Anime distributor AnimEigo and parent company MediaOCD have released the latest episode of The Anime Business on YouTube featuring an interview with prolific anime producer Toshifumi Yoshida, whose credits include the English-language versions hundreds of titles including Ranma ½, Inuyasha, Gurren Lagann, and Pokémon.

The Anime Business Episode 19: Toshifumi Yoshida is available on the official AnimEigo YouTube Channel.

Yoshida’s career spans nearly the entire storied history of anime in North America. He was born in Japan but grew up in the United States where his love of anime and manga led to a 30+ year odyssey that connected him with scores of the most beloved and successful anime properties ever produced.

Being fluent in Japanese and having regular access to manga and Shonen Jump issues his parents brought him from Japan gave Yoshida some enviable advantages and positioned him to enter the fledgling U.S. anime industry during a critical time in the 90s. After a stint as an editor at Animag magazine while finishing college in San Francisco, Yoshida met VIZ Media founder Seiji Horibuchi, who hired him as a producer for the company’s newly founded anime division.

Yoshida spent 12 years producing some of VIZ’s most beloved anime releases including Ranma ½, Maison Ikkoku, Inuyasha, and Pokémon. Ranma ½ fans will delight in Yoshida’s recollection of the production of a notorious English dub for the Tendo Family Christmas Scramble OVA.

As anime’s popularity exploded throughout the 2000s Yoshida was at the forefront at every stage. His resume is filled with groundbreaking titles, but he recalls these memories with the perception of a professional who is still an ardent fan.

After departing from VIZ Media, he went on to produce memorable titles for Bandai such as Gurren Lagann and Eureka Seven. Yoshida is currently a Senior Producer for The Pokémon Company International, where he produces English versions of the Pokémon TV series and movies and other languages across Europe and Latin America as well as new original content.

Source: Press Release

Josh Piedra

Senior Editor, Anime & Manga

Josh has been an anime fan for over twenty years. In addition, he is a light novel author with 38 books published across 5 series! He is also the owner of Meteora Press, his personal dba serving as a publishing label. Anime and otaku culture isn't Josh's only area of expertise. He also has a Bachelor of Arts in Game Design and has created a handful of independent games along with a deep working knowledge of the gaming industry.