The timeline is far from complete, and will be regularly updated to reflect any changes in the anime industry. Please feel free to add any events we may have missed in the comments.

01/1/2003 – Mandarake USA (Santa Monica, CA) closes

Mandarake is one of the largest second hand anime chain store in Japan.

05/26/2006 – Central Park Media lays off employees, rumors of bankruptcy surfaces

An anime and manga publisher based in New York. Central Park Media is responsible for such titles as Armored Trooper Votoms, Black Jack, and (La) Blue Girl.

Fall 2007 – Anime Gamers USA closes

Anime Gamers USA was the retail store for Broccoli International USA.

12/3/2007 – Geneon US division shuts down

Geneon produced and distributed anime in Japan, while the US branch translated and distributed anime and soundtracks for Western audiences.

Geneon was responsible for such titles as Chobits, Black Lagoon, Gungrave, Hellsing, and Rozen Maiden.

February, 2008 – Newtype USA Magazine releases its final volume

Newtype is a highly successful anime-themed magazine in Japan. They reviewed manga and anime, ran columns written by industry professionals, and produced a tip column for artists working with computer graphics and manga style illustrations among various other material.

July, 2008 – PiQ releases its fourth and last volume

PiQ was Newtype USA’s successor.

July, 2008 – Funimation picks up Geneon titles for US distribution

Funimation is large anime licensor in the US which has picked up many titles left over from other company’s closures.

7/1/2008 – Bandai Visual dissolves into its parent company, Bandai Entertainment

Bandai Visual USA distributed and marketed Bandai Visual’s anime and manga productions. Bandai Visual released such titles as Wolf's Rain, Code Geass, and Lucky Star.

December, 2008 – Broccoli Books ceases operations, and titles revert back to Japanese holders

Broccoli Books published manga in North America for Broccoli Co. which produced them.They have released manga including Disgaea, Coyote Ragtime Show, and Galaxy Angel.

2008 – Gonzo states a 30 million deficit

Gonzo is an anime studio in Japan owned by the GDH group that produced such titles as Afro Samurai, Full Metal Panic!, Gantz, and Vandread.

2009 – Anime Insider ceases publication

Anime Insider is an anime-themed magazine in the league of Newtype.

2009 – TAJ Productions disbands

TAJ Productions was a dubbing studio responsible for a large quantity of titles such as Slayers, the ninth and tenth seasons of Pokemon, and Revolutionary Girl Utena.

4/27/2009 – Central Park Media files for Chapter 7 bankruptcy with $1.2 million in debt

8/31/2009 – Licensor Kadokawa Pictures USA closes

Kadokawa Pictures is a successful movie studio in Japan. It is most famous for the Gamera giant monster series and the Daimajin trilogy. Kadokawa has licensed other anime titles such as Spice and Wolf, Shuffle! Memories, Demonbane, and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.

9/1/2009 – ADV announces selling off assets, including intellectual properties, to 5 different companies

ADV was a major multimedia entertainment company responsible for translating and distributing such titles as Neon Genesis Evangelion.

12/12/2009 - Imagi Studios lays off 100 employees out of 400

Imagi Studios worked on the 2009 Astro Boy film and on the 2010 Gatchaman movie.

January 2010 - Imagi Studios closes American office

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (2)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

...
written by Ozten, December 16, 2009

This Article makes me sad

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by Alan, December 22, 2009

And this time-line is only the past 4 years...
Stop the free fansubs and the scanlations and you'll fix up 85% of the problem. DVD sales have a direct correlation to the industry's revenue. No sales, no money, no more anime. It's that simple.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Name

Email

Website

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (registered users only)

I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment