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Media Blasters is a producer, localizer, and distributor of genre media such as Anime, Manga, Japanese live-action and Toku, and horror films (along with the occasional Western animation). They were founded in 1996 as a store specializing in these genres, but began moving into production as time passed.
As far as the anime/manga market is concerned, despite managing to licence several cash-cow series (Voltron/GoLion, Rurouni Kenshin, Ah! My Goddess, Bible Black), Media Blasters generally focused on more obscure series and never tried to expand as far as its competitors. (Meaning they didn't overextend themselves as much.)
Media Blasters uses several labels for its releases:
- Anime Works — anime and manga.
- Kitty Media — Hentai. Has a tendency to use Parallel Porn Titles.
- Tokyo Shock — Japanese live-action, including Toku.
- Shriek Show — Obscure horror and exploitation.
On January 10th, 2012, it announced it was going freelance and already laid off 60% of its employees, leaving the actual body of the company comprised of five or six people. The next year, a "major back accident" in their warehouse meant they could not travel to Japan to licenses. Business associates began going around Japan, showing a tax paper stating Media Blasters was out of business, resulting in the loss of a majority of their licensed titles, most notably Rurouni Kenshin, Berserk, and Bakuman.
In January 2015, Media Blasters signed a deal with MB VoiceWorks to move English dubbing for their titles in-house instead of contracting that out. After MB VoiceWorks closed the following year, Media Blaster continued producing English dubs in-house, with the co-founder of MB VoiceWorks continued to lead the dubbing department and act as dubbing director.
Towards the end of 2020, the company announced a resurgence with a new Twitter account showing off their new releases, and created a new opening animation five months later.
Works released by this company include:[]
- Ah! My Goddess (The first season of the TV series)
- Alien from the Darkness
- Bakuman｡
- Berserk (TV series)
- Bible Black
- Blade of the Immortal
- Bludgeoning Angel Dokurochan
- Cosmo Warrior Zero
- Crimson Spell (first 2 volumes)
- Cromartie High School (The live-action movie)
- Elf Princess Rane
- Eiken (The OVA and manga)
- EL (though the English license was acquired from the original license-holder, NuTech)
- Galaxy High
- GaoGaiGar
- Genshiken (First and second series)
- Kujibiki Unbalance (TV series; OVAs as extras on the Genshiken discs.)
- Giant Robo (DVD release of series, with both a new dub and the existing U.S. Renditions/Manga Entertainment dub)
- Golden Boy (Re-release of the ADV Films dub)
- Green Green
- Grenadier
- Gun Frontier
- Gunparade March
- Huntik Secrets and Seekers
- Ikki Tousen (Licenced the second and third seasons, Dragon Destiny and Great Guardians; first season is licensed by FUNimation after rescuing it from Geneon)
- Invader Zim (DVDs now discontinued)
- Jungle de Ikou!
- Kanokon
- Kashimashi (anime; manga is licensed by Seven Seas Entertainment)
- Kekko Kamen (The live-action movies)
- Kite
- Koko wa Greenwood (Originally released by Central Park Media; re-dubbed and released on DVD.)
- Loveless
- Magic Knight Rayearth
- Magic Users Club
- Maka Maka
- Master Of Mosquiton (DVD release of ADV Films' dub and sub)
- Metal Fighter Miku
- Mezzo Forte (OVA)
- Mirage of Blaze
- Moonlight Lady
- Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit
- Mouse
- Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru
- Princess Princess
- Queen's Blade
- Ramen Fighter Miki
- Rurouni Kenshin
- Samurai Deeper Kyo
- Sayonara, Zetsubou-sensei
- Shinryaku! Ika Musume
- Simoun
- Space Pirate Mito
- Special Duty Combat Unit Shinesman
- Spy of Darkness
- Strawberry Panic
- Tekkaman Blade (including Teknoman)
- Tweeny Witches / Mahou Shojo Tai Arusu
- The Twelve Kingdoms (anime; novels are licensed by Tokyo Pop)
- Viper GTS (OVA)
- Voltron
- Beast King GoLion (Uncut sub)
- Weiss Kreuz (as Knight Hunters)