i think that was the thing. no one in the early 90s and 2000s really knew what to do with anime. to them it was a foreign medium that must be recontextualised for the western market. from making small changes like rice balls to doughnuts in pokémon. to rewriting characters and chopping plot lines like in sailor moon.

it took the success of sites like crunchyroll to make them see it could just be what it is. you don’t need to heavily localise and recontextualise it. you don’t have to attach big names to a dub cast to ensure people will watch it. let it be what it is and if it’s good they’ll watch it.