Mega-Anime

Mega-Anime was a Russian anime-distribution brand established in 2005 by Megaliner Entertainment. Based in Moscow, the company operated in the Russian market and focused on acquiring, localizing, and distributing Japanese animated television series and films. Its principal distinguishing feature was the distribution of titles with complete Russian dubbing, rather than relying solely on subtitles or partial localization. The company emerged during a period when Russian demand for officially localized Japanese animation was expanding and specialist distributors were competing for recognizable properties. Mega-Anime was identified as a competitor to MC Entertainment, another Russian anime distributor. Its catalog included a mixture of established franchises, television series, and feature-length or film-related anime properties. The licensed portfolio listed for the brand included titles such as Bleach, Death Note, Fullmetal Alchemist, Trigun, Noir, X, Rozen Maiden, Paradise Kiss, Maria-sama ga Miteru, Tenjho Tenge, Trinity Blood, Blood+, Black Cat, Burst Angel, Gun Sword, Heat Guy J, He Is My Master, Mouse, Noein, Strait Jacket, and Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone. Mega-Anime’s most visible licensing development concerned Bleach and Death Note. In 2007, the company was reported to have acquired licenses for both properties, with the licensing arrangements subsequently taking effect in 2008. These acquisitions gave the distributor access to two of the most recognizable anime franchises available to the Russian market at the time and represented a significant expansion of its commercially prominent catalog. The published catalog also distinguishes between titles that were licensed and released, titles whose rights later expired, and projects that were canceled before production or release. Basilisk is identified as an expired license. Several other properties, including Claymore, Fafner in the Azure, Fruits Basket, Futakoi Alternative, Kurau Phantom Memory, Love Hina, Noein, RahXephon, and Stellvia, are identified as canceled projects. This indicates that the company’s announced or acquired portfolio was broader than the set of works ultimately completed and released under its label. Publicly available reference material provides limited information about Mega-Anime’s later corporate activity, ownership, leadership, financial performance, and current operations. The available record does not establish whether the brand remains active, has ceased trading, or has been absorbed into another distributor. Its historical significance rests primarily on its role as a Moscow-based Russian anime licensor and distributor during the growth of formal anime localization and the competition among specialist distributors in Russia.

Mega-Anime was founded in 2005 by Megaliner Entertainment and operated as a Russian distributor of anime from Japan. The company was based in Moscow and participated in the Russian market for licensed anime localization and distribution. Its business model centered on obtaining rights to Japanese animated works and preparing them for domestic audiences, including releases with full Russian dubbing. The brand operated in a competitive specialist-distribution environment. MC Entertainment is identified as a fellow Russian anime distributor and competitor, while Reanimedia is listed among related companies in reference material. Mega-Anime’s catalog demonstrates an emphasis on television anime and recognizable genre properties, with titles spanning action, science fiction, fantasy, drama, romance, and comedy. Among the better-known works associated with the catalog are Fullmetal Alchemist, Trigun, Noir, X, Blood+, Black Cat, Rozen Maiden, Paradise Kiss, Trinity Blood, and Tenjho Tenge. A notable step in the company’s development came in 2007, when it was announced that Mega-Anime had acquired licenses for Bleach and Death Note. Those licenses later took effect in 2008. Both titles were prominent international anime properties, and their acquisition strengthened Mega-Anime’s position within the Russian anime-distribution market. The company’s listed catalog also records a distinction between completed releases, expired rights, and abandoned projects. Basilisk is marked as expired, meaning that it had been licensed and released but that the rights later lapsed. A number of other titles are marked as canceled, including Claymore, Fafner in the Azure, Fruits Basket, Futakoi Alternative, Kurau Phantom Memory, Love Hina, Noein, RahXephon, and Stellvia. These entries suggest that licensing activity did not always result in a completed Mega-Anime production or release. The available historical record does not provide reliable information about Mega-Anime’s management team, financial results, corporate restructuring, later ownership, or present-day operations. It therefore cannot establish whether the company is still active or when its distribution activity ended. The brand is best documented as a Moscow-based Russian anime distributor whose principal historical contribution was bringing a broad set of Japanese animation licenses, including major titles such as Bleach and Death Note, to the Russian market through localized distribution.

• 2008

  Bleach and Death Note licensing became effective

  [1]Mega-Animeen.wikipedia.org

  The previously announced licenses for Bleach and Death Note were subsequently realized in 2008.

• 2007

  Bleach and Death Note licenses announced

  [1]Mega-Animeen.wikipedia.org

  Mega-Anime was reported to have acquired the Russian distribution licenses for Bleach and Death Note.

• 2005

  Mega-Anime founded

  [1]Mega-Animeen.wikipedia.org

  Megaliner Entertainment founded Mega-Anime as a Russian distributor of Japanese anime content.

A specialist Russian anime distributor focused on acquiring Japanese animation licenses and delivering localized releases with full Russian dubbing.

• Anime television series · 2008

  Bleach

  Bleach was one of Mega-Anime’s most prominent announced licenses. The action-oriented supernatural series was acquired for the Russian market alongside Death Note, with the licensing arrangement associated with Mega-Anime becoming effective in 2008.

• Anime television series · 2008

  Death Note

  Death Note was a major title in Mega-Anime’s Russian licensing portfolio. Its acquisition was announced in 2007 and later took effect in 2008, giving the distributor rights to a widely recognized psychological and supernatural anime property.

• Anime television series

  Fullmetal Alchemist

  Fullmetal Alchemist was included among Mega-Anime’s licensed anime properties. The title represents the distributor’s focus on established Japanese television series with substantial international recognition and potential for Russian-language localization.

• Anime feature film

  Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone

  Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone was listed among Mega-Anime’s licensed properties. Its inclusion shows that the company’s activity extended beyond television series to major anime film releases.

• Anime television series

  Basilisk

  Basilisk appears in Mega-Anime’s catalog as an expired license. The available reference describes it as a title that had been licensed and released, after which the distribution rights expired.

• Anime licensing portfolio

  Other licensed anime catalog

  The broader catalog included Burst Angel, Black Cat, Blood+, Gun Sword, Heat Guy J, He Is My Master, Maria-sama ga Miteru, Mouse, Noir, Paradise Kiss, Rozen Maiden, Strait Jacket, Tenjho Tenge, Trigun, Trinity Blood, and X. The reference material does not provide individual release dates or detailed commercial performance for these titles.

• 2007

  Acquisition of Bleach and Death Note licensesProduct launch

  Background

  Mega-Anime was competing in Russia’s specialist anime-distribution market and sought prominent Japanese properties for its localized catalog.

  Action taken

  The company announced that it had acquired licenses for Bleach and Death Note; the licenses subsequently took effect in 2008.

  Aftermath

  The two properties became associated with Mega-Anime’s most prominent licensing activity. The available sources do not provide sales, audience, or financial results.

  Source

1. 1Mega-Animeen.wikipedia.org