Anime News Network (ANN), Christopher Macdonald & Co. - "Unbiased" Reporting on All Things Anime Related By Snobbish Quebec-Based Web Company. Acquired by Kadokawa.

[JosephTX]

Anime News Network is an pathetic excuse of an 'media' outlet based in Montreal, Canada which is currently trying to follow the GAWKER buisness model through defamation, brigading and dubious legal acts in retaliation to something foreign and considered reprehensible in Canada, freedom of speech.

Staff
Mike Toole - Editor at Large. Called Noble of Lost Pause and Kneon of Clownfish TV "Nazis" for voicing their opinions on Weeb Wars when it first started. They have not forgotten that.

Lynzee Loveridge - wrote the infamous article as mentioned by @VisualRemix. Became Executive Editor after Zac Bertschy's death.

Justin Sevakis - Founding Father of ANN, interviewed Vic Mignogna in 2013 with Zac Bertschy on their podcast, and reportedly on the "Broken Staircase" spreadsheet until ANN stepped in to demand the removal Sevakis' name.

Executive Editor Zac Bertschy (now deceased) and Assistant Editor Hope/Jacob Chapman were in a relationship until recently. Info about them have been covered in Chapman's thread here on the Farms:

https://kiwifarms.st/threads/hope-chapman-jacob-jack-chapman-jesuotaku.17209/

Christopher Macdonald - CEO. The recent controversy with Hero Hei revealed just what kind of man he is. His vindictiveness caught the ire of anime YouTubers and TheQuartering of all people.

Notable Forum Users
@MarzGurl. She has a profile on ANN's Forum and does post there.
Additionally, MarzGurl is also a writer for the site according to Encyclopedia Dramatica's page on ANN:

Anime News Network - Encyclopedia Dramatica

encyclopediadramatica.rs

Yet, I can't find anything on the website she actually contributed.

Matthew "Maya" Hollingsworth better known as the ANN Forum moderator Mad_Scientist:

https://kiwifarms.st/threads/matthew-maya-hollingsworth-madscientist212-utenaanthy.35238/

Famously defended Mike Toole's accusations against Noble from Lost Pause and Kneon of Clownfish TV as Nazis:

Anime News Network Staff Defends Labeling YouTuber Clownfish TV As Fascists, Nazis

Anime News Network's editor-in-chief, Mike Toole, recently came under fire for claiming that certain YouTubers such as Clownfish TV were “Nazis”. The tweet

www.oneangrygamer.net

Anime News Network Staff Defends Labeling YouTuber Clownfish TV As Fa…

archived 13 Feb 2019 05:36:18 UTC

archive.ph

As a moderator, Mad_Scientist rules with an iron fist by deleting any pro-Vic posts and locks threads if they become too "unruly."

Illia Sadri - Jennifer Lynn Hunt. Better known as the Professional Contrarian on Twitter. KickVic man-faced tard.

penguintruth - Michael Fitz-Gibbon. Because, of course, he has an account on their forums.

ANN's Hate for Vic Mignogna
ANN's animosity for Vic Mignogna stretches further back to 2007.
ANN used to have a webcomic called Anime News Nina! and a character named "Jerry Morgan" was featured in the comic:

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/anime-news-nina/2007-11-14

https://archive.md/RH3Pt

ANN's Forum users were quick to pick up Jerry's similarities to Vic Mignogna:

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/bbs/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=45032&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=30

https://archive.vn/oW7FI
The comic would also deride "Jerry's" fans:

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/anime-news-nina/2007-12-05

https://archive.vn/mtKSp

Again, the forum users were quick to compare Jerry's fanatics to Vic's Risembool Rangers:

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/bbs/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=45826

https://archive.ph/WsLPx

On August 29, 2013, Anime News Network uploaded their podcast episode featuring Justin Sevakis and Zac Bertschy interviewing Vic Mignogna on the ANN podcast. Approximately 55 minutes into the interview, Bertschy pressured Mignogna regarding his religious beliefs and why he provided a religious service at anime conventions. The tension in the interview did not subside until they started the fan questions from Twitter. The podcast in question (I recommend anyone to listen to this as this is the material that started this controversy):
https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/anncast/2013-08-29 (archive)
https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/images/cms/anncast/65981/anncast165.mp3
(the podcast in question is in the attachments below)

Finally, Lynzee Loveridge the now-infamous Vic hit-piece article on January 30, 2019, that provided the main fuel of #kickvic by publishing several anonymous accusations which included several fan photos of Vic as supporting evidence with several of the stories attributed to the people in those photos without their knowledge or consent:

'Far From Perfect': Fans Recount Unwanted Affection from Voice Actor Vic Mignogna

Years of rumored whispers came to a head in the past weeks as fans described unsolicited intimate displays from the Fullmetal Alchemist voice actor.

