Foppe posted...
However, it is difficult to aim for something that will be popular overseas or become a long-term series. Of course, you're aiming for half the head, but if you make an anime with that in mind, it becomes boring. ``I won't let you smoke so I can take it overseas. Violence is a little weaker. Avoid sexy expressions. There's no way that people overseas would want to watch Japanese anime that restricts a lot of expressions like that. Works that are hits in Japan are also hits overseas. I don't think you should take the wrong approach when creating anime."
It sounds like they are outright being lied to about what people in the west would want to watch.