Anime Publishers & Distributors
Major Anime Distributors
Who are the biggest distributors, both present and past, for anime in North America and beyond? Find out here.
Bandai Entertainment
Official U.S. site for the distributors of "Haruhi Suzumiya", the many "Gundam" sub-franchises, and classics like "Cowboy Bebop" and "Gurrent Lagann".
FUNimation Entertainment
Easily the most prolific distributor of anime in the U.S. and possibly worldwide, outside of Japan. Their catalog includes major hits like "DragonBall Z" and "One Piece", but also features more challenging and eclectic titles like "Basilisk" and "Rainbow". Most of their shows are available as free video streams from their website, too.
Manga
Odd that a video distributor should use the Japanese word for "comics" in their name, but Manga is one of the longest-lived anime distributors in the West. Among their most notable catalog titles: Ghost in the Shell (the original theatrical film), Karas, Dead Leaves and others. (Links to both the U.S. and U.K. versions of the company are on-site.)
Media Blasters
Famed for their DVD editions of "Voltron" (remastered from the original, long-thought-lost negatives) "Berserk", "Rurouni Kenshin" and "Blade of the Immortal". They also have a massive catalog of live-action titles from Japan which include adaptations of anime (e.g., "Cromartie High", "Kekko Kamen" and the "Lone Wolf and Cub" TV series).
Nozomi Entertainment / The Right Stuf International
Nozomi Entertainment is the boutique anime distributor subsidiary of online anime store The Right Stuf International, with a reputation for picking titles that are both fan favorites and high-quality productions: Revolutionary Girl Utena, The Dirty Pair, Emma: A Victorian Romance and many more.
Sentai Filmworks
ADV Films / AD Vision, one of the original licensors for anime in the U.S., has been reincarnated as Sentai Filmworks. Their catalog's an eclectic mix of fan favorites ("Gin Tama"), long-standing classics ("You're Under Arrest") and more recent finds ("The Skull Man").
VIZ Media
Distributors of "Naruto", "Bleach", "InuYasha", and "Death Note", with relatively few titles in their catalog but almost all of them being immensely popular. They also distribute live-action movie titles, including spinoffs of animated properties (e.g., the "Death Note" theatrical films).