www.animenewsnetwork.com

Archives:

https://archive.ph/MkLMK

https://archive.ph/5AzZD

ANN v. Hero Hei

Spoiler

On April 11, 2019, in the midst of Weeb Wars, IStandWithVic YouTuber Hero Hei decides to review the ANN podcast's interview with Mignogna in a stream:

https://twitter.com/_Hero_Hei_/status/1116394370003914752

Hei on Twitter: "https://t.co/KeAnQo6vh9 LIVE: 2:30-3:30 pm pst today…

archived 6 Jun 2019 02:48:33 UTC

archive.fo

During the stream, Hero Hei would pause the interview to either read superchats, do research about subjects spoken about during the interview, or give his perspective about the interview itself. By enlarge, the stream went well. Except in the eyes of ANN CEO, Christopher Macdonald, who took umbrage that content made by ANN was used in this capacity.

On April 25th, Macdonald gleefully tweeted that he made his first YouTube copyright strike and that he "could not wait" to hear the person who he made the claim against "make some noise about it"

https://twitter.com/ANN_Ed/status/1121595766139707392

Christophe Macdonald on Twitter: "I filed my first YouTube copyright …

archived 2 May 2019 18:40:23 UTC

archive.fo

Speculations rose to whom Macdonald was referring until Hero Hei revealed that he was the one that ANN made the strike against:

https://twitter.com/_Hero_Hei_/status/1124847296632385536

Hei on Twitter: "When I critiqued Anime News Network what did they do…

archived 6 Jun 2019 03:02:30 UTC

archive.fo

As a result of the strike, Hero Hei lost the ability to stream and the potential to gain income from that option. Hei believed his stream fell into fair use and wanted to make a counter-claim. However, doing so would dox the party making the counter-claim to the other party. Enter Nick Rekieta.

Rekieta offered to represent Hero Hei in the counter-claim in order to avoid Hei from being doxed. Hei accepted the offer and the counter-claim was made. Weeks went by as Hei, Rekieta, and others waited for YouTube's response. Finally, at the last hour, Hero Hei received news that his DMCA was struck down on May 28th:

https://twitter.com/_Hero_Hei_/status/1133534189247057920

Hei on Twitter: "Remember my strike by Anime News Network? Yeahhh, it…

archived 29 May 2019 00:57:56 UTC

archive.fo

Christopher Macdonald made the bold move of responding to this news through ANN's official Twitter:

Anime News Network on Twitter: "If by "won the dispute" you mean "gav…

archived 1 Jun 2019 04:54:34 UTC

archive.li

Hero Hei responded back to Macdonald's mockery and threat:

Hei on Twitter: "Fake News! - YT reinstated my vid in accordance with…

archived 1 Jun 2019 19:06:14 UTC

archive.fo

Macdonald retreated back to the hugbox known as the ANN Forums and posted under his username Tempest:

Copyright claims against YouTubers - Forum - Anime News Network:W

archived 1 Jun 2019 23:39:10 UTC

archive.li

Macdonald's actions caused IStandWithVic YouTubers to stand with Hero Hei such as Emosh, who stated that he would upload Hero's stream in its entirety and give his own commentary as well:

Emosh☕ on Twitter: "I would gladly not only reupload HIS video but ad…

archived 2 Jun 2019 01:23:29 UTC

archive.fo

Even Geekdom101, whose loyalties are questionable throughout Weeb Wars, made is displeasures known regarding ANN:

Geekdom101 on Twitter: "Me too. I have heard so many stories about th…

archived 2 Jun 2019 01:24:36 UTC

archive.fo

In an even more surprising twist, Jeremy Hambly (better known as TheQuartering on YouTube) threatened to not only upload the stream unedited, but stated he was willing to battle Macdonald and ANN in court over the issue of fair use:

TheQuartering on Twitter: "Give me the video. I'll upload it you fuck…

archived 1 Jun 2019 23:39:41 UTC

archive.fo

TheQuartering on Twitter: "My lawyer won't make ANY mistakes. :)… "

archived 4 Jun 2019 04:11:46 UTC

archive.fo

On June 1st, Christopher Macdonald made a tweet saying that while he still believed that the copyright was infringed, he recognized that YouTube sided with Hero Hei on the issue and deleted the tweet he made through ANN's Twitter:

Christophe Macdonald on Twitter: "@_Hero_Hei_ I made a mistake and I …

archived 2 Jun 2019 02:16:02 UTC

archive.fo

Sale
On November 1, 2022, Japanese publishing company Kadokawa announced they had purchased ANN:

KADOKAWA Announces Acquisition of Anime News Network's Media Business

KADOKAWA Announces Acquisition of Anime News Network's Media Business KADOKAWA CORPORATION (Headquarter: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and Member of the...

www.animenewsnetwork.com

KADOKAWA Announces Acquisition of Anime News Network's Media Business…

archived 1 Nov 2022 08:07:42 UTC

archive.ph

KADOKAWA Announces Acquisition of Anime News Network's Media Business - Anime News Network | Ghostarchive

ghostarchive.org

Kadokawa Press Release:

https://group.kadokawa.co.jp/global/information/media-download/920/a572207941552625/

 

[Tipsy Tea Cup]

I am on my phone but I guess we can start with one of their writers who wrote the hit piece on Vic. Lynzee Loveridge.

She has also written another hit piece on a member of ANIMENEXT which is still under investigation. Im surprised I haven't seen her name connected the same way Beth Elderkin was specifically targetted for her hit piece with iO9.

'Far From Perfect': Fans Recount Unwanted Affection from Voice Actor Vic Mignogna

Years of rumored whispers came to a head in the past weeks as fans described unsolicited intimate displays from the Fullmetal Alchemist voice actor.

www.animenewsnetwork.com

AnimeNEXT Staff Launch Investigation Into Sexual Misconduct Allegations Against Former Con Chair

Multiple women reported sexual misconduct by Eric Torgersen in 2015; staff followed with a vote that made him convention chair

www.animenewsnetwork.com

 

[5t3n0g0ph3r]

Let's pull some required reading to post in the OP:

Mike Toole - Editor at Large. Called Noble of Lost Pause and Kneon of Clownfish TV "Nazi" for voicing their opinions on Weeb Wars when it first started. They have not forgotten that.

Lynzee Loveridge - wrote the infamous article as mentioned by @VisualRemix.

Justin Sevakis - Founding Father of ANN, interviewed Vic Mignogna in 2013 with Zac Bertschy on their podcast, and reportedly on the "Broken Staircase" spreadsheet until ANN stepped in to demand the removal Sevakis' name.

Executive Editor Zac Bertschy and Assistant Editor Hope/Jacob Chapman were in a relationship until recently. Info about them have been covered in Chapman's thread here on the Farms:

https://kiwifarms.st/threads/hope-chapman-jacob-jack-chapman-jesuotaku.17209/

Christopher Macdonald - CEO. The recent controversy with Hero Hei revealed just what kind of man he is. His vindictiveness caught the ire of anime YouTubers and TheQuartering of all people.
(P.S. If you are a French Kiwi, a French-Canadian Kiwi, or know French, please contact @emspex. She needs help sorting through French languages to get info about Macdonald).

 

[Lone MacReady]

anyone who has visited their comments section in the past 4 1/2 months already knows pro-Vic sentiments are deleted by their mods, and Vic threads are locked quickly when not under control.

 

[REGENDarySumanai]

Anything about those videos that they have?

@Rubberchickenchu can help with French related stuff.

 

[5t3n0g0ph3r]

I haven't been following ANN v. Hero Hei so I can't really get into that so help me out.

Please refer to my posts here:

https://kiwifarms.st/threads/weeb-wars.55345/page-4#post-4659578

https://kiwifarms.net/threads/weeb-wars.55345/page-4#post-4764658 (under The Social Media Front)
https://kiwifarms.net/threads/weeb-wars.55345/page-4#post-4797112 (under The Social Media Front)

Also, two more people to add onto the page:
First, is @MarzGurl. She has a profile on ANN's Forum and does post there.
Additionally, MarzGurl is also a writer for the site according to Encyclopedia Dramatica's page on ANN:

Anime News Network - Encyclopedia Dramatica

encyclopediadramatica.rs

Yet, I can't find anything on the website she actually contributed.

Second, is Matthew "Maya" Hollingsworth better known as the ANN Forum moderator Mad_Scientist:

https://kiwifarms.st/threads/matthew-maya-hollingsworth-madscientist212-utenaanthy.35238/

Famously defended Mike Toole's accusations against Noble from Lost Pause and Kneon of Clownfish TV as Nazis:

Anime News Network Staff Defends Labeling YouTuber Clownfish TV As Fascists, Nazis

Anime News Network's editor-in-chief, Mike Toole, recently came under fire for claiming that certain YouTubers such as Clownfish TV were “Nazis”. The tweet

www.oneangrygamer.net

As a moderator, Mad_Scientist rules with an iron fist by deleting any pro-Vic posts and locks threads if they become too "unruly."

 

[Rihanna Ikari]

ANN published a fake press announcement today that other news outlets had received months ago and discredited.

Talley on Twitter: "So it’s a fake. @Mendinso… "

archived 5 Jun 2019 15:10:35 UTC

archive.fo

 

[mindlessobserver]

The OP of the thread needs more info and archives. It doesn't need to be exhaustive, but it would be nice to know who is who in the company, why they are funny/stupid, with a history of the company and its stupidity.

 

[5t3n0g0ph3r]

A history of the company and its stupidity.

Site history?
Alright, how about when Anime News Network was hacked in 2017?

How ANN Was Hacked

Now that we know the full story, our CEO Christopher Macdonald will explain just how Anime News Network was compromised and what we plan to do going forward.

www.animenewsnetwork.com

How ANN Was Hacked [2017-08-11] - Anime News Network

archived 5 Jun 2019 21:06:55 UTC

archive.fo

UPDATE II: What's Going On with Anime News Network?

