Animatsu: Introducing the UK's Newest Anime Distributor

The UK's anime scene is a fraction of the size of its American counterpart. For more than 20 years, it has been dominated by one name, the mighty (if inaccurately named) Manga Entertainment -formerly Manga Video. At the end of 2014 things took an unexpected twist, when Manga's top man Jerome Mazandarani departed the company to start new company Animatsu, taking colleague Andrew Hewson with him.

Little was known about the new company at the time, but they have now announced the launch via their first press release. The new company will be launching their first titles in the UK and Ireland starting March 2015, on Digital, Blu-Ray and DVD. They will be releasing non animated titles as well, with live-action Halo: Nightfall being their first confirmed title. Anime wise, they have signed a deal with US distributor Sentai for 8 titles, including Blade and Soul and Coffin Princess. Two further titles will be announced in the new issues of MyM magazine and Neo. Most excitingly though, the new company is to be involved in co-productions, stating "Animatsu will assist Japanese and International anime film-makers to develop and produce new films and TV series for the international market".

Animatsu has entered into a deal with Manga Entertainment that will see the veteran company handle sales and distribution while the new label will handle all marketing and brand-managment for both companies. With this new development and the ongoing excellence of Anime Limited, it's certainly an interesting time to be an anime fan in the UK.

You can follow Animatsu on Twitter and Facebook, for more details as they are announced.