Jennifer Wagner interview (Tokyopop)

By David Rasmussen
7th Jan 05

Rasmussen - First off, could you please introduce yourself and the work you do at TOKYOPOP?
Jennifer Wagner - I am the Creative Director for Anime and also help produce and direct some of our series. I plan the DVD releases of our Anime series, working with Marketing and Production to plan the look, design and features of the products.

Rasmussen - How did you first become involved with TOKYOPOP?
Jennifer Wagner - I had been involved with DVD production pretty much from it's inception, and was looking for something where I could be more creative. TOKYOPOP was just starting the Video Production side of the company and it was a perfect fit.

Rasmussen - Tell us abit about the Marmalade Boy Anime release, and the work you and the rest of the staff at TOKYOPOP put into getting it out.
Jennifer Wagner - Marmalade Boy has truly been a labor of love for all of us.

Knowing it was such a popular title with fans who have been so dedicated and patient waiting for it's release, we wanted to make sure we released a product that would make it worth the wait.

Because of the length of the series (76 episodes + 1/2 hour movie), the challenge for us was coming up with a way to release it that wouldn't make the fans wait even longer and be more of a pain than a pleasure to collect. We have had great success and fan reaction with our Art Boxes both with Manga sets and previous Anime sets like GTO so we decided to expand on that and make some really special packaging.

Marmalade Boy is releasing in 4 Collector Sets of 19 episodes each (20 in Box 4), in custom Digipak-style packaging. We also wanted to include something special so we've made Pencil Boards with limited edition commissioned artwork.

Rasmussen - The downside of the quickness of the release (19-20 episodes a volume), however, is that it prices it out of the purchasing range of the casual anime fan (or myself who does not have the review budget for that kind of purchases). Wasn't there any concerns that packing so many episodes together would price the volumes out of the reach of some of your target audiences?
Jennifer Wagner - We looked at several options for this release and determined that 19 episodes per set was the best way to release it so that fans wouldn't have to wait even longer for the entire series. If relased the traditional way, say 4 episodes per DVD, it would have taken 4 years. This way, it's a great value at around $5.00 per episode and in the long run, cheaper than the standard release price. Fan reaction has really been positive and most retailers sell it below the SRP so it hasn't really been an issue.

Rasmussen - Will Marmalade Boy be in both English Dub and Japanese Sub?
Jennifer Wagner - Yes, Marmalade Boy is dubbed in English and also contains the origianl Japanese with Subtitles. With regards to the English Dub, I worked closely with my Co-Director, Olivia Venegas (GTO, Brigadoon, Reign) to select a cast that we felt sure would bring Marmalade Boy to life in the most flattering and honorable way. Judging by fan reaction, it seems we were successful and that is the greatest reward of all!

Rasmussen - What is TOKYOPOP's present "presence" in the UK, and what kind of Region 2 anime releases has TOKYOPOP done there (or plan to do there) to date?
Jennifer Wagner - Currently, Vampire Princess Miyu is in the UK, distributed by MVM.

Also, our series Rave Master has been picked up by Cartoon Network, and we are in discussions with other broadcasters around the world.

Rasmussen - Why does TOKYOPOP seem to have so few Region 2 DVD releases in
the UK at this time, and what can they look forward to in 2005 in terms of new Region 2 DVD releases?
Jennifer Wagner - We are currently in discussions with distributors for the GTO and Initial D series' and are always looking into opportunities in the UK.

We hope to continue our expansion into the global marketplace and look forward to placing more series into the hands of fans in the UK.

Rasmussen - A typical day of work for you, what would that be like?
Jennifer Wagner - Wow, well this could be rather boring! Depending on current projects, I could be doing anything from following up on translations and scripts to doing Quality Control Checks on DVDs ready to be released. Most of my day-to-day duties involve the planning of future releases. I work with our Development team to evaluate potential new series, as well as with the Marketing team on current and upcoming releases. When a show is ready to record, then I'm mostly in the studio. Life in production is NEVER dull, that's for sure.

Rasmussen - Are you into Anime/Manga? If so what are you reading or watching now?
Jennifer Wagner - When I had more time, I read a lot of Manga. My favorites do tend to be Shoujo titles like Peach Girl, Kodocha and Kare Kano, but I've also enjoyed titles like Chobits, Love Hina, Priest and Island (technically the latter 2 are Manhwa) As for Anime, some of my favorites are Pat Labor, GTO and of course, Marmalade Boy! Right now I'm reading Lament of the Lamb, Pita-Ten and one of our new Original Manga titles, Peach Fuzz which is a really fun story about a young girl and her ferret (told primarily from the ferret's perspective), with some great artwork.

Rasmussen - Any final thoughts?
Jennifer Wagner - I just want to say thank you for the opportunity to discuss TOKYOPOP's presence in the Anime market. We are excited about the future of Anime and I personally would like to encourage everyone to check out Marmalade Boy if they get the chance. It's a fantastic series that was a pure joy to work on.

Copyright 2005 Wataru Yoshizumi/Shueisha, Toei Animation Copyright 1994 TOEI ANIMATION CO., LTD.
Copyright 2004 TOKYOPOP Inc. All Rights Reserved.

-- David Rasmussen 7th Jan 05