Central Park Media

Central Park Media
Professional Information
Studio Name	Central Park Media
Founded	1990
Founder	John O'Donnell
Headquarters	New York City, New York, U.S.
Closure	April 27, 2009
Services	Film & Television Distribution
Country	United States
Status	Defunct

Central Park Media was an American multimedia entertainment company based in New York City, New York, that was active in the distribution of East Asian cinema, television series, anime, manga and manhwa titles in North America prior to its bankruptcy in 2009. It was headquartered in the 250 West 57th Street building in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.

History

Central Park Media was founded in 1990 by John O'Donnell as an anime supplier, with Project A-ko and Dominion Tank Police as its first two anime titles, which were sub-licensed to CPM by Manga UK who also provided the dubs. Together with AnimEigo, U.S. Renditions, Streamline Pictures and A.D. Vision, CPM pioneered the distribution of anime for mature viewers in North America.

During its heyday, CPM incorporated MD Geist as part of its U.S. Manga Corps logo. Curiosity by anime fans seeing the "corporate spokes mecha" in CPM's titles resulted in MD Geist becoming one of the company's bestselling titles. In 1996, CPM commissioned MD Geist creator Koichi Ohata to write and direct a sequel; at the same time, Ohata made a director's cut of the first title, adding new scenes and expanding the storyline.

In 1992, CPM – through its Anime 18 division – released Urotsukidōji: Legend of the Overfiend, which became the first animated film to be given the NC-17 rating. Since its release, Urotsukidoji has become a cult classic among fans of anime, science fiction and horror genres, while at the same time, being one of the first anime titles to introduce the western public to the hentai genre. It was released in theaters across the United States in both subtitled and dubbed formats.

In the mid-1990s, CPM expanded to distributing manga and manhwa through CPM Manga and CPM Manhwa, respectively. CPM Manga also featured adaptations of MD Geist, Armored Trooper Votoms and Project A-Ko by American writers and artists.

Central Park Media headquarters was in the Fisk Building, where it started out with just 3,400 square feet, but grew to 7,000 square feet in 1996 and would expand further to 10,000 square feet in January 2000.

Financial problems

On May 26, 2006, Central Park Media laid off many of its employees, and rumors erupted that the company was planning to declare bankruptcy, supported by a statement from a representative at the Anime Boston convention. The following Monday, the company's managing director issued a statement acknowledging the lay-offs and attributing the cost-cutting to creditor problems following the January bankruptcy of the Musicland group.

The previous year, in 2005, CPM had discontinued its CPM Manga and CPM Manhwa line, also due to monetary problems. But CPM representatives have said that they have had relaunched their Manga and Manhwa lines in January 2006.

On March 19, 2007, Japanese Yaoi Publisher Libre posted a notice on its website saying that CPM's Be Beautiful division was illegally translating and selling its properties. The titles in question were originally licensed to CPM by Japanese publisher Biblos which was bought out by Libre in 2006 after a bankruptcy.

Bankruptcy and liquidation

Central Park Media filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on April 27, 2009, and liquidated with a debt of over US$1.2 million. Officially, the company had plans to re-release some older titles in the future. Right up until their bankruptcy, CPM still licensed their anime titles for North American television and VOD distribution, despite having not released anything on home video for over a year. Many of their titles have been shown on the Sci-Fi Channel, as well as Anime Selects, AZN Television and the Funimation Channel, and are still available through iTunes. Some of their titles were also acquired by various anime companies, such as ADV Films, Bandai Entertainment, FUNimation Entertainment, Aniplex of America, Sentai Filmworks, Viz Media, Discotek Media, NIS America, Nozomi Entertainment, Ponycan USA, and Media Blasters, and were re-released from 2004 into the 2010s. Some of their titles were either re-dubbed, such as Here is Greenwood and Area 88 by Media Blasters and ADV Films, respectively, or have retained the original dub. Grave of the Fireflies was later re-licensed by ADV's successor Sentai Filmworks and was re-released in 2012. The film had originally been included in a distribution deal between Central Park and ADV that also included Now & Then, Here & There, The World of Narue and MD Geist, which were 3 former US Manga Corps titles.

Divisions

• Asia Pulp Cinema (East Asian live-action films)
• U.S. Manga Corps (Anime)
• Software Sculptors (Anime Software & Anime)
• Anime 18 (Hentai)
• CPM Press (Manga & Manhwa)
• Manga 18 (Pornographic Manga & Manhwa)
• Be Beautiful Manga (Yaoi Manga)
• Below the Radar (Live Action Independent & Underground Media)
• Binary Media Works (Website Unit)

Dubs

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Dubs produced by Central Park Media.