We're live in our new temporary home. Here's a brief update on what happened to the site and what to expect rolling forward. This is Update II of our original announcement.

www.animenewsnetwork.com

Update: What's Going On with Anime News Network? - Anime News Network

archived 5 Jun 2019 21:07:28 UTC

archive.fo

r/anime - Was Anime News Network domain hacked?

123 votes and 32 comments so far on Reddit

www.reddit.com

Was Anime News Network domain hacked? : anime

archived 5 Jun 2019 21:10:36 UTC

archive.fo

Anime News Network Hacked

The anime news site has lost control of its original domain.

nerdiertides.com

Anime News Network Hacked – NERDIER TIDES

archived 12 Aug 2017 21:48:31 UTC

archive.fo

 

[JosephTX]

I'll add what you all gather to the OP

Can someone provide a good write up on Hero Hei v. ANN

 

[5t3n0g0ph3r]

I'll add what you all gather to the OP

Can someone provide a good write up on Hero Hei v. ANN

So, my TL;DR posts are TL;DR?

Alright, I'll try to break it down:

ANN v. Hero Hei

On August 29, 2013, Anime News Network uploaded their podcast episode featuring Justin Sevakis and Zac Bertschy interviewing Vic Mignogna on the ANN podcast. Approximately 55 minutes into the interview, Bertschy pressured Mignogna regarding his religious beliefs and why he provided a religious service at anime conventions . The tension in the interview did not subside until they started the fan questions from Twitter. The podcast in question (I recommend anyone to listen to this as this is the material that started this controversy):
https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/anncast/2013-08-29 (archive)
https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/images/cms/anncast/65981/anncast165.mp3
(can someone archive this? I don't know how)

Flash forward to April 11, 2019, in the midst of Weeb Wars, IStandWithVic YouTuber Hero Hei decides to review the ANN podcast's interview with Mignogna in a stream:

https://twitter.com/_Hero_Hei_/status/1116394370003914752

Hei on Twitter: "https://t.co/KeAnQo6vh9 LIVE: 2:30-3:30 pm pst today…

archived 6 Jun 2019 02:48:33 UTC

archive.fo

During the stream, Hero Hei would pause the interview to either read superchats, do research about subjects spoken about during the interview, or give his perspective about the interview itself. By enlarge, the stream went well. Except for ANN CEO, Christopher Macdonald, who took umbrage that content made by ANN was used in this capacity.

On April 25th, Macdonald gleefully tweeted that he made his first YouTube copyright strike and that he "could not wait" to hear the person who he made the claim against "make some noise about it"

https://twitter.com/ANN_Ed/status/1121595766139707392

Christophe Macdonald on Twitter: "I filed my first YouTube copyright …

archived 2 May 2019 18:40:23 UTC

archive.fo

Speculations rose to whom Macdonald was referring until Hero Hei revealed that he was the one that ANN made the strike against:

https://twitter.com/_Hero_Hei_/status/1124847296632385536

Hei on Twitter: "When I critiqued Anime News Network what did they do…

archived 6 Jun 2019 03:02:30 UTC

archive.fo

As a result of the strike, Hero Hei lost the ability to stream and the potential to gain income from that option. Hei believed his stream fell into fair use and wanted to make a counter-claim. However, doing so would dox the party making the counter-claim to the other party. Enter Nick Rekieta.

Rekieta offered to represent Hero Hei in the counter-claim in order to avoid Hei from being doxed. Hei accepted the offer and the counter-claim was made. Weeks went by as Hei, Rekieta, and others waited for YouTube's response. Finally, at the last hour, Hero Hei received news that his DMCA was struck down on May 28th:

https://twitter.com/_Hero_Hei_/status/1133534189247057920

Hei on Twitter: "Remember my strike by Anime News Network? Yeahhh, it…

archived 29 May 2019 00:57:56 UTC

archive.fo

Christopher Macdonald made the bold move of responding to this news through ANN's official Twitter:

Anime News Network on Twitter: "If by "won the dispute" you mean "gav…

archived 1 Jun 2019 04:54:34 UTC

archive.li

Hero Hei responded back to Macdonald's mockery and threat:

Hei on Twitter: "Fake News! - YT reinstated my vid in accordance with…

archived 1 Jun 2019 19:06:14 UTC

archive.fo

Macdonald retreated back to the hugbox known as the ANN Forums and posted under his username Tempest:

Copyright claims against YouTubers - Forum - Anime News Network:W

archived 1 Jun 2019 23:39:10 UTC

archive.li

We never withdrew our claim, or "backed down." That's merely the narrative that Hero Hei is pushing. We sent in a DMCA takedown request, the video was taken down. Hero Hei's lawyer filed an incomplete counter notice. The complaint was resolved when Hero Hei deleted the video. The infringing video is off YouTube, that's all we wanted.

