Anime News Network (ANN) is a

news website An online newspaper (or electronic news or electronic news publication) is the online version of a newspaper, either as a stand-alone publication or as the online version of a printed periodical. Going online created more opportunities for newspa ...

that reports on the status of

anime is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...

, manga,

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

Japanese popular music J-pop ( ja, ジェイポップ, ''jeipoppu''; often stylized as J-POP; an abbreviated form of "Japanese popular music"), natively also known simply as , is the name for a form of popular music that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1 ...

and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and other editorial content, forums where readers can discuss current issues and events, and an encyclopedia that contains many anime and manga with information on the staff, cast,

theme music Theme music is a musical composition that is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at so ...

plot Plot or Plotting may refer to: Art, media and entertainment * Plot (narrative), the story of a piece of fiction Music * ''The Plot'' (album), a 1976 album by jazz trumpeter Enrico Rava * The Plot (band), a band formed in 2003 Other * ''Plot' ...

summaries, and user ratings. The website was founded in July 1998 by Justin Sevakis, and operated the magazine ''

Protoculture Addicts ''Protoculture Addicts'' was a Canadian-based anime and manga themed magazine published by Protoculture Inc., an Anime News Network company. The term "Protoculture Addicts" was also used by the Zentradi (an alien race that appeared in the ''Macro ...

'' from 2005 to 2008. Based in Canada, it has separate versions of its news content aimed toward audiences in four separate regions: the United States and Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and Southeast Asia.

History

The website was founded by Justin Sevakis in July 1998. In May 2000, CEO Christopher Macdonald joined the website editorial staff, replacing editor-in-chief Isaac Alexander. On June 30, 2002, Anime News Network launched its Encyclopedia, a collaborative database of anime and manga titles also including information about the staff, cast, and companies involved in the production or localization of those titles. On September 7, 2004, the

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online newsletter ''Sci Fi Weekly'' named ANN the Web Site of the Week. On September 18, 2004, the editorial staff at ANN became formally involved with the anime magazine ''

''; the magazine began publishing under ANN's editorial control in January 2005. In January 2007, ANN launched a separate version for Australian audiences. On July 4, 2008, ANN launched its video platform with a library of anime trailers as well as its own news show ANNtv. On August 7, 2017, a hacker took control of Anime News Network's domain (animenewsnetwork.com), and compromised some of the site's

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accounts, including the personal accounts of ANN's CEO Christopher Macdonald and Executive Editor Zac Bertschy. The site was temporarily live at animenewsnetwork.cc until the staff regained control of the original domain. In an article a few days after the loss of the domain, Macdonald published the full story on how the domain was stolen. On November 1, 2022, Kadokawa Corporation announced an agreement to acquire a majority of Anime News Network's media business through a new subsidiary Kadokawa World Entertainment. Christopher Macdonald, the president of ANN, will be appointed as the publisher of Kadokawa World Entertainment upon the deal's closure. Macdonald and Bandai Namco Filmworks will retain minority shares in the new company.

Features

Anime News Network stories related to anime and manga are researched by the ANN staff. Other contributors, under staff discretion, also contribute news articles. The website maintains a listing of anime and manga titles, as well as people and companies involved in the production of those titles, which it dubs an "encyclopedia". The site has hosted several regular columns, including a question-and-answer column "Hey Answerman", a review column entitled "Shelf Life", a column on old and forgotten media called "Buried Treasure" written by Sevakis. ANN also hosts forums, and includes threads to accompany each news item for purposes of discussion. Anime News Network hosts an

IRC Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is a text-based chat system for instant messaging. IRC is designed for group communication in discussion forums, called '' channels'', but also allows one-on-one communication via private messages as well as chat an ...

channel on the WorldIRC network, #animenewsnetwork.

References

External links

* * {{authority control Anime and manga websites Announced mergers and acquisitions Canadian entertainment websites Canadian subsidiaries of foreign companies English-language encyclopedias Entertainment databases Internet properties established in 1998 Kadokawa Corporation subsidiaries Online film databases