Editing History of anime in the United States

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The '''history of anime in the United States''' began in 1961, when ''[[Magic Boy (film)|Shōnen Sarutobi Sasuke]]'' and ''[[The White Snake Enchantress (film)|The White Snake Enchantress]]'', both produced by [[Toei Animation]], became the first two [[anime]] films to receive documented releases in the country under the names ''Magic Boy'' and ''Panda and the Magic Serpent'', respectively.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Lenburg |first1=Jeff |title=The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons |date=2009 |publisher=Checkmark Books |location=New York |isbn=978-0-8160-6600-1 |edition=3rd |page=200}}</ref> Anime has since found success with a growing audience in the region, with ''[[Astro Boy (1963 TV series)|Astro Boy]]'' often being noted as the first anime to receive widespread syndication, especially in the United States.<ref name="DailyDot">{{cite web |last1=Bond |first1=Jean-Michael |title=Why anime is more popular now than ever |url=https://www.dailydot.com/parsec/what-is-anime/ |website=[[The Daily Dot]] |access-date=March 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200327012936/https://www.dailydot.com/parsec/what-is-anime/ |archive-date=March 27, 2020 |date=April 6, 2018 |url-status=live  }}</ref><ref name="Ruh">{{cite journal |last1=Ruh |first1=Brian |date=2010 |title=Transforming U.S. Anime in the 1980s: Localization and Longevity |url=https://www.academia.edu/1472869 |journal=Mechademia |volume=5 |access-date=March 28, 2020}}</ref> Although a handful titles were translated before 1970, such as [[Speed Racer]] and [[8 Man|Eight Man]] (released as Tobor the Eight Man in the US) anime wouldn't regrow into popularity in the US until the 1990s, commonly referred to as the "anime boom," is credited with much of anime's enduring relevance to popular culture outside Japan.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=MCKEVITT |first=ANDREW C. |date=2010 |title="You Are Not Alone!": Anime and the Globalizing of America |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24916463 |journal=Diplomatic History |volume=34 |issue=5 |pages=893–921 |doi=10.1111/j.1467-7709.2010.00899.x |jstor=24916463 |issn=0145-2096|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Answerman - What Happened To The 90s Anime Boom? |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/answerman/2017-02-10/.112048 |access-date=August 5, 2022 |website=Anime News Network |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://pro.morningconsult.com/trend-setters/anime-rise-dragonball-z-crunchyroll|title=Inside Anime's Rise to the Top of American Pop Culture|date=11 October 2022|website=[[Morning Consult]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dentsu.co.jp/en/showcase/anime_is_killer_content.html|title=The Numbers Speak for Themselves! Anime is Killer Content for Gen Z|website=[[Dentsu]]|date= 4 December 2023}}</ref>

While several anime series have originally been distributed by [[Copyright infringement|pirates]] and [[fansubbers]] in the past via bootleg releases from the late-1990s to mid-2000s, such practices have rapidly declined since the early-2010s due to the advent of legal streaming services such as [[Netflix]], [[Prime Video]], [[Hidive]] and [[Crunchyroll]], which [[simulcast]] new anime series often within a few hours of their domestic release.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ho |first=Soleil |date=January 9, 2019 |title=The future of anime fansubs in a simulcast world |url=https://www.polygon.com/2019/1/9/18171014/anime-fansubs-translation-streaming-crunchyroll |access-date=August 5, 2022 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vfxvoice.com/decades-of-growth-rise-of-vod-and-streaming-trigger-anime-avalanche/|title=Decades of Growth, Rise of VOD and Streaming Trigger Anime Avalanche|website=[[Visual Effects Society|vfxvoice]]|date=October 3, 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.emarketer.com/content/streamers-want-on-anime-s-growing-global-audience|title=Streamers want in on anime's growing global audience|website=[[eMarketer]]|date=5 April 2022}}</ref>

== Pre-1980s ==
After the first introduction of Astro Boy in 1963 in Japan, and later that year in the U.S. Many anime titles would receive dubbed into English during the 1960s, often broadcast on syndication or sometimes as [[Saturday-morning cartoon|Saturday morning cartoons]], due to the quickly growing popularity of animation on US television screens. In January 1966, Tetsujin 28-go, renamed ''[[Gigantor]]'', debuted on New York's [[WPIX|WPIX-TV]]. it had mixed reception, with reviewers such as [[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] magazine giving it a menacing review, with writers calling it a  "loud, violent, tasteless and cheerless cartoon" which was "strictly in the retarded babysitter class".<ref>Variety, 26 January 1966</ref>   American International Television Productions released an English dub of [[Prince Planet]] around September 1966, however, it lacked popularity due to the growing popularity of [[color television]] and excessive violence. The same dubbing studio had also worked on [[The Amazing 3]] in 1967, which was broadcast on [[KCOP-TV]] in [[Los Angeles]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=San Bernardino Sun 10 September 1968 — California Digital Newspaper Collection |url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SBS19680910&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1 |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=cdnc.ucr.edu}}</ref>

Later in 1967, [[Speed Racer]] would be dubbed by [[Trans-Lux|Trans-Lux Corporation]] on syndication, becoming very popular, and would be one of the most popular anime in the U.S. until the 1990s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=VW.Com: Contact Us |url=https://udel.edu/~mm/anime/speed/articles/vw.html |access-date=2024-12-14 |website=udel.edu}}</ref> After the release of [[Marine Boy]] in 1969, there would be no new anime titles released in America until 1978.

Due to the extreme popularity of ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' in 1977, In 1978, [[Sandy Frank Entertainment]] released an Americanized version of ''[[Science Ninja Team Gatchaman]]'', to capitalize on the space craze caused by ''Star Wars'', retitling the show as ''[[Battle of the Planets]].'' 85 of the original 105 episodes made the US revised version, along with cuts of elements of graphic violence and profanity. The show reached a high level of success, airing on over 100 network affiliates during after-school hours by 1979.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bain |first=Marc |date=2020-05-21 |title=How Japan's global image morphed from military empire to eccentric pop-culture superpower |url=https://qz.com/1806376/japans-image-has-changed-from-fierce-to-lovable-over-the-decades |access-date=2025-02-22 |website=Quartz |language=en}}</ref> That same year, ''[[Space Battleship Yamato]]'' would also receive an Americanized version, rebranded as ''[[Star Blazers]].'' 

==1980s==
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Basic cable provided a frequent broadcast outlet for juvenile-targeted anime during the 1980s, in particular [[Nickelodeon]] and CBN Cable Network (now as [[Freeform (TV channel)|Freeform]]).

In the early 1980s, CBN aired an English dub of the Christian-themed anime series ''[[Superbook (1981 TV series)|Superbook]]'' and ''[[The Flying House (TV series)|The Flying House]]'', as well as the female-aimed drama series ''[[Honey Honey no Suteki na Bouken|Honey Honey]]'' and an uncut, Honolulu-dubbed version of [[Go Nagai]]'s [[super robot]] series ''[[Mazinger Z]]'' (aired as part of a Japan-focused, public-affairs program). In the late 1980s, after the station had been renamed as "The Family Channel", it would also air dubs of ''[[Wowser (TV series)|Wowser]]'' and [[Nippon Animation]]'s [[World Masterpiece Theater]] version of ''[[The Swiss Family Robinson: Flone of the Mysterious Island|Swiss Family Robinson]]''.

Nickelodeon aired anime such as ''[[The Mysterious Cities of Gold]]'' and ''[[Belle and Sebastian (Japanese TV series)|Belle and Sebastian]]'', and anime also later formed a major component of the network's preschool-aimed [[Nick Jr.]] block, including ''[[Maple Town]]'', ''[[Adventures of the Little Koala]]'', ''[[Noozles]]'', ''[[Maya the Honey Bee|Maya the Bee]]'', ''[[The Littl' Bits]]'', and ''[[Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics]]''. Pay-TV channels also aired anime occasionally: [[HBO]] broadcast numerous anime television series based on Western literature, including [[Gisaburō Sugii]]'s ''[[Jack and the Beanstalk (1974 film)|Jack and the Beanstalk]]'' and the World Masterpiece Theater versions of ''[[Tales of Little Women|Little Women]]'' and ''[[The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1980 TV series)|Tom Sawyer]]'', and [[Osamu Tezuka]]'s ''[[Unico]]'' features aired on the [[Disney Channel]].

In 1981, [[Roger Corman]]'s [[New World Pictures]] oversaw the production of an English dub of the first Galaxy Express movie ''[[Galaxy Express 999|Bonjour Galaxy Express 999]]'', shortened the name to ''Galaxy Express'', distributed it theatrically. The dub changed some of the original Japanese names into more recognizable American names, like changing Tetsuro to Joey and Harlock to Warlock. Corman also edited out 30 minutes of footage, and Antonia Levi, the author of "Samurai from Outer Space", said that his dub was "highly edited and too damaged to watch". Faring similarly poorly was [[Manson International]]'s 1984 edit of [[Hayao Miyazaki]]'s ''[[Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (film)|Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind]]'', released theatrically by New World as ''Warriors of the Wind''; a mainstay on [[HBO]] during the mid-to-late 1980s, this edited version is said to have so displeased Miyazaki that he would insist that all future American releases of his work be unedited.

In 1983, Stern Electronics released a [[Dragon's Lair (1983 video game)|''Dragon's Lair'']] [[Video game clone|clone]] known as ''[[Cliff Hanger (video game)|Cliff Hanger]]'', which contained footage from the ''[[Lupin the Third|Lupin III]]'' films ''[[The Castle of Cagliostro]]'' and ''[[The Mystery of Mamo]]''. As ''Cliff Hanger'' predated any proper Western release of ''Lupin'' media or Hayao Miyazaki films, and the popularization of anime in the West generally, it became notable for first exposing many Americans to anime.<ref name="om">{{cite web |author=Surat, Daryl |date=March 9, 2012 |title=The Castle of Cagliostro Hayao Miyazaki's First (And Most Enjoyable) Movie |url=http://www.otakuusamagazine.com/SearchAudience/News1/The_Castle_of_Cagliostro_4553.aspx |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018154933/http://www.otakuusamagazine.com/SearchAudience/News1/The_Castle_of_Cagliostro_4553.aspx |archive-date=October 18, 2014 |access-date=August 27, 2013 |publisher=Otaku USA Magazine }}</ref>

In the mid-1980s, super robot and [[space opera]] anime were very popular. Series such as [[Voltron (TV series)|''Voltron'']], ''[[The Transformers (TV series)|The Transformers]]'', and [[Robotech (TV series)|''Robotech'']] were successful in ratings and also commercial successes through selling merchandise. ''Mazinger Z'' fared less well, airing in syndication in 1985 in a heavily edited and dubbed version (not the Toei-commissioned dub previously broadcast on CBN) titled ''TranZor Z.'' Faring even worse was the first American release of [[Akira Toriyama]]'s ''[[Dragon Ball (TV series)|Dragon Ball]]'' in 1989. [[Harmony Gold USA|Harmony Gold]] produced a partial dub of the first five TV episodes and two movies (''The Curse of the Blood Rubies'' and ''The Mystical Adventure''), which were edited into an 80-minute film. The dubs were syndicated across America to independent television stations such as [[WPSG]] Philly 57 in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]], and [[WWJ-TV|WGPR-TV]] in [[Detroit|Detroit, Michigan]], but failed to find an audience.

Between 1988 and 1989, the [[OVA]] series ''[[Bubblegum Crisis]]'' was one of the earliest fansubs, with [[AnimEigo]] later acquiring a license to distribute and dub the series.

In 1988, [[Streamline Pictures]] became one of the first companies dedicated solely to anime dubs, most notably dubbed versions of ''[[Twilight of the Cockroaches]]'' and three more Miyazaki films: ''[[My Neighbor Totoro]]'' and ''[[Kiki's Delivery Service]]'', both released initially as in-flight entertainment for [[Japan Airlines]] passengers traveling from North America to Japan, and ''[[Laputa: Castle in the Sky|Castle in the Sky]]''. The ''Totoro'' dub would eventually be released theatrically and commercially in the United States in 1993, and all three movies would later be redubbed by the [[The Walt Disney Company|Walt Disney Company]] as part of the company's deal with [[Studio Ghibli]].

''[[Lensman (1984 film)|Lensman: Secret of The Lens]]'', based on the ''[[Lensman series|Lensman]]'' novels by [[E. E. Smith]], was first dubbed by Harmony Gold in 1988, and re-dubbed by Streamline Pictures in 1990; some of the voice actors voiced characters in both dubs. The Harmony Gold dub used remastered music and some music tracks came from their past movies ''[[Robotech II: The Sentinels]]'' and ''Robotech The Movie: The Untold Story'', while the Streamline Pictures dub used the original Japanese soundtrack.

In 1988, AnimEigo begun distributing more anime after Streamline Pictures, with the slogan "Anime in your way!". Their first anime they dubbed was ''[[Metal Skin Panic MADOX-01]]''; renamed ''MADOX-01'' for the British release in 1995, it was only released on [[VHS]] in 1989, due to content not suitable for television or theatrical release. The company also dubbed the 4-episode OVA ''[[Vampire Princess Miyu]]'' that same year, which was later adapted into a 26-episode TV series by [[Tokyopop]] (and later by [[Maiden Japan]] in 1997).

In the mid- to late 1980s, anime films such as ''[[Akira (1988 film)|Akira]]'', ''My Neighbor Totoro'', ''Castle in the Sky'', ''Kiki's Delivery Service'', and ''MADOX-01'' were dubbed by companies including [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]], [[20th Century Studios|Fox]], [[New World Pictures]], and AnimEigo. Even though these films were not very successful at the time, due in part to limited release, critical reception was positive, and ''Akira'' found a cult following. Most of these films received higher-quality dubs later on.

==1990s==
The 1990s was the period in which anime reached mainstream popularity in the U.S. market and the terms "anime" and "manga" became commonly known, replacing "Japanimation".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-01-14-ca-24415-story.html|title=Tooning In to Japanimation : Anime or Japanese animation, is attracting a growing following in the States. Some aficionados even insist that the sleek imports are better than--yes-- Disney.|first=Jon|last=Matsumoto|date=January 14, 1996|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/15/movies/television-review-a-sampling-of-violence-from-japan.html|title=TELEVISION REVIEW; A Sampling Of Violence From Japan|first=John J.|last=O'Connor|date=May 15, 1995|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref> Companies such as [[Funimation Productions]], [[Bandai Visual|Bandai Entertainment]], [[4Kids Entertainment]], [[Central Park Media]], [[Media Blasters]], [[Saban Entertainment]], [[Viz Media]], [[NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan|Pioneer LDC]], and [[A.D. Vision|ADV Films]] began licensing anime in the United States.

The first anime in the US in the 1990s, ''[[Dragon Quest|Dragon Warrior]]'' (also known as ''Dragon Quest''), created by Akira Toriyama and based on the [[Dragon Quest|video game series]], aired in 1989 in Japan; in 1990, it was broadcast in the US by Saban. The show was unsuccessful in the US and was not released on home video. Saban later dubbed and adapted the 1990 anime ''[[Kyatto Ninden Teyandee]]'' as ''Samurai Pizza Cats'' and aired it in syndication in 1996. In 2002, Saban's rights to the show expired, after which [[Discotek Media]] obtained the rights (which it still owns currently).

Viz Media, which was already successful with its manga translation of [[Rumiko Takahashi]]'s ''[[Ranma ½]]'', bought the rights to the anime and released it via [[direct-to-video]] starting in 1993. ''Ranma ½'' enjoyed success in the VHS market, being the first anime title in the 1990s to have this level of success, and was one of the first titles to be recognized as an "anime". Viz also began publishing a magazine called ''[[Animerica]]'' in the 1990s, which featured manga as well as articles on Japanese culture, aesthetic, manga, anime, and video games; this helped spread the ''[[otaku]]'' subculture to Americans. Fansubs were also popular during this period.

