AnimeNation
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
AnimeNation is a well-known retailer of anime, manga, and other products of Japanese culture, founded in 1995 and located in Tampa, Florida. The company accepts orders through its website and its offices in Tampa Bay, Florida. AnimeNation also prints paper catalogs. In the United States, AnimeNation rents and sells anime DVDs by mail as "RentAnime.com,"[1] similar to the more widely known mainstream DVD rental service Netflix. The company's motto: "Life. Death. Anime in-between".
AnimeNation's selection includes many anime television series, movies, and OVAs, video games and anime soundtracks, J-pop, licensed anime-branded apparel, posters and wall scrolls, and snacks such as Pocky and Ramune. Hentai titles are available, but only through website or phone orders, and not at the AnimeNation store.
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[edit] AN Entertainment
In 2003, AnimeNation announced its intention to license and distribute anime directly under the name of AN Entertainment. The first title the company licensed was Risky Safety, which was followed in 2004 by Miami Guns. Their third release was Haré+Guu, which was released as a joint venture with Bang Zoom! Entertainment in February 2006.
ADV Films was the distributor of Risky Safety and Miami Guns (though its logo only appeared in trade ads). With Haré+Guu, distribution was switched to FUNimation Entertainment.
[edit] Website services
The AnimeNation website includes information on the products it sells, a forum, some sound clips of music, free email service, and a regular column, "Ask John," where AN employee John Oppliger answers various questions about anime titles, the anime industry, and the cultural significance of aspects of anime. "Ask John" archives on the AnimeNation website extend back to 1999. Previous questions answered include "Why Is There No Subtitled Pokémon?," "How Age Appropriate is Anime?," and "Why is Lolicon popular in America?"
[edit] John Oppliger
John Oppliger (born August 31, 1972) is an employee of AnimeNation, an anime merchandise and production distributor. Oppliger works as an editor and consultant, whose duties include writing product descriptions for the storefront and maintaining the AnimeNation News webpage. He is best known for the web feature "Ask John" on the AnimeNation website, where Oppliger provides answers to reader submitted anime related questions. He also works as spot translator and editor for AN Entertainment, the production branch of AnimeNation.
A life-long fan of anime and other forms of Japanese entertainment, Oppliger has acquired an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the subjects. In his column, Oppliger addresses questions ranging from the simple to the complex in a thorough, objective manner. Even the most seemingly simple question can be answered with an extensively detailed response. His column has earned him a loyal base of fans worldwide, even the dedicated Japanese-translation site called "Ask John Fankurabu[2]" in Japan. While regarded as an authority by a number of readers, Oppliger is quick to point out that his articles are only his own subjective opinions, and readers should feel free to research their own conclusions.
Aside from anime, Oppliger is also an avid and extremely knowledgable fan of genre movies, particularly comic adaptations, horror, and Asian martial arts films. His favorite movie is the first Highlander film. His favorite bands are Asia and Queen.
Oppliger, born in Akron, Ohio holds a Masters Degree in English from the University of South Florida and for two years taught English at St. Petersburg College. Ethnically, he is of German (father side) and Malaysian Chinese (mother side) ancestry.
