Turning points of the anime Industry
The legs of any entertainment industry would be distribution, when new ones are invented and become standard the old set are cast off. Let us take a moment and look at a few of these classic formats that are long forgotten. Many kids of modern times may not know of any these obsolete formats, but for history sake I must say I can better appreciate current technology as I have used and lived through the days of VHS, Beta-Max, LaserDisc, and VideoDisc.
Remember that old saying “Be kind, Rewind” I bet your kids have no idea what that means. Well Anime Fans I grew up on VHS, I first encountered Anime on VHS and that’s when I fell in love with it. I have so many good memories from the VHS laserdisc days, and I must say without these formats the American anime industry would not be here today. Thanks Retro! If you’re asking yourself the question “Why is the past so important this second?” Ah, that is a very good question to ask. You might say the reign of DVD is at its end, though it will live on for a long time, but it has passed the torch to the High-Def king Blu-Ray. And that is a good thing, the industry as a whole needed it, and once again your anime collection will change and grow.
Classics once found on VHS are being reborn in their full glory, finally being able to display raw film has empowered artists and directors to re-create and restore classics. Future anime that is already in High def has a home alongside forgotten friends and timeless classics, all on one format. It’s a beautiful thing, and I will be writing more in-depth about it soon.
I will be breaking down some formats, and their impact on the world, including the anime industry in the coming weeks. And reviewing some new and old releases as related to topic and format on hand at time of review, let’s face it I don’t own Beta-max and have long parted with Laserdisc so VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray will be the formats.
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