In 1995, the original ''Dragon Ball'', now assisted by Funimation and other collaborators,<ref name=firstrun>{{cite web|url=https://dbzu.3gkai.com/series/usinfo.html|title=Dragon Ball in the United States: The Full Disclosure|website=Dragon Ball Z Uncensored|accessdate=November 1, 2022}}</ref><ref name=syndication>{{cite web|url=https://www.kanzenshuu.com/rumor/funimation-did-not-begin-dubbing-dragon-ball-z-until-1999/|title=Rumor: "FUNimation Did Not Begin Dubbing Dragon Ball Z until 1995|publisher=Kanzenshuu|accessdate=November 1, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Pioneer announces last Dragonball Z release|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/1998-11-14/pioneer-announces-last-dragonball-z-release|website=Anime News Network|date=November 14, 1998|access-date=November 1, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Jimmy|last=Fowler|title=International incident|url=https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/international-incident-6396506|website=Dallas Observer|date=January 20, 2000|access-date=November 1, 2022}}</ref> finally managed to air to an American audience for one season in early morning syndication. The show was cancelled after one season due to low ratings.

Anime saw greater success among American audiences when [[DIC Entertainment|DiC]] (then owned by Disney) and Funimation (via Saban Entertainment and Canada-based [[Ocean Studios]]) licensed ''[[Sailor Moon]]'' (1995) and ''[[Dragon Ball Z]]'' (1996) respectively, and both were televised in the U.S. through early morning syndication. Since the two anime were very successful internationally, they were purchased to capitalize on the success of Japan-influenced [[superhero]] shows such as Fox Kids' ''[[Mighty Morphin Power Rangers]]'' (the popular Americanized version of the [[tokusatsu]] series ''[[Super Sentai]]'') and ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987 TV series)|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]''.

In Summer 1998, [[Cartoon Network]], which had an action-themed evening block named [[Toonami]], began airing ''Sailor Moon'' and ''Dragon Ball Z''. Both became overpoweringly successful with younger audiences (due to being aired in the evening hours which children were home). As a result, both series were revived, receiving new dubs with significantly less editing amid the recent inception of the [[TV Parental Guidelines]] (both were rated TV-Y7-FV). ''Voltron'', ''Robotech'' and ''Ronin Warriors'' also enjoyed renewed success on Toonami. Toonami would continue to air anime and is credited with beginning the anime boom in the United States in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 1996, one of the most influential and controversial popular series was ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]''. It was released uncut on VHS by ADV Films, and [[Manga Entertainment]] released the films ''[[The End of Evangelion|End of Evangelion]]'' and ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth|Evangelion: Death and Rebirth]]'' in the U.S. in 2002. ''Evangelion'' grew to have a large fanbase in the United States.

In 1998, ''[[Pokémon]]'' was introduced to America because of The WB (now as CW), becoming a commercial success through its merchandising ([[trading card]]s, VHS, toys, video games, etc.). ''[[Digimon]]'' was introduced in 1999; although it was a success, it did not reach the same level of popularity as ''Pokémon''.

Throughout the 1990s, [[Syfy]] (formerly Sci-Fi Channel) also aired many experimental, avant-garde, action, horror, and sci-fi anime films and series during the late night and early morning hours until their removal from programming in 2011. It aired films including ''[[Ghost in the Shell (1995 film)|Ghost in the Shell]]'', ''[[Ninja Scroll]]'', ''Akira'', ''[[Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie]]'', and ''[[Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer]]'', and series such as ''[[Casshan: Robot Hunter]]'', ''[[Record of Lodoss War]]'', ''[[Iria: Zeiram the Animation]]'', and ''[[Fist of the North Star]]''. In Northern California, [[KQEH|KTEH-TV]] in [[San Jose, California|San Jose]] became well known locally for being one of the few [[PBS]] outlets to air anime, in both dubbed and subtitled versions.

In 1999, Disney's [[Miramax]] released the anime film ''[[Princess Mononoke]]'' in the U.S. theatrically. Although it was not a great success at the box office, performing much better on DVD releases, it began the relationship between Disney and Studio Ghibli to distribute the latter's films in the U.S.

