Get A Deeper Look Into ‘The Anime Buisness’ With New Documentary Series

AnimEigo and MediaOCD have produced a new documentary series featuring interviews with a variety of pioneers of the Western anime industry– aptly titled The Anime Business. As anime has grown from modest beginnings into a multi-billion-dollar global industry, the documentary provides insights from many notable people that played important roles in helping to popularize the genre in North America at various stages of its evolution.

Episode 1 features an interview with John O’Donnell, former Managing Director of Central Park Media. O’Donnell offers unique insight into the various “eras” of anime in North America. Anime as we know it today hadn’t really been solidified until the 1990s. Now post-pandemic, anime and manga have gone from a niche hobby to a gravitational force that’s reshaping new generations of comic and cartoon culture.