The last ten years has seen a boon in the official animation industry in North America. Much of this success can be attributed to a certain fad sweeping the youth of America. But the cute, cuddly, vicious creature movement has cracked the door to the eclectic world of Japanese animation a little further. And when consumers peer in, convenience peers out.

Several anime producers and distributors here in the United States have begun packaging comprehensive editions of some of anime's older titles (older in this case means anywhere in the last twenty years, primarily in the last decade). Taking the lead from heavy weights such as ADV and Bandai, the industry hopes to lure new fans into the folds by offering single disc that include either complete collections of a series, or a substantial six to eight episodes, a steal for shoppers used to shelling out in upwards of $30 for an individual episode.

It's questionable whether such a move will result in a mainstream embrace of anime, able to see more for less and, therefore, get seduced by the glory that is anime. But the industry primarily does this as a service to the fans, the dutiful brethren that has spent the last twenty years culling massive collections of fan subs and second hand copies - and if the bigger companies can squeeze a few more pennies out of the generation with the largest disposable income since gold rained down from the heavens in ancient lore, what's the harm.

This year ADV has been re-releasing "Blue Seed" on DVD and including six to seven episodes per disc. The same with the bafflingly popular "Sorcerer Hunters," and the trashily evocative "Dirty Pair Flash." ADV has also released short series on DVD such as "Gunsmith Cats," "Ruin Explorers," "Queen Emeraldas" and "Burn-Up W," all of which appear in their entirety on one disc. "Those Who Hunt Elves," "New Cutey Honey," and "Original Dirty Pair" appear in their entirety on two discs.

Bandai goes even further with the marketing conceit, releasing "Outlaw Star" and "Saber Marionette J" in packages of eight to nine episodes. Even their re-release of the original "Mobile Suite Gundam" series contains five episodes.

Practical, accessible and consistent with the practice of jockeying for space in a quickly growing market, this current trend in the anime industry is certain to become a mainstay.