News

Justin Sevakis' Video Production Company MediaOCD Acquires AnimEigo (Updated)

Video post-production company MediaOCD and anime distributor AnimEigo announced on Thursday that MediaOCD will acquire AnimEigo's video distribution business. AnimEigo's home video releases will continue to be available at retailers through MVD Entertainment Group, who will also continue distributing AnimEigo's digital releases. AnimEigo's current and future limited-edition crowdfunded releases will remain under the AnimEigo brand.

AnimEigo's digital storefront will continue to operate under new management, migrating to the MediaOCD website "in the coming months."

Husband and wife Robert Woodhead and Natsumi Ueki, who own and operate AnimEigo, will support MediaOCD during the transition process, with Woodhead saying that AnimEigo will help MediaOCD founder Justin Sevakis with the transition "over the next few years." In addition, Woodhead and Ueki will continue to manage current and future Kickstarter projects, ensuring all promised goods are delivered, and providing support for previous Kickstarter-funded releases for the forseeable future, including the recently ended Kickstarter campaign for The Super Dimension Fortress Macross II: Lovers, Again. Woodhead and Ueki plan to "slowly ease into retirement."

Update: Sevakis posted an animated logo on Twitter:

Robert Woodhead and Roe R. Adams III founded AnimEigo in 1988, and is one of the oldest remaining anime distributors in the United States. Woodhead is also the co-creator of the iconic Wizardry RPG franchise, and Adams worked as a designer on the series' fourth installment, Wizardry IV: The Return of Werdna. The pair founded AnimEigo as they were working on the game. The company's releases proved vital to the availability of anime in North America, as the company licensed key titles such as Urusei Yatsura, Bubblegum Crisis, Megazone 23, Otaku no Video, You're Under Arrest, Oh My Goddess!, Kimagure Orange Road, and Crusher Joe, among many others.

Anime News Network founder Justin Sevakis founded MediaOCD in 2012. The company is known for the quality of its film restoration and production of Digital Cinema and Blu-ray Discs. Within the anime industry, MediaOCD is most known for its production of Discotek Media releases, but has also produced discs for such companies as Anime Limited, NIS America, and Eleven Arts. MediaOCD debuted its Whole Grain Pictures indie film label in January 2024.

Update: Added animated logo. Source: Justin Sevakis' Twitter account

Source: Press release