Marketing Muscle
Manga Entertainment had the marketing muscle to do things their smaller US predecessors could not--work directly with retailers like Tower Records on in-store promotions, create merchandise (caps, T-shirts, posters) and their own trademark character (Manga Man) to create brand name recognition, sponsor newsletters and fan clubs worldwide. They believe their efforts are expanding the market for everyone. "In keeping with Island International's 30 year tradition," proclaims their presskit, "our philosophy is not to overtly compete but rather to innovate and create new trends which others may imitate." With the UK market nearly saturated, and the US market just starting to grow, Gleicher was promoted to CEO and Manga headquarters shifted to the US.

Angel Cop. © Manga Entertaiment.

"What we've done," Gleicher explains, "rather than going into mass market magazines, or to mass market broadcasters, is to broaden our marketing niche by niche. The first niche--the one we always keep in mind--is our core audience, the original anime fans. We always make sure to release the original, untouched Japanese version for them. Next come the sectors of the community into comics, not necessarily Japanese comics--skateboarders, Internet-surfers, science fiction fans." In the future, he aims to market to the hip-hop and street community.

UK releases since 1991 now number over 200. Manga US released 37 titles in 1995 and has 40 more scheduled by the end of 1996. The company has captured 3% of UK's $750 million video market, and is shooting for similar success in the US. When it comes to what kind of titles they look to acquire, Gleicher and Preece are of one mind. The releases have to be action-packed. Good story, and good animation are key. Something that expands the genre, using a style or technique not seen before is preferred. The target audience is male, 12-15 years old, though occasionally Manga "goes older," aiming at 18-30 year olds. R-rated titles have appeal, but bizarre, X-rated titles like Revenge Of The Overfiend are out.

US Slate
Manga's slate of US releases so far includes a handful of features and a number of the long-running serials unique to Japan. Giant Robo, based on the original manga by Gigantor creator Mitsuteru Yokoyama is a drama/suspense yarn with lots of comic touches. (The director claims to have gotten much of his inspiration from the Rocky Horror Picture Show!) It features a boy, his giant robot and a crime-fighting organization known as the Agents of Justice. Dominion Tank Police, Shirow's "heavily armored black comedy" is set in a futuristic city where a crime is committed every 36 seconds. Cops with tanks battle heavily armed criminals, including the scantily clad Puma Sisters, twins who like to strip before they kill. Black Magic M66, with story screenplay and direction by Shirow, tells the story of a female journalist protecting a young girl from two android assassins, part of a top secret military operation gone wrong. There are more robots gone bad in Mamoru Oshii's Patlabor series. Future crimes committed with giant robots called "Labors" and must be policed by Labor-equipped cops.

For those who can figure out its tangled lineage, Macross Plus is a descendant of two earlier Macross series and a cousin of the Robotech series Carl Macek's adapted for US consumption. Pilots "Isamu and Guld push their transforming aircraft to the limit in an all-out test of wills" and also compete for Myung, manager of computer-generated pop star Sharon Apple.

More squarely in the mecha category of stories centered around complex, multifarious machines is Orguss-02, in which opposing armies race to unearth massive, long-buried war-engines known as Decimators. Manga Video has replaced the original soundtrack with an eclectic new score. "We're trying to integrate a lot of cool music into these films," Gleicher notes, "to combine edge music with really well-done edge animation." In another mecha series, The Guyver, a high school kid is taken over by a suit of organic armor. Once encased, he is forced to fight the monstrous Zoanoids.