According to Hero Hei, YouTube has removed his copyright strike, that's fine. The strike is an issue between YouTube and Hero Hei, it's none of our business. Contrary to common misconception, a strike is not something that the complainant (ie: us) is involved in (ie: we don't "file a copyright strike").

Hero Hei's lawyer has told people that it was the "purest of fair use," but that's his job, to convince people that his client hasn't done anything wrong. He's hardly unbiased.

Our only goal was to remove the infringing video. It's removed. We're satisfied.

Macdonald's actions caused IStandWithVic YouTubers to stand with Hero Hei such as Emosh, who stated that he would upload Hero's stream in its entirety and give his own commentary as well:

Emosh☕ on Twitter: "I would gladly not only reupload HIS video but ad…

archived 2 Jun 2019 01:23:29 UTC

archive.fo

Even Geekdom101, whose loyalties are questionable throughout Weeb Wars, made his displeasures known regarding ANN:

Geekdom101 on Twitter: "Me too. I have heard so many stories about th…

archived 2 Jun 2019 01:24:36 UTC

archive.fo

In an even more surprising twist, Jeremy Hambly (better known as TheQuartering on YouTube) threatened to not only upload the stream unedited, but stated he was willing to battle Macdonald and ANN in court over the issue of fair use:

TheQuartering on Twitter: "Give me the video. I'll upload it you fuck…

archived 1 Jun 2019 23:39:41 UTC

archive.fo

TheQuartering on Twitter: "My lawyer won't make ANY mistakes. :)… "

archived 4 Jun 2019 04:11:46 UTC

archive.fo

On June 1st, Christopher Macdonald made a tweet saying that while he still believed that the copyright was infringed, he recognized that YouTube sided with Hero Hei on the issue and deleted the tweet he made through ANN's Twitter:

Christophe Macdonald on Twitter: "@_Hero_Hei_ I made a mistake and I …

archived 2 Jun 2019 02:16:02 UTC

archive.fo

That should do it.

Ok I'm traveling, I only have my phone and ANN & Vic is so old I can barely remember the details and I haven't been following ANN v. Hero Hei so I can't really get into that so help me out.

Anime News Network is an pathetic excuse of an 'media' outlet based in Montreal, Canada which is currently trying to follow the GAWKER buisness model through defamation, brigading and dubious legal acts in retaliation to something foreign and considered reprehensible in Canada, freedom of speech.

ANN is known so far for their infamous article in January that provided the main fuel of #kickvic by publishing several anonymous accusations which included several fan photos of Vic as supporting evidence with several of the stories attributed to the people in those photos without their knowledge or consent.

Big Leafs
Mike Toole - Editor at Large. Called Noble of Lost Pause and Kneon of Clownfish TV "Nazi" for voicing their opinions on Weeb Wars when it first started. They have not forgotten that.

Lynzee Loveridge - wrote the infamous article as mentioned by @VisualRemix.

Justin Sevakis - Founding Father of ANN, interviewed Vic Mignogna in 2013 with Zac Bertschy on their podcast, and reportedly on the "Broken Staircase" spreadsheet until ANN stepped in to demand the removal Sevakis' name.

Executive Editor Zac Bertschy and Assistant Editor Hope/Jacob Chapman were in a relationship until recently. Info about them have been covered in Chapman's thread here on the Farms:

https://kiwifarms.st/threads/hope-chapman-jacob-jack-chapman-jesuotaku.17209/

Christopher Macdonald - CEO. The recent controversy with Hero Hei revealed just what kind of man he is. His vindictiveness caught the ire of anime YouTubers and TheQuartering of all people.


So, my TL;DR posts are TL;DR?

Alright, I'll try to break it down:

ANN v. Hero Hei

On August 29, 2013, Anime News Network uploaded their podcast episode featuring Justin Sevakis and Zac Bertschy interviewing Vic Mignogna on the ANN podcast. Approximately 55 minutes into the interview, Bertschy pressured Mignogna regarding his religious beliefs and why he provided a religious service at anime conventions. The tension in the interview did not subside until they started the fan questions from Twitter. The podcast in question (I recommend anyone to listen to this as this is the material that started this controversy):
https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/anncast/2013-08-29 (archive)
https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/images/cms/anncast/65981/anncast165.mp3
(can someone archive this? I don't know how)

Flash forward to April 11, 2019, in the midst of Weeb Wars, IStandWithVic YouTuber Hero Hei decides to review the ANN podcast's interview with Mignogna in a stream:

https://twitter.com/_Hero_Hei_/status/1116394370003914752

Hei on Twitter: "https://t.co/KeAnQo6vh9 LIVE: 2:30-3:30 pm pst today…

archived 6 Jun 2019 02:48:33 UTC

archive.fo

During the stream, Hero Hei would pause the interview to either read superchats, do research about subjects spoken about during the interview, or give his perspective about the interview itself. By enlarge, the stream went well. Except for ANN CEO, Christopher Macdonald, who took umbrage that content made by ANN was used in this capacity.