==2000s==
{{Unreferenced section|date=February 2023}}
In the 2000s, even after the popular series ''Dragon Ball Z'' and ''Sailor Moon'' ended their runs, Toonami still continued to air popular anime such as ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam Wing]]'' (which is credited for single-handedly popularizing the ''[[Gundam]]'' franchise in some Western countries), ''[[Dragon Ball GT]]'', ''[[Rurouni Kenshin]]'',''[[YuYu Hakusho#Anime|Yu Yu Hakusho]]'', ''[[.hack]]'', ''[[Cardcaptor Sakura|Cardcaptors]]'', ''[[Tenchi Muyo!]]'', ''[[Tenchi Universe]]'' (and ''[[Tenchi in Tokyo]]''), ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team|The 08th MS Team]]'', ''[[One Piece (1999 TV series)|One Piece]]'', ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam SEED]]'', ''[[SD Gundam]]'', ''[[Cyborg 009]]'', ''[[Immortal Grand Prix|IGPX]]'', ''[[Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo]]'', ''[[Outlaw Star]]'', ''[[Hamtaro]]'', and ''[[Naruto]]''. ''Naruto'' was very successful on Toonami and remains one of the most popular anime titles in the U.S. In 2008, Toonami was discontinued and anime began airing exclusively on [[Adult Swim]], the late-night counterpart to Cartoon Network.

When Adult Swim began airing on Cartoon Network in 2001, its first anime title aired was ''[[Cowboy Bebop]]''. ''Cowboy Bebop'' was very successful and remains the longest aired anime series on Adult Swim. Adult Swim also aired series including uncut episodes of ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist (TV series)|Fullmetal Alchemist]]'', ''[[Inuyasha#Anime|Inuyasha]]'', ''[[Samurai Champloo]]'', ''[[Death Note]]'', ''[[Durarara!!]]'', ''[[FLCL]]'', ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'', ''[[Case Closed]]'', ''[[Lupin the 3rd Part II|Lupin III]]'', ''[[Code Geass]]'', ''[[Bleach (TV series)|Bleach]]'', ''[[Crayon Shin-chan|Shin Chan]]'', and ''[[Trigun]]''. Adult Swim mostly airs anime under the title "Action", even though ''Shin Chan'' and ''[[Super Milk Chan]]'' are comedies. Adult Swim became so successful over the years that [[Turner Broadcasting System|Turner Broadcasting]] split it from Cartoon Network; it is now ranked as an independent network.

Due to the popularity of ''Dragon Ball Z'', Funimation would continue to dominate anime distribution in the United States and continued licensing several popular titles such as [[Fruits Basket (2001 TV series)|''Fruits Basket'']], ''[[Black Cat (manga)#Anime|Black Cat]]'', ''[[Ouran High School Host Club]]'', ''[[Kodocha]]'', ''Fullmetal Alchemist'', and ''[[Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle]]'', and launched its own [[Funimation Channel]] to exclusively air most of its titles. Funimation would also save rights to titles from defunct licensors, such as with ADV Films (which closed in 2008) and Geneon (which closed in 2007).

After the success of ''Pokémon'' in the late 1990s, 4Kids Entertainment continued to license anime titles targeted towards children, such as the ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!]]'' franchise, ''[[Sonic X]]'', ''[[Ojamajo Doremi|Magical DoReMi]]'', ''[[Tokyo Mew Mew|Mew Mew Power]]'', ''[[Shaman King]]'', ''[[Kirby: Right Back at Ya!]]'', ''[[Dinosaur King]]'', and ''[[Ultimate Muscle]]''. However, 4Kids was met with much controversy for its heavy editing and "Americanization" of content, particularly ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' and ''One Piece''.

