Ask John: Who Started the Idea of Bringing Anime to the US?

Question:
I know that Japanese animation has been known in America since 1962 and Astro Boy, but who started the whole idea of bringing Japanese-produced animated TV shows to the United States? I mean, when you consider that these shows are from another country, why would Americans want to see these shows when they could watch plenty of shows that are made here?

Answer:
Although common trivia presumes that Astro Boy was the first anime imported to America, that presumption is actually only partially correct. Astro Boy was the first anime ever broadcast on American television, but its American debut is pre-dated by several theatrical releases.

The first anime production ever released in America was Toei’s 1959 motion picture Shonen Sarutobi Sasuke, which opened theatrically in America on June 22, 1961 under the title “Magic Boy.” Only two weeks after MGM released Magic Boy, Globe Pictures released Toei’s 1958 film Hakujaden, re-titled “Panda and the Magic Serpent,” on July 8th. Then later that same month, on July 26th, American International Pictures theatrically released the 1960 feature Saiyuki under the name “Alakazam the Great.” The following year, these three Toei productions directed by Taiji Yabushita were followed by another pair of Toei pictures also directed by Yabushita. Signal International released Arabian Night: Sinbad no Boken and Anju to Zushio-maru as “Sinbad the Sailor” and “The Littlest Warrior” respectively.

While there were no anime movies released in America in 1963, Osamu Tezuka’s seminal Tetsuwan Atom television series, re-named “Astro Boy” for its American release, premiered on NBC on January 1, 1963. The show was a tremendous success and lasted through 104 episodes.

The first anime invasion continued when Columbia Pictures released Toei’s motion picture Wanpaku Oji no Orochi Taiji theatrically on January 1, 1964 under the translated title “The Little Prince and the Eight-Headed Dragon.”

Copri Films International dubbed the 1963 Eight Man television series for the ABC television network, which began airing the series in 1965.

Continental Distributing released Toei’s 1965 film Gulliver no Uchu Ryoko in American theaters as “Gulliver’s Travels Beyond the Moon” on July 23, 1966. Also that year, Yuusei Shounen Papii (“Prince Planet”), Kaitei Shounen Marine (“Marine Boy”), Jungle Taitei (“Kimba, the White Lion”), and Tetsujin 28 gou (“Gigantor”) all debuted on American television.

America’s first anime invasion lasted only one more year as Toei’s 1967 film Shonen Jack to Mahotsukai was released in American theaters as “Jack and the Witch,” and W3 (“The Amazing 3”) and Mach Go Go Go (“Speed Racer”) premiered on American television.

With the exception of the April 24, 1972 theatrical premier of Osamu Tezuka’s 1970 film Cleopatra and the February 13, 1976 American theatrical release of director Gisaburo Sugii’s Jack to Mame no Ki as “Jack and the Beanstalk,” there was a lull in the American release of anime for a full decade. The importation of anime began anew in 1978 with the television broadcast of Ribbon no Kishi (“Princess Knight”), Captain Future, and Kagaku Ninja-Tai Gatchaman (“Battle of the Planets”). This late 70s revival of anime imports has continued unabated, and shows no sign of ending.

While there were more than 15 different anime series brought to America between 1978 and 1985, it was the 1985 debut of Robotech that forever altered the future of anime in America, and the world. Harmony Gold licensed three separate anime television series: Superdimensional Fortress Macross, Superdimensional Calvary Southern Cross, and Genesis Climber Mospeada, and hired writer/director Carl Macek to compose an original story that would merge these three shows into one long series. Robotech, as the combined new entity was titled, was intentionally designed to be a mature, animated space opera for young American viewers. Although heavily altered from its source material, it was still promoted as a unique Japanese import. Despite being reviled by hardcore fans for its liberal alterations and edits, Robotech must still be respected for virtually single-handedly enlightening mainstream American culture to the fact that Japanese animation was intelligent, mature, dramatic, and not necessarily childish.

Encouraged by the success of Robotech, and tempted by the obvious potential market for anime that existed in America, Carl Macek started his own anime localization business, Streamline Pictures. Streamline acquired American distribution rights to Japanese imports including the Fist of the North Star, Vampire Hunter D, Robot Carnival, Dirty Pair, Barefoot Gen, Windaria, Lensman, Silent Mobius, and Golgo 13 motion pictures, and television series including Space Pirate Captain Harlock, Millennium Queen, Zillion, and Secret of Blue Water. Although dubbed into English and heavily “Americanized,” Streamline made a determined effort to promote its releases as trend setting imports.

The Japanese owned, California based anime specialty retail company Books Nippan developed a licensing division called U.S. Renditions in 1987 and released officially licensed, professional subtitled VHS tapes of the Gunbuster and Dangaioh OAV series. U.S. Renditions was quickly followed to the market by AnimEigo, L.A. Hero/Dark Image Entertainment, Central Park Media, and AD Vision. These companies, as well as those that followed, are the ones most directly responsible for the success and popularity anime now enjoys in America.

Article revised November 22, 2005.