Otaku Unite! is the first* documentary that centers on the Anime fandom in the US. It was filmed at various Anime Conventions around the country in 2003, and was also screened at the very same conventions after it was completed in 2005 before it was finally released on DVD in 2006.

The documentary covers the simple lives of Anime fans--or Otaku--as they are followed around during the conventions. A few notable voice actors are interviewed, such as Peter Fernandez of Speed Racer fame. Other interviews the former host of Chattanooga’s Sushi Bar Radio Program, Johnathan Cook, aka “Johnny Otaku”. “Otaku Unite!” also looks inside a few popular attractions that are often showcased at anime cons, such as the must-see event, Kaiju Big Battel, and the performances of the indie J-Rock band, Peelander-Z, both of which are often featured at the Middle Tennessee Anime Convention in Nashville, TN.

The reviews of this documentary have been pretty “meh” and is highly rentable, but it’s worth buying if you can find it for cheap (especially since it’s now Out of Print) and to get a glimpse of what it was like being an Otaku in the mid 2000s. (And if you’ve been to Otakon in 2005, you may find yourself in it!)

Trailer

*Actually, “Go Go Anime” is the first documentary on Anime culture in the US, but the quality of the movie is that