As a business major in university, I was excited to watch The Anime Business Episode 1. Like all other entertainment, anime is something with massive appeal. AnimEigo’s series of interviews from top executives of anime companies highlights the challenges of the Western anime industry. With this first episode featuring Central Park Media’s former Managing Director John O’Donnell, I was able to check out the inner workings of the past.
What is The Anime Business Episode 1?
Hosted by Justin Sevakis (original founder of Anime News Network and AnimEigo CEO), the interviews are no-frills talking heads segments with the unseen juggernauts of the anime industry. Central Park Media was a huge proponent of official anime in the 90s, with titles like Project A-ko and Slayers being their standout releases.
Former Managing Director John O’Donnell looked and acted spry for his age, enthusiastically explaining the distinct eras of anime in the west. From the first titles of broadcast anime (with works like Speed Racer and Kimbra the White Lion), there was a goal to differentiate anime from western cartoons. Throughout the years, anime like Sailor moon and Pokémon started to expand with home video sales, and the rest is history.
In addition, O’Donnell speaks about how the underground anime scene contributed to modern successes. Concepts such as piracy and anime conventions were modest in the 90s and 2000s, but were monumental in shaping what anime looks like now.
An Important Look at The Industry
Throughout my watch of The Anime Business Episode 1, I was intrigued by how much I didn’t know about the early days of the medium. For reference, I was only in middle school when dubbed Naruto episodes came out, and my first anime film screening was Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow in 2007.
I remembered anime VHS tapes of three to four episodes and how prohibitively expensive the series were. (As much as I rag on Aniplex’s premium prices, complete series back then were MUCH more costly.)
Seeing how titles like Dominion Tank Police and Project A-ko needed to be marketed was eye-opening too. A lot of moral panic that’s not seen too much these days was prevalent in the early days, and Central Park Media needed to navigate through it. While anime feels mainstream nowadays (with shonen like Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer, and My Hero Academia getting a ton of merchandise), it’s vital to look at what came before them.
The Joy of Preserving Older Works
The fact that Central Park Media doesn’t exist in the industry today is a bittersweet memory (alongside some other defunct companies, like Episode’s 2 forthcoming focus, Bandai Entertainment). I’m glad that companies like AnimEigo are doing their best to re-release older classic titles for a new audience.
Last year, I was sent a screener to watch Riding Bean, and it was a thrilling experience from the first few minutes. It was gritty and stylish, with some great actions scenes that can be experienced in under an hour. (I also appreciated the funky music and Chicago setting, an OVA set in America is pretty cool!) It’s crazy that this anime could be lost to time, but it’s thanks to some amazing distributors that we can see these OVAs and series again.
In a world of shipping wars and cherrypicked action scenes packaged in Tik Tok clips, it’s important to step back and remember the greats. If you have half an hour to spare, I’d recommend watching The Anime Business Episode 1 before the next one comes out later this month.
Stay tuned for more Miso moments as well as anime and manga reviews here on Miso!
