Anyone curious about how “The Anime Business” started in North America will be interested in a brand-new monthly documentary that’s now streaming on YouTube. It’s an insightful series that talks to the pioneers who started the many operations that brought titles like Bubblegum Crisis and Dominion to this country, and later into the 90s, even Ranma½ too!
AnimEigo and MediaOCD produced this work, and learning about the challenges involved made me want to follow the project to its current state. I’m unsure if this series will go that far, but I will wait for those episodes. I’m also sure that at some point, the host will find someone to talk to from Harmony Gold to discuss Robotech and the embargo they once had to stop the original Macross series from appearing in North America.
As one of those fans and customers who picked up some releases, and have kept a few over time (from VHS to laser disc), to understand what went on is important!
From the Press Release
As anime has grown from modest beginnings into a multi-billion-dollar global industry, the documentary provides insights from many notable people that played significant roles in helping to popularize the genre in North America at various stages of its evolution.
All episodes will be available in English. Japanese subtitles will also be available via a special grant from the Kleckner Foundation. Additional episodes and interviews are in production now.
The Anime Business is an ongoing series featuring a wide range of entrepreneurs and visionaries that helped to pioneer and shape the North American anime industry. It is produced and hosted by industry veteran and MediaOCD founder and AnimEigo CEO Justin Sevakis.
As the original founder of Anime News Network in 1998, and Sevakis contributed many of the site’s most popular columns for many years. In addition to co-hosting ANNCast, the #1 anime podcast worldwide, from 2009-2015. He was the first in-house video and subtitle editor at Central Park Media, a prominent 2000s era anime distributor, and worked on Grave of the Fireflies, Project A-ko and many other bestselling releases.
With his current company, MediaOCD, he has produced more than 1,600 Blu-ray discs for the North American market and pioneered restoration efforts for classic anime including Project A-ko, Digimon Adventure, Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie, and the forthcoming Macross II. He acquired anime distributor AnimEigo in 2024.
The first episode of The Anime Business features an interview with John O’Donnell, former Managing Director of Central Park Media.
Episode 2 is scheduled for later in March and features Robert Napton, former Director of Marketing and Producer of US Renditions at Bandai Entertainment.
Episode 3 is planned for April and will feature Tim Eldred, the writer and founder of ourstarblazers.com.
AnimEigo and MediaOCD is as also asking fans that would like to see more help crowdfund future episodes by donating at MediaOCD’s website.
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