On the 14th of December 2012, a quiet social media post from Andrew Partridge signaled the end of an era for British anime fans and the beginning of a new one. Partridge, who had already gained notoriety as the director of the Scotland Loves Anime film festival, announced the launch of Anime Limited, a company dedicated to bringing Japanese animation to the United Kingdom with a focus on high-quality collector editions. This was not merely another distribution deal; it was a calculated move to develop a theatrical market for Japanese animation in a country where such films had previously struggled to find a permanent home. The company's first acquisition, Cowboy Bebop, was announced just eight days later on the 22nd of December 2012, following a rapid surge to 1000 likes on its Facebook page, proving that a dedicated audience was waiting for a company that treated anime as cinema rather than niche television. By the 4th of October 2013, Anime Limited had already expanded its reach by partnering with the French streaming service Wakanim to launch a UK version of the site, making their growing catalogue accessible to a wider European audience within a year of its inception. The company's early strategy was clear: they would not just sell anime; they would curate it, treating every release as a piece of art worthy of preservation and celebration.
Building A European Network
The expansion of Anime Limited into continental Europe began in March 2014 when founder Cédric Littardi of Kazé UK joined forces with Partridge to establish @Anime, the French division of the company. This partnership allowed Anime Limited to release its first titles in France by September 2014, effectively creating a cross-channel distribution network that spanned the English Channel. The company's influence grew steadily through the following years, with a notable partnership with Viceland UK on the 17th of July 2017, which launched a block of late-night anime programming. This collaboration brought Japanese animation to a mainstream British television audience, bridging the gap between underground fandom and general viewership. By the 25th of October 2019, Anime Limited had secured a deal to stream select dubbed titles on Channel 4's All 4 service under the banner of 100 Hours of Anime, further cementing their role as a primary gateway for British audiences to access Japanese animation. These strategic moves demonstrated a company that understood the importance of accessibility, ensuring that anime was not confined to specialty shops but was available on the platforms where people already consumed their entertainment.The Vinyl And The Virtual
On the 27th of October 2017, Anime Limited made a bold announcement at the MCM London Comic Con that they were establishing a music label called All The Anime Music. This venture was designed to release soundtracks from popular series, with plans to issue A Shape of Light and the Trigun original soundtrack. The label officially launched in 2019, releasing the A Shape of Light and FLCL soundtracks as vinyl records later that year, tapping into the growing nostalgia and collectibility of anime music. The company's adaptability was further tested during the global pandemic, when they hosted a virtual convention known as Cloud Matsuri on the 30th and the 31st of May 2020. This event featured guests from major animation studios including Science SARU, Orange, Crunchyroll, and Polygon Pictures, proving that Anime Limited could maintain community engagement even when physical gatherings were impossible. The virtual convention also served as the platform for a massive acquisition: the rights to Neon Genesis Evangelion and its two films, Evangelion: Death (True)² and The End of Evangelion. This deal marked the first time a company outside of Japan released the series on Blu-ray, and the first home video release since ADV Films and Manga Entertainment, effectively ending a long period of scarcity for the series in the region.