AnimeNation
Gene Field opened AnimeNation in 1995 within Clearwater, Florida. The business began as a small online store selling anime and manga products to American fans. Success came quickly enough that the company decided to open a physical retail location for customers who wanted to browse shelves in person. By 1998, Gene Field considered licensing shows like Berserk and Cyber Team in Akihabara but held back until finances stabilized. The company built a massive facility in 1999 inside Tampa's Lynmar Commerce Park. This new building covered 15,000 square feet of space dedicated to storage and sales operations. As of 2004, AnimeNation stood among the top two online anime specialty retailers in the United States.
AN Entertainment launched its licensing division in 2002 due to intense competition from other companies. The name AN Entertainment derived directly from AnimeNation with Entertainment added to allow future live-action projects. Small staffing numbers forced the team to finish one title before starting another to ensure quality. Their first licensed project was Risky Safety which featured a dub produced by Bang Zoom! Entertainment. ADV Films handled distribution for this release while using a script modified from fansub group Sachigumi. The company acquired Miami Guns without securing TV broadcast rights for the series. Phoenix Post Sound created the dub for Miami Guns under the name Coastal Studios. Haré+Guu followed as a license that included TV broadcast rights and co-production with Bang Zoom! Entertainment. Funimation distributed Haré+Guu after Bang Zoom! completed the dub work. They also licensed Haré+Guu Deluxe but stopped short of acquiring Haré+Guu FINAL. Bandai blocked the use of the original ending for the Haré+Guu TV show due to licensing conflicts. Risky Safety licenses expired during Fall 2007 leaving no new releases for that title.
RentAnime.com operated as a DVD-by-mail service similar to Netflix but specialized strictly in anime titles. Customers mailed discs back and forth through the postal system to maintain their rental subscriptions. The Tampa United States Postal Service caused significant mailing issues that disrupted operations initially. Staff worked hard to resolve these logistical problems so customers could receive their orders on time. The service continued running even after AnimeNation shut down its main online store in 2014. RentAnime.com finally closed at the end of 2015 marking the end of this specific division. Archive records now hold the website history for future reference by researchers or fans.
John Oppliger wrote over 1,070 articles for the Ask John column between 1999 and 2023. AN employee John Oppliger answered reader questions about anime throughout the years. The blog remained active while other parts of the business disappeared from the market. As of the 5th of July 2023, the Ask John blog and forums still operated independently. This long-running advice section outlasted the company store itself by many years. Readers submitted questions about obscure series and industry news which Oppliger addressed with detailed responses. The column became a central hub for community discussion outside of commercial transactions.
Industry competition forced AnimeNation to close its online retail arm in 2014. Other companies offered better prices or faster shipping options that drew customers away. The final dissolution of the business followed shortly after the store shutdown. Right Stuf Inc emerged as a major competitor during this period of change. The company could not sustain operations against the pressure from larger distributors. Fansub groups like Sachigumi influenced early licensing decisions but could not save the main enterprise. The transition from retailer to distributor happened too late to prevent eventual failure. Archive links now preserve the history of AN Entertainment and RentAnime.com for historical record.
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Common questions
When did Gene Field open AnimeNation in Clearwater Florida?
Gene Field opened AnimeNation in 1995 within Clearwater, Florida. The business began as a small online store selling anime and manga products to American fans.
What happened to the physical retail location of AnimeNation by 1998?
AnimeNation built a massive facility in 1999 inside Tampa's Lynmar Commerce Park that covered 15,000 square feet of space dedicated to storage and sales operations. The company decided to open this physical retail location after success came quickly enough from its initial online store.
Which companies handled distribution for Risky Safety and Haré+Guu releases?
ADV Films handled distribution for Risky Safety while Funimation distributed Haré+Guu after Bang Zoom! completed the dub work. Bandai blocked the use of the original ending for the Haré+Guu TV show due to licensing conflicts.
How long did RentAnime.com operate before closing at the end of 2015?
RentAnime.com operated as a DVD-by-mail service similar to Netflix but specialized strictly in anime titles until it finally closed at the end of 2015 marking the end of this specific division. The service continued running even after AnimeNation shut down its main online store in 2014.
When did John Oppliger stop writing articles for the Ask John column on July 5th 2023?
John Oppliger wrote over 1,070 articles for the Ask John column between 1999 and 2023. As of the 5th of July 2023, the Ask John blog and forums still operated independently outlasting the company store itself by many years.