Geneon

Geneon Entertainment--or as it's now known, Geneon Universal--is one of the world's major anime producers and distributors. The birth, death and rebirth of their North American division illustrates the current instability and unpredictability of the American anime industry.

The story began in 1993, when Japanese technology giant Pioneer Electronics decided to start an entertainment division in both Japan and America. While Pioneer Entertainment distributed tapes and Laserdiscs in a variety of genres, from music to documentaries, the company became best known as an anime producer and distributor. The company also became a major DVD supplier when the format became available. Titles first released during the Pioneer years included Tenchi Muyo, Serial Experiments Lain, Last Exile and  Trigun.

In 2003, Pioneer decided to sell off its entertainment division. The buyer was another Japanese corporate giant--Dentsu, an advertising firm. They renamed the company Geneon, which is a portmanteau of the English words generate and eon. (There was a transitional period, during which new releases carried both the Pioneer and Geneon logos on the packaging.) The new name was meant to signify innovation and longevity, which became bitterly ironic in light of what happened next.

Geneon USA began running into financial problems, despite being a popular and respected name among anime fans. Possible reasons for this included the increasing popularity of fansubs, Geneon's support of the doomed Mini DVD format, and the company's tendency to license arty Mind Screw series with limited commercial appeal (such as Paranoia Agent, Texhnolyze, and Ergo Proxy) alongside more mainstream titles such as Hellsing, Samurai Champloo, Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni, and Black Lagoon. Whatever the explanation, by 2007, Geneon was in trouble. After an attempted alliance with ADV Films (who were having problems of their own) quickly fell apart, Geneon USA announced that by the end of 2007 it would no longer manufacture or distribute DVDs. Not only did this leave several of its announced but uncompleted titles in limbo, it led many fans to assume that Geneon USA was completely out of business, when it actually still existed as a licensing firm. Still. American and Canadian anime fans spent the better part of a year wondering when--and if--the Geneon catalogue would find a new home.

The story has a happy ending. In 2008, Geneon licensed several of its titles (including most of the incomplete ones) to FU Nimation, who rereleased them. Select properties were picked up by other labels. (Moribito Guardian of the Spirit went to Media Blasters/Anime Works; Akira went to Bandai Entertainment/Honneamise; Sentai Filmworks, the successor to ADV Films, wound up rescuing several licenses in 2009 and 2010; El Hazard the Magnificent World was reissued by Nozomi Entertainment; Discotek announced Panda Go Panda in late 2011.)

Geneon's Japanese corporate parent continues to be one of that country's major entertainment producers and distributors; their properties include not only anime but several mainstream films from around the world, including America. In November 2008, Geneon Japan merged with Universal Pictures. The company is now known as Geneon Universal.

Anime News Network has done an excellent podcast in which former Geneon USA executive Chad Kime talks about the reasons for Geneon America's decline; these include anime series that failed (Heat Guy J cost as much as Fullmetal Alchemist but sold a fraction), budgeting for titles they did not own, and licensing titles because the previous titles didn't make money.

Anime licensed by Geneon include:

 * Three By Three Eyes*
 * Adventures of Mini Goddess*
 * Ah My Goddess: The Movie
 * Ai Yori Aoshi**
 * Akira* (later re-released by Bandai)
 * Amazing Nurse Nanako
 * Appleseed
 * Armitage III***
 * Ayakashi: Classic Japanese Horror
 * Barefoot Gen
 * Barefoot Gen 2
 * Bastard
 * Battle Athletes*
 * Battle Athletes Victory*
 * Beyblade
 * Black Heaven*
 * Black Lagoon**
 * Bottle Fairy
 * Burn Up Scramble
 * Captain Harlock: Endless Odyssey
 * Cardcaptor Sakura*
 * Catnapped!*
 * Chobits***
 * Cybuster*
 * The Daichis Earths Defense Family *
 * Daphne in The Brilliant Blue+
 * Dear S
 * Deltora Quest
 * Demon Lord Dante
 * Disgaea
 * A Dog of Flanders*
 * Doki Doki School Hours
 * Dokkoida?!+
 * Dragon Hunters
 * Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure*
 * El Hazard the Magnificent World*
 * Elemental Gelade**
 * Ergo Proxy**
 * Ex Driver*
 * Fafner in The Azure Dead Aggressor
 * The Familiar Of Zero**+ (first season only) (first season re-rescued by Sentai Filmworks when they picked up the fourth season, while skipping the second and third)
 * Fate Stay Night** (2006 TV series only)
 * Fighting Spirit
 * Fushigi Yuugi*
 * Gad Guard
 * Gankutsuou**
 * Gate Keepers*
 * Ghost Talkers Daydream
 * Gigantor
 * Girls Bravo**
 * Green Legend Ran*
 * Gregory Horror Show
 * Gun X Sword**
 * Haibane Renmei*
 * The Hakkenden*
 * Hanaukyo Maid Team
 * Hand Maid May
 * Heat Guy J***
 * Hellsing*
 * Hellsing Ultimate**
 * Higurashi** (first season only)
 * Human Crossing
 * Hyper Doll*
 * Ikki Tousen*** (first season only)
 * Jubei Chan (second series, Jubei-chan II; original series released by Bandai Entertainment)
 * Kamichu**
 * Kannazuki no Miko (aka Destiny of the Shrine Maiden)+
 * Karin**
 * Kishin Corps*
 * Koi Kaze
 * Kyou Kara Maou** (first season only)
 * L/R: Licensed by Royalty
 * Last Exile*** (original 2003 series only)
 * The Law of Ueki**
 * A Little Snow Fairy Sugar*+
 * Lupin III (The second series and Mystery of Mamo feature film)*
 * Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha** (except StrikerS)
 * Magical Project S*
 * Mahoromatic*+
 * Mao-chan*
 * Master Keaton*
 * Melody of Oblivion
 * Mermaid Saga (2003 "Mermaid's Forest" TV series only)
 * Moldiver*
 * Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit
 * Nazca*
 * New Getter Robo
 * Niea 7*
 * Panda Go Panda*
 * Paradise Kiss**
 * Paranoia Agent
 * Patlabor Movie 3: WXIII
 * Phantom Quest Corp.*
 * Popotan+
 * Le Portrait De Petite Cossette+
 * Pretty Sammy*
 * Requiemfromthe Darkness
 * ROD the TV (later re-released on Blu-Ray by Aniplex USA)
 * Rozen Maiden**+
 * Rumiko Takahashi Anthology
 * Sailor Moon (seasons S and SuperS, and the three films)*
 * Saiyuki Reload and Gunlock
 * Sakura Wars: The Movie
 * Samurai Champloo**
 * Serial Experiments Lain*
 * Shakugan no Shana** (first season only; Funimation seems to have rights to future installments)
 * Sherlock Hound*
 * Shonen Onmyouji**
 * Sol Bianca The Legacy
 * Somedays Dreamers+
 * The Soul Taker*
 * Star Ocean EX*
 * Starship Operators
 * Stellvia of the Universe
 * The Story of Saiunkoku** (first season only; the second season remains unlicensed)
 * Strawberry Marshmallow
 * Submarine 707R
 * Tales of Phantasia**
 * Tenchi Muyo*
 * Tenjho Tenge
 * Texhnolyze
 * Tokyo Underground
 * Trigun**
 * Tsukihime+
 * Ultra Maniac (later picked up by Viz, for streaming at least)
 * Vandread***
 * Viewtiful Joe
 * X 1999*
 * Zipang

* Originally released by Pioneer.

** Rereleased by FU Nimation.

*** Both of the above.

+ Rereleased by Sentai Filmworks.