In 2002, ''[[Spirited Away]]'' was released through Disney theatrically, becoming the first anime film to be nominated for and win an [[Academy Awards|Oscar]].<!-- Please do not include Cory in the House [[MOS:A&M]]. -->

==2010s==
{{Unreferenced section|date=February 2023}}
In 2010, ''Dragon Ball Z Kai'' premiered on Nicktoons (sister channel of the first kids' network) and became a hit success for the network. Nicktoons also aired the original ''Dragon Ball Z'' films and ''Dragon Ball GT''. Starting in March 2013, ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! (2000 TV series)|Yu-Gi-Oh!]]'' and one of its continuing series, ''Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal'', began to air on the network. ''[[Digimon Adventure (1999 TV series)|Digimon Adventure]]'' and ''[[Digimon Adventure 02]]'' also started to air on Nicktoons starting in June 2013, and one of its continuing series, ''Digimon Fusion'', moved to the network from Nickelodeon on October 13, 2013 after three episodes, mostly due to Nickelodeon's failed attempt at marketing the anime before it premiered on September 7.

[[Section23 Films|Section23]], Bandai, Viz, [[TV Tokyo]], and Funimation have tried to limit these efforts by sending [[cease and desist]] letters or blocking content on many sites. The production of English dubs of anime has decreased in general, and many distributors, such as [[Sentai Filmworks]], [[Aniplex of America]], and [[Nippon Ichi Software#NIS America|NIS America]], are switching to the subtitle-only market.

In 2012, Bandai folded its Bandai Entertainment anime licensing department in the United States. Eventually, their [[Sunrise (studio)|Sunrise]] studio made deals with Funimation and Sentai Filmworks to license and republish Sunrise titles formerly licensed by Bandai Entertainment. In 2012, [[4Kids Entertainment]] filed for bankruptcy protection and sold the rights to the ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' franchise back to [[Konami]], with the remaining licenses going to [[Saban Capital Group|Saban Brands]].

In early 2012, ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos]]'' was released in over 100 theaters throughout North America. ''[[Arrietty|The Secret World of Arrietty]]'' was released theatrically in 2012, and was only a moderate box office success in the United States, despite being one of the highest-grossing films in the U.S. in 2012 (and #50 worldwide).

In 2012, due to popular requests on [[Twitter]], [[Reddit]], and [[Facebook]], the Toonami block was revived and began airing on [[Adult Swim]], replacing Adult Swim Action. Similar to Toonami's prior Midnight Run block, it is now targeted towards a young adult demographic with little to no editing of content. On May 16, 2014, Viz Media acquired the license for the original ''Sailor Moon'' series (formerly owned by DiC (now part of WildBrain) and [[Cloverway Inc.]] in the 1990s and early 2000s) and the new 2014 anime series, ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: Crystal'', which it premiered on July 5. In May 2014, The Walt Disney Company acquired the broadcasting rights for the 2005 ''[[Doraemon (2005 TV series)|Doraemon]]'' series and began airing it on [[Disney XD]] two months later, marking the first-ever release of the ''Doraemon'' franchise in the United States after not airing many years later because of Turner's failure.

In December 2015, the Funimation Channel was replaced by [[Toku (TV network)|Toku]], after Funimation finished its association with Olympusat, being the only 24-hour TV channel dedicated to broadcasting anime series and films, as well as live-action Asian films.

==2020s==
{{Multiple issues|{{Unreferenced section|date=February 2023}}
{{Update|part=section|date=April 2023}}|section=y}}

Due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], many anime works were either been delayed or canceled.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}

Despite this, anime consumption and appreciation in the United States has grown tremendously in the 2020s. This is largely due to the nationwide lockdown during the pandemic, and popularity of anime edits and fan discourse on the social media app TikTok. This exposed a whole new wave of American fans to Japanese anime, namely ''My Hero Academia'', ''Death Note'', ''Hunter x Hunter'', ''Attack on Titan'', and ''Haikyuu!''. This newfound interest and demand for anime content has only increased among audiences, as of 2024.

In the years since 2020, there have been several US theatrical releases of new Japanese animated films, and even limited-time re-releases of popular films such as ''[[The End of Evangelion]]'' and a variety of Ghibli films screened nationwide during [[Ghiblifest]].

Netflix has also adapted an expanding number of live-action series based on Japanese anime IP. Their most successful adaptions thus far have been ''[[One Piece]]'' (2024) and ''[[Alice in Borderland]]'' (2020).

==See also==
*[[History of anime]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:United States anime history}}
[[Category:Anime]]
[[Category:History of animation in the United States]]