ASM President Wendy Crawford sees the new line and the acquisition of the classic titles as a great chance to broaden the market for Japanese anime in the U.S.
“We’re really happy about this move,” Crawford told XBIZ. “These are highly sought after titles, and they’ll be a great addition to our catalog.”
According to ASM vice president of sales John Amatucci, the titles have had a limited exposure in the U.S. But ASM plans to work closely with merchants who have had experience selling the titles by providing them with new box art covers, pricing and sell sheets.
“Based on our research and previous experience, we felt adding a line with a suggested retail price of $14.99 would bring in new fans of the genre that have never watched hentai, as well as provide an affordable option for existing fans,” Amatucci said. “The feedback from our customers has been incredibly positive.”
One reason why fans might be coming onboard to what Crawford calls the fastest growing adult niche is the ability to see content that pushes boundaries.
While many adult entertainment companies labor under what the industry sees as restrictive 2257 regulations, Crawford sees the legal red tape as something of an opportunity for anime distributors and producers.
“I think a lot of people used to think that anime was for a geeky nerdy audience,” Crawford said. “But we can show really wild stuff without having to worry about 2257. It can be very hardcore; there can be monsters. In a way we’re blessed by the fact that our content is a cartoon and there are no real actors depicted.”
Despite the fact that producers can push limits for content, Crawford says that distributors can reap the advantages of placing titles in mainstream retail outlets.
“We’re in stores like Borders and Barnes & Noble,” Crawford said. “I think that has a lot to do with the way some retailers see anime as being something that isn’t quite an adult product so it’s ok to sell in their stores.”
The following titles are now part of the ASM catalog:
“Magical Kanan” Vols. 1-4
“Magic Kanan Special (Summer Camp)” Vols. 1-2;
“Romance in the flash of a sword” Vols. 1-6
“Princess Memory” Vols.1-2,
“Class Reunion Again” Vols. 1-2
“MaMa” Vols. 1-2
“Momiji” Vols. 1-4
“Harvest Night” Vols. 1-2
“Pianist”
“MoMone Chu 2”
“2 x 1” Vols. 1-2
“Dream Hazard”
“Dark Shell” Vols. 1-2
“Maids in Dream” Vols. 1-2
While Crawford believes ASM’s classic titles will be a hit with fans, she also says that the company has two newer titles in high-definition — “Made in Heaven” and “Arisa.”