Anime

Series

• Armored Trooper VOTOMS (1983-1984) (Episode 1; U.S. Manga Corps)
• Patlabor: The Mobile Police (1988-1990) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• DNA² (1994-1995) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• The Ping Pong Club (1995) (Software Sculptors)
• The Slayers (1995) (Software Sculptors)
• Slayers NEXT (1996) (Software Sculptors)
• Maze (1997) (Software Sculptors)
• Revolutionary Girl Utena (1997) (Software Sculptors)
• Slayers TRY (1997) (Software Sculptors)
• Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight (1998) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Legend of Himiko (1999) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Now & Then, Here & There (1999-2000) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Descendants of Darkness (2000-2001) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Arcade Gamer Fubuki (2002-2003) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Shadow Star Narutaru (2003) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• The World of Narue (2003) (U.S. Manga Corps)

Specials/OVAs

• Area 88: Act I (1985) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Area 88: Act II (1985) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Gall Force: Eternal Story (1986) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• M.D. Geist I: Most Dangerous Soldier (1986) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Outlanders (1986) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Gall Force 2: Destruction (1987) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Gall Force 3: Stardust War (1988) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Hades Project Zeorymer (1988-1990) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Patlabor: The Mobile Police (1988-1989) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Spirit Warrior (1988-1991) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Cybernetics Guardian (1989) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Gall Force: Earth Chapter (1989) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Rhea Gall Force (1989) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Legend of Lemnear (1989) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Patlabor: The New Files (1990-1991) (Episodes 1-4; U.S. Manga Corps)
• Record of Lodoss War (1990-1991) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Takegami: Guardian of Darkness (1990-1991) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Detonator Orgun (1991-1993) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Gall Force: New Era (1991-1992) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Here is Greenwood (1991-1993) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• The Heroic Legend of Arslan (1991-1995) (Episodes 5-6; U.S. Manga Corps)
• Legend of the Dragon Kings (1991) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• RG Veda (1991) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Tales of Seduction (1991) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Art of Fighting (1993) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Mask of Zeguy (1993) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• My My Mai (1993-1994) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Time Bokan: Royal Revival (1993-1994) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Urotsukidōji IV: Inferno Road (1993-1995) (Anime 18)
• Fencer of Minerva (1994) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Genocyber (1994) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Iria: Zeiram the Animation (1994) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Sins of the Sisters (1994-1995) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Battle Skipper (1995) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Silent Service (1995) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Battle Arena Toshinden (1996) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Birdy the Mighty (1996) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Garzey's Wing (1996-1997) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• M.D. Geist II: Death Force (1996) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Maze (1996) (Software Sculptors)
• Shamanic Princess (1996) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Sprite: Between Two Worlds (1996) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Agent Aika (1997-1999) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Ayane's High Kick (1997) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Hyper Speed GranDoll (1997) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Knights of Ramune (1997) (Software Sculptors)
• Photon: The Idiot Adventures (1997-1998) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Strange Love (1997) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Wild Cardz (1997) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Geobreeders (1998) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Virgin Fleet (1998) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Harlock Saga (1999) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Angel Sanctuary (2000) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Geobreeders: Breakthrough (2000-2001) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Labyrinth of Flames (2000) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Maetel Legend (2000) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Alien Nine (2001) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Animation Runner Kuromi (2001) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Ichi the Killer: Episode Zero (2002) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Shootfighter Tekken (2002) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Munto (2003) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Animation Runner Kuromi 2 (2004) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Munto 2: Beyond the Walls of Time (2004) (U.S. Manga Corps)

Films

• Harmagedon (1983) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer (1984) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Night on the Galactic Railroad (1985)
• Time Stranger (1985) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
• Garaga (1989) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Wrath of the Ninja (1989) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Big Wars (1993) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Darkside Blues (1994) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Yu Yu Hakusho: Poltergeist Report (1994) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Movie (1999) (Software Sculptors)
• Kakurenbo: Hide & Seek (2004) (U.S. Manga Corps)

Animation

Films

• The Boy Who Wanted to Be a Bear (2002)
• Hammerboy (2003) (U.S. Manga Corps)

