at the end of last year. They foresee the twin initiatives as a business with $100 million of revenue within a few years. Their in-house operation comprises anime and “Godzilla” brand experts, and also includes specialist in merchandizing, buying and fashion. The sites go live at unspecified dates this summer.
“Anime fans have this very unyielding appetite for merchandize. It’s a huge part of being an anime fan. And in the U.S., we still find that there are still very few retailers who offer a really good selection of officially-licensed merchandize and even fewer who will offer selections from Japan,” Parcell told. “Toho International is in a unique position where we can work directly with partners in the U.S. but also partners in Japan and bring in some of these goods to satisfy this demand.
iiZO, which translates roughly as Japanese for ‘Yeah,’ will carry anime merchandise both from the Toho Animation portfolio as well as third-party content. From the Toho Animation portfolio comes “My Hero Academia,” “Spy x Family,” and “Jujutsu Kaisen.” Merchandise from outside the group includes “Chainsaw Man” and “Attack on Titan.”