed portfolio for investors and production companies to decide if your story is worthwhile. You'll mainy need (give or take):

  1. Complete script of first season
  2. Character illustrations, descriptions, and backstories (if necessary)
  3. Illustrated chapters (at least some, if not all)
  4. Illustrated action pages
  5. Sketches
  6. Promotional posters (the more the better)
  7. Possible overview of any continuing season
  8. Any free printouts for viewers

Of course most if not all of this stuff may have to come out of your own pocketbook. I suggest getting family or friends to help with the initial startup so that you can hire help with the illustrations, or else you'll be doing a lot of drawing and digital enhancements.

The important thing is to have hard substance which is both professional in appearance, unique, and intriguing. The fans will NOT fund your project, but with a professional looking portfolio you can present it to investors, or sell your story. If you do plan on keeping the rights to your story, never hand the complete script to anyone, only segments. You should still have the completed script ready with digital backups.

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  • "The fans will NOT fund your project" except, there are anime which were started from crowdfunding like In This Corner of the World
    – Aki Tanaka ♦
    Commented Sep 23, 2018 at 13:43

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