AnimEigo and parent company MediaOCD have released Episode 19 of The Anime Business, featuring an in-depth interview with veteran anime producer Toshifumi Yoshida. The new installment looks back at Yoshida’s more than 30-year career in the anime industry, including his work on English-language productions of Ranma ½, Inuyasha, Gurren Lagann, and Pokémon.
The interview is now available on the official AnimEigo YouTube Channel. Yoshida’s career has placed him at the center of several important periods in the growth of anime in North America, from the early days of the U.S. anime distribution business to the global expansion of major franchises.
Born in Japan and raised in the United States, Yoshida developed his interest in anime and manga at a young age. His access to Japanese manga and Shonen Jump magazines, brought to him by his parents, gave him an early connection to the medium before anime became widely available to American audiences.
Toshifumi Yoshida’s Journey Through the Anime Industry
Before entering professional anime production, Yoshida worked as an editor at Animag magazine while completing college in San Francisco. His career took a major turn after he met VIZ Media founder Seiji Horibuchi, who hired him as a producer for the company’s newly established anime division.
Yoshida went on to spend 12 years at VIZ Media, where he worked on several major anime releases. His credits from that period include Ranma ½, Maison Ikkoku, Inuyasha, and Pokémon, giving him a front-row view of the growing popularity of Japanese animation in North America.
Episode 19 also revisits Yoshida’s memories of working on the Tendo Family Christmas Scramble OVA from the Ranma ½ franchise. The interview covers the production of its particularly memorable English dub while exploring the challenges and opportunities involved in bringing Japanese anime to Western audiences.
From Bandai to The Pokémon Company
As anime continued its rapid international expansion during the 2000s, Yoshida moved on from VIZ Media and worked with Bandai on additional notable productions. His later credits include Gurren Lagann and Eureka Seven, two series that became prominent releases among anime fans outside Japan.
Yoshida is now a Senior Producer at The Pokémon Company International. His work includes producing English-language versions of the Pokémon television series and movies, as well as versions for other markets across Europe and Latin America. He has also contributed to new original content for the franchise.
The new episode presents Yoshida not only as an experienced industry professional but also as a longtime anime fan who witnessed the transformation of the North American anime business across several decades.
The Documentary Series Continues Exploring Anime’s History
Produced and hosted by MediaOCD founder and AnimEigo CEO Justin Sevakis, The Anime Business focuses on the entrepreneurs, executives, creators, and industry veterans who helped shape anime and manga in North America. Previous episodes have featured prominent figures from across the industry, including pioneers of anime distribution, publishing, streaming, and localization.
Episode 19 continues that approach by using Yoshida’s career to examine anime’s evolution through the perspective of someone who worked with influential companies and internationally recognized franchises. The series is available in English, while Japanese subtitles are also offered through support from the Kleckner Foundation.
AnimEigo, which was founded in 1989 and is now a division of MediaOCD, remains one of the early companies that helped establish anime distribution in the United States and Canada. The company has built its reputation on high-quality translations, subtitling, and dubbing while releasing numerous classic anime and Japanese live-action titles.