Live-Action

Films

• Big Boobs Buster (1990) (Asia Pulp Cinema)
• The Ninja Dragon (1990) (Asia Pulp Cinema)
• Sunny Gets Blue (1991) (Asia Pulp Cinema)
• Beautiful Hunter (1994) (Asia Pulp Cinema)
• Beautiful Weapon (1994) (Asia Pulp Cinema)
• Beautiful Beast (1995) (Asia Pulp Cinema)
• Beautiful Target (1995) (Asia Pulp Cinema)
• Beautiful Killing Machine (1996) (Asia Pulp Cinema)
• Beautiful Prey (1996) (Asia Pulp Cinema)
• Legend of The Devil (1996) (Asia Pulp Cinema)
• Naughty Guide To Tokyo Nightlife (1996) (Asia Pulp Cinema)
• Seduce & Swindle (1996) (Asia Pulp Cinema)
• Zero Woman: The Accused (1996) (Asia Pulp Cinema)
• Close Your Eyes And Hold Me (1997) (Asia Pulp Cinema)
• Scorpion's Revenge (1997) (Asia Pulp Cinema)
• Zero Woman: The Hunted (1997) (Asia Pulp Cinema)
• The Bondage Master (1998) (Asia Pulp Cinema)
• The Haunted Lantern (1998) (Asia Pulp Cinema)
• Zero Woman: Dangerous Game (1998) (Asia Pulp Cinema)
• The Dimension Travelers (1999) (Asia Pulp Cinema)

Outsourced Dubs

Dubs outsourced to different dubbing studios outside of CPM's usual employ.

Anime

Series

• Nightwalker: Midnight Detective (1998) (Bang Zoom! Entertainment) (U.S. Manga Corps)

Specials/OVAs

• The Humanoid (1986) (Ocean Productions) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Project A-ko 2: Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group (1987) (Ocean Productions) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Project A-ko 3: Cinderella Rhapsody (1988) (Ocean Productions) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Ultimate Teacher (1988) (Ocean Productions) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Dog Soldier (1989) (Ocean Productions) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Project A-Ko 4: Final (1989) (Ocean Productions) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Project A-ko: Versus (1990) (Ocean Productions) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Domain of Murder (1992) (NYAV Post) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Black Jack (1993) (Animaze) (U.S. Manga Corps)

Films

• They Were Eleven (1986) (Animaze) (U.S. Manga Corps)
• Negadon: The Monster from Mars (2006) (NYAV Post) (U.S. Manga Corps)

Live-Action

Films

• Blowback: Love & Death (1991) (Bang Zoom! Entertainment) (Asia Pulp Cinema)
• Tokyo Mafia (1995) (Bang Zoom! Entertainment) (Asia Pulp Cinema)
• The Ladies' Phone Club (1996) (Bang Zoom! Entertainment) (Asia Pulp Cinema)
• Sumo Vixens (1996) (Bang Zoom! Entertainment) (Asia Pulp Cinema)
• Tokyo Decameron (1996) (Bang Zoom! Entertainment) (Asia Pulp Cinema)
• Tokyo Mafia: Wrath of the Yakuza (1996) (Bang Zoom! Entertainment) (Asia Pulp Cinema)
• Tokyo Mafia: Battle for Shinjuku (1996) (Bang Zoom! Entertainment) (Asia Pulp Cinema)
• Weather Woman (1996) (Bang Zoom! Entertainment) (Asia Pulp Cinema)
• Zero Woman: Assassin Lovers (1996) (Bang Zoom! Entertainment) (Asia Pulp Cinema)
• Tokyo Mafia: Yakuza Blood (1997) (Bang Zoom! Entertainment) (Asia Pulp Cinema)

Licensed Works

Anime

Specials/OVAs

• The Supergal (1986) (dubbed by Manga UK)
• Dominion Tank Police (1988-1989) (dubbed by Manga UK)
• Cyber City Oedo 808 (1990-1991) (dubbed by Manga UK)
• The Heroic Legend of Arslan (1991-1995) (Episodes 1-4; dubbed by Manga UK)
• Judge (1991) (dubbed by Manga UK)
• Tokyo Babylon (1992-1994) (dubbed by Manga UK)

Films

• Odin (1985) (dubbed by Manga UK)
• Project A-ko (1986) (dubbed by Manga UK)
• Demon City Shinjuku (1988) (dubbed by Manga UK)
• Venus Wars (1989) (dubbed by Manga UK)
• A Wind Named Amnesia (1990) (dubbed by Manga UK)
• Roujin Z (1993) (dubbed by Manga UK)

External Links

• Central Park Media (Archive)
• Central Park Media at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Central Park Media at the CrystalAcids Anime Voice Actor Database