How a Kickstarter for this Classic Anime Got Stuck in Limbo

Key Takeaways

• Popular Dirty Pair anime successfully crowdfunded: issues arose during production phase.
• Kickstarter reached $731,406: many backers left without rewards.
• The project faced potential cancelation due to company mergers; Sony’s acquisition led to complications.

While Kickstarter may be a great way to fundraise for projects that would otherwise have shaky profitability prospects, there is no denying that contributing to such a project is a gamble. This is because while Kickstarter makes reasonable efforts to protect against scammers, rewards are ultimately never guaranteed, and the delivery of the finished project may not match what was originally promised.

What happens when a project is successful and nothing comes of it though? This is the situation anime fans have found themselves in with a Kickstarter project for a classic anime that was supposed to be delivered two years ago.

What is Dirty Pair?

Dirty Pair is a popular Japanese sci-fi anime and light novel series that was created by Haruka Takachiho. It was first introduced as a series of light novels in 1979. The series is set in a futuristic universe and follows the adventures of two female protagonists who work as trouble consultants for the World Welfare Works Association (WWWA), often called the “3WA.” The novels were initially adapted into an anime TV series in 1985, which were then followed by OVA episodes, movies, and other adaptations. Notable for its blend of humor and action, its strong and quirky female leads, Dirty Pair would ultimately prove to be highly influential in the world of anime, and later anime series with buddy-cop dynamics still borrow a lot of the dynamics that were first introduced in Dirty Pair.

How Popular Was it?

While the series enjoyed enough success in Japan to receive several adaptations, its true success was in America. Now, granted, it wasn’t doing Dragon Ball Z or Pokemon level numbers, but it was a consistent seller on VHS and one of the most rented titles at Blockbuster in the International section. It was one of the first titles in America that helped establish anime as a legitimate art form in the states, and thus its popularity is more because of how the franchise helped legitimize anime as an art form in America.

The Kickstarter Campaign

On October 1, 2021, Noami Entertainment (a division of Right Stuf International) launched a Kickstarter project to bring Dirty Pair back to the American market. What’s more, while some of the OVAs and movies had been dubbed into English, the series had not been dubbed into English in its entirety. Noami wanted to change that, but as a smaller studio, they weren’t sure the reward would be worth the cost. So they did something they were very familiar with in the past: they Kickstarted it. If the project succeeded, then the show could be dubbed with a guaranteed set of funds at their disposal. If it failed, the series would likely still get a release, just not with any new dubbing material.

Did it Succeed?

None of this is unusual for smaller anime companies, who usually have to break the bank just to acquire the license over competitors like Crunchyroll and Viz Media (who have deeper pockets). Promised rewards included signed discs from the voice actors, exclusive shirts, and BluRay’s of the show itself. Noami was asking for $275,000 to cover the costs that would be associated with the project, and ultimately brought in $731,406, more than enough to pay for the project. With the money collected, Noami started giving updates about the status of the rewards, the release window, and even announced that the audio materials were complete. Everything was running smoothly…until it wasn’t.

What Went Wrong

The final update on the Kickstarter page was May 30, 2024, in which the completion of the dub was announced. Considering the frequency of the updates to that point, it was safe to assume everything was running smoothly behind the scenes. The problem is that things weren’t running smoothly. In fact, that was the last anyone would hear about the project for months. There would be no more updates about the pressing of discs, people were not getting their rewards, and the project was in a state of limbo. One of the things that made the situation more frustrating is that Noami had a new parent company: Crunchyroll. This is because Sony bought Right Stuf International in August 2022. It took time for the deal to close, but when it did, Noami would have Sony as a parent company, and you would think Sony would have the resources to bring this project to the finish line.

However, whenever there are mergers or companies buy other companies, there is a bit of upheaval. This usually results in layoffs, reorganization, and sometimes key people leave the project. AnimEigo CEO Justin Sevakis was not only someone who contributed to the Kickstarter project, but happened to be on friendly terms with people who were on the project. He did some research and revealed his findings to everyone on X:

This was not the answer fans were hoping for. What made things worse was that Sony is so big, they had consumed not one, but TWO big anime companies (Funimation and Right Stuf International), that it was easy to see employees working on a small project like this being let go and having the project fall through the cracks. If the project was canceled what was going to happen to the over $700,000 that were raised? Fans started e-mailing Crunchyroll, spreading the word about the project, and even tweeting to all their X posts to try and get the companies’ attention. Evidently, word got to someone at the company, because on August 29, 2024, the Kickstarter received a long overdue update:

Thank you for your patience as we give you an update on production on the dub version of the classic 1985 series, Dirty Pair. Thanks to all of the production staff and voices who contributed to this project, and of course, you, for pledging your contribution to it.

The series is still in post-production, and, as with many productions, delays do sometimes occur.

You should be receiving updates on Dirty Pair every 2-4 weeks until the release. We hope that a new cadence and frequency of communications will help alleviate any concerns you may have. Please know that we remain fully committed to this production, especially given the passionate fanbase eagerly awaiting its release.

As part of your commitment to the Kickstarter, beginning September 3rd, we will begin shipping out available portions of your Backer Rewards while the series is being prepped for post-production, editing and shipping.

Stay tuned to this space for additional (and regular) updates soon.

While this was the most corporate response fans could have gotten, it was at least a sign that someone took notice and maybe things could get back on track. How much longer fans will have to wait for the BluRay is still up in the air, but at least everything is back on the radar, and hopefully this means Sony won’t walk away with fans’ money without providing anything in return.