On April 25th, Macdonald gleefully tweeted that he made his first YouTube copyright strike and that he "could not wait" to hear the person who he made the claim against "make some noise about it"

https://twitter.com/ANN_Ed/status/1121595766139707392

Christophe Macdonald on Twitter: "I filed my first YouTube copyright …

archived 2 May 2019 18:40:23 UTC

archive.fo

Speculations rose to whom Macdonald was referring until Hero Hei revealed that he was the one that ANN made the strike against:

https://twitter.com/_Hero_Hei_/status/1124847296632385536

Hei on Twitter: "When I critiqued Anime News Network what did they do…

archived 6 Jun 2019 03:02:30 UTC

archive.fo

As a result of the strike, Hero Hei lost the ability to stream and the potential to gain income from that option. Hei believed his stream fell into fair use and wanted to make a counter-claim. However, doing so would dox the party making the counter-claim to the other party. Enter Nick Rekieta.

Rekieta offered to represent Hero Hei in the counter-claim in order to avoid Hei from being doxed. Hei accepted the offer and the counter-claim was made. Weeks went by as Hei, Rekieta, and others waited for YouTube's response. Finally, at the last hour, Hero Hei received news that his DMCA was struck down on May 28th:

https://twitter.com/_Hero_Hei_/status/1133534189247057920

Hei on Twitter: "Remember my strike by Anime News Network? Yeahhh, it…

archived 29 May 2019 00:57:56 UTC

archive.fo

Christopher Macdonald made the bold move of responding to this news through ANN's official Twitter:

Anime News Network on Twitter: "If by "won the dispute" you mean "gav…

archived 1 Jun 2019 04:54:34 UTC

archive.li

Hero Hei responded back to Macdonald's mockery and threat:

Hei on Twitter: "Fake News! - YT reinstated my vid in accordance with…

archived 1 Jun 2019 19:06:14 UTC

archive.fo

Macdonald retreated back to the hugbox known as the ANN Forums and posted under his username Tempest:

Copyright claims against YouTubers - Forum - Anime News Network:W

archived 1 Jun 2019 23:39:10 UTC

archive.li

Macdonald's actions caused IStandWithVic YouTubers to stand with Hero Hei such as Emosh, who stated that he would upload Hero's stream in its entirety and give his own commentary as well:

Emosh☕ on Twitter: "I would gladly not only reupload HIS video but ad…

archived 2 Jun 2019 01:23:29 UTC

archive.fo

Even Geekdom101, whose loyalties are questionable throughout Weeb Wars, made is displeasures known regarding ANN:

Geekdom101 on Twitter: "Me too. I have heard so many stories about th…

archived 2 Jun 2019 01:24:36 UTC

archive.fo

In an even more surprising twist, Jeremy Hambly (better known as TheQuartering on YouTube) threatened to not only upload the stream unedited, but stated he was willing to battle Macdonald and ANN in court over the issue of fair use:

TheQuartering on Twitter: "Give me the video. I'll upload it you fuck…

archived 1 Jun 2019 23:39:41 UTC

archive.fo

TheQuartering on Twitter: "My lawyer won't make ANY mistakes. :)… "

archived 4 Jun 2019 04:11:46 UTC

archive.fo

On June 1st, Christopher Macdonald made a tweet saying that while he still believed that the copyright was infringed, he recognized that YouTube sided with Hero Hei on the issue and deleted the tweet he made through ANN's Twitter:

Christophe Macdonald on Twitter: "@_Hero_Hei_ I made a mistake and I …

archived 2 Jun 2019 02:16:02 UTC

archive.fo

Nice copy and paste. A few things:
1) Shave off my comments above ANN v. Hero Hei.
2) Put that into a spoiler tag!

Also, add @MarzGurl and Mad_Scientist in a section called "Notable ANN Forum Inhabitants"

@mindlessobserver
Here is a link to the Staff of ANN and their roles:

Anime News Network Staff

Newsroom contact Senior Editor: Egan Loo Managing Editor: Crystal Hodgkins UK Editor: Andrew Osmond South East Asia Editor: Rafael Pineda Associate Editors:...

www.animenewsnetwork.com

Anime News Network Staff - Anime News Network

archived 8 Feb 2019 05:01:55 UTC

archive.fo

@JosephTX You might want that link for future reference to start researching these guys.
This does not include contributors like Sam Leach, so that maybe digging in the weeds to find people.

 

[I Love Beef]

The OP of the thread needs more info and archives. It doesn't need to be exhaustive, but it would be nice to know who is who in the company, why they are funny/stupid, with a history of the company and its stupidity.

cracks knuckles

oh.... I'm down for that.

As internet historian, I'll give a lovely low down on Anime News Network. Take it as you will.

Anime News Network is an internet news source started in 1998, growing alongside magazine publication Protoculture Addicts by Montreal citizen and anime fan Christopher Macdonald, focusing mainly on anime and manga fandom related news and highlights on the worldwide web.

Anime News Network however, is like a fucked up living time capsule and even tomb of undead specimens of anime fans who haven't grown out of the 1990s. Over the years, the site has long gained a rather infamous reputation by the western anime fan community for many things, not including how they literally copypaste headlines of anime news gathered from other sources ages ago, and not actually having a branch in the nation of Japan to cover anime and related news legitimately when the event and information is fresh.

Socially however, is where Anime News Network shines in the tard and lolcow factor. Writers and staff often took potshots at differing opinions and fan objections while protected under company clause and denial of accountability and claims for legal plausibility, and forum moderators and administration have run their forums to protect users with a mindset and opinions similar to their own, while muting, monitoring, and banning anyone who dares object to anything flawed they might harbor. This also includes monitoring specific users who show "problematic behavior", and intercepting and deciding to delete incoming posts as to their agenda given by their higher ups. Anime News Network also is known to use their position as an anime news source to propagate "legal consumption" of anime and manga, specifically through enforcing the purchasing of physical media, and upon the bubble crash of the Western anime market, the enforcing of utilizing "legal streaming services". This is despite the fact that major licensors like Funimation are their sponsors in their ad revenue, that despite Crunchyroll's stance of claiming that every cent of ad revenue is sent to the creators back in Japan, none of the money ever does, and that the Social Justice Warrior movement connects them and various members of the Western anime importation, licensing, and dubbing world into an incestuous hotbed of a secret society just as parasitical as Anti-Gamergate and Anti-Comicsgate.

Staff members, writers, and even friends and associates of the Network are also known to be very subject to public scrutiny and observation as well. Members of ANN are reputed to be of "old school" anime fan tastes, and are extremely derisive and scornful as aged anime fans that exist into the current day. Many of them admit to not liking current anime and take snide and rather backhanded and underhanded statements when they wish, be it on social media or on IRC chats, in extremely unprofessional conduct, and all of which is dismissed, ignored, and even encouraged by Macdonald. They have been known to hire writers who have been on rather questionable places of behavior and of questionable quality, some of them most noteworthy of being from the infamous That Guy With The Glasses/Channel Awesome internet reviewing entertainment group that was revealed to have commited extremely questionable workplace practices and had long covered up the sexual misconduct of Justin "Jewwario" Carmicheal until leaks and information spread in the beginning late winter of 2018.

Staff members and associates, despite their activity in the Social Justice movements of the 2010s, are also known to be extremely culturally ignorant, insensitive, and rather ethnocentric in regards of their so called "cultural appreciation" of the Japanese animation they consume. Many of their attitudes often reflect a subtle, if not repressed yet passionate desire to have anime made solely to American tastes, and much of their reviewing criterion is centered on a strictly western perspective, without knowledge of crucial Japanese cultural information and norms beyond a basic and introductory level. Because they believed they came from such a powerful time in anime and manga history when the medium shored up into the United States and the rest of the North American continent, they believe anime and manga was beloved solely because of the catalog they were exposed to. Because however, they were nothing but unconstructive and wasteful hacks that never thought to dare to utilize their talent to make their own creative works, such inspiration was instead focused solely on "anime and manga viewing appreciation" than actually applying that to understanding the actual artistic, technical, and cultural aspects that helps to compose anime. As such, it is why today that they wallow in nostalgic and bitter contemplation over why the Japanese nation doesn't "give them what we want", and are such pathetic examples of cultureless braindead fandom to show why building your life around being a hardcore fan of shows and entertainment to bolster egotistical displays of shallow self fellating by claiming in it one's self worth as a human being is an absolutely laughable and backass measure of autism, even for these dipshits who claim to "not be filthy otaku weeaboos".

Of course, this rabbit hole goes in way much deeper. Enter longtime and veteran staff member Zac Bertschy. Zac is nevertheless the second fiddle to all of this, but he has been the one who has played the loudest in this tard festival of autistic downs syndrome sped dead mouthed gawking choir concerts. Zac has been known to have been the original Answerman editorial reciever, and is well documented for the "helpful" (ie. caustic and spiteful) information he's given, including to help perpetrate the cancellation of Kodomo no Jikan into the United States and claim that it is nothing but pedophile acceptance propaganda. He essentially hired into Anime News Network Hope "Jacob" Chapman, an "anime reviewer" from Channel Awesome, immediately after she cheated with him on her former fiancee and stole his townhouse and all because she dated him. He has associated himself with the Social Justice Warrior movement, which despite positive mainstream depiction has been responsible for destroying major hallmarks of Western popular media by proliferating their members into major corporate settings and destroying them inside out financially, spearheads unquestionable and self righteous manhunts on mere accusations of rape by mere salacious rumors and sensationalist tyranny of the masses than actual evidence, calls for immediate full scale implementation of socialism into American society, have recently warranted slandering Martin Luther King Jr. for extremely questionable claims for "being caught on tape witnessing a minister rape a woman and laughing at it", and claims that SJW is nothing but a slur. Zac is also a burnt out shithead of a cinema and movie reviewer who misapplies everything he's learned at college and mistakenly applies that to his miserable job as an anime reveiwer, a job he both sucks at and hates.

One of the bigger things that has yet to be uncovered about Zac is his involvement with a western anime fan movement by the name of Colony Drop, and his associations with this group. Colony Drop shares many of Anime News Network's sentiments, if not to a more vastly exceptional degree, and could essentially be called the "Stormfront of Anime Fandom" for strong push of western influence into anime production. Zac has been known to have hosted Colony Drop on ANNCast, the official podcast of Anime News Network, a few times, and has been also known to have promoted Colony Drop and their publications with Anime News Network's consent. Although currently offline, Wayback Machine has full comprehensive archival of their website, including articles and their beliefs on how anime should be run and enjoyed, since their start from June of 2008. This includes full support of Funimation on their end, an article denouncing anime torrenting, and an open death threat to Gonzo and accusation of how "the moe" makes babyrapers. Oh, and the public/anime fans reading this? This one's for you.

What has made their blip on KiwiFarm's radar is the matter of what they have been recently up to in 2019. Around the end of 2018, fellow guest writer and associate Dylan "Hazukari" Kleiman was accused by various convention attendees and conventions around the United States to have groomed under age of consent boys, some of whom were believed to have been also invited to ANN private company parties, after confessions were made by some of his victims. Shocked by this and communicating their disappointment on how a member of their community would ever do such a thing, Anime News Network however would try to cover this up with old associate Kaylyn "Marzgurl" Dickison by immediately "committing" to a "moral standard of covering injustices in the anime community" by explosively and aggressively promoting and covering stories related to the subject. Not even soon after, this agenda would come to a head with the many allegations of sexual misconduct and possible rape by veteran voice actor Vic Mignogna in late January of 2019 by fellow coworkers and employers at Texas based ADR and licensing studio Funimation. As, however, contradicting evidence and defense of Mignogna by his many fans in opposition to these claims of sexual misconduct had immediately emerged in the face of his allegations, Anime News Network immediately caught the attention of Kiwi Farms soon after discovering public Twitter conversations discreetly discussing how to handle Vic's accusations and the accompanying story that would unfold with it by the higher ups of Anime News Network's staff. Although Anime News Network would be wise to not draw attention to themselves in this debacle, forum staff and the ANN forum community have been witnessed banning and silencing dissidents of opinion who side with Vic Mignogna, and Chris has been known to have started a copyright internet war between the company and anime youtuber HeroHei into June 2019.

And here we are now. What does the future hold for Anime News Network? I don't fuckin' know. We'll keep the cameras rolling though.

This has been I Love Beef, signing out for now.

 

[Scarlett Johansson]

Don't forget Hope fucking to get a position

 

[TheClappening]

Don't forget Hope fucking to get a position

Is Hope fucking the opposite of hate fucking?

 

[Scarlett Johansson]

She probably did some Hope fucking in that townhouse she needs to go to jail for not paying

 

[5t3n0g0ph3r]

Vic Mignogna Listed as Guest at Comic Con Ireland

Dublin event takes place on June 22 and 23.

www.animenewsnetwork.com

Vic Mignogna Listed as Guest at Comic Con Ireland - News - Anime News…

archived 7 Jun 2019 19:39:06 UTC

archive.fo

ANN reached out to Comic Con Ireland for its comment, but didn't receive one by press time.

Sure, ANN. Sure.
It's not like they blew you off, right?

 

[damian]

Vic Mignogna Listed as Guest at Comic Con Ireland

Dublin event takes place on June 22 and 23.

www.animenewsnetwork.com

Vic Mignogna Listed as Guest at Comic Con Ireland - News - Anime News…

archived 7 Jun 2019 19:39:06 UTC

archive.fo

Sure, ANN. Sure.
It's not like they blew you off, right?

He's the Editor for ANN UK:

Found his twitter, surprisingly doesn't tweet much:

https://twitter.com/alan_neil42

 

[NQ 952]

It is my opinion that the higher up staff at ANN are pieces of shit.

Posting in this thread to see how well this statement ages.

 

[Coach Kreeton Of All That]

It is my opinion that the higher up staff at ANN are pieces of shit.

Posting in this thread to see how well this statement ages.

But doesn't that make all ANN staff pieces of shit?

 

[Keystone]

It is my opinion that the higher up staff at ANN are pieces of shit.

Posting in this thread to see how well this statement ages.

Quite well I predict.

What's your personal over/under on (another) one of them getting outed as a sex pest during or shortly after all this autistic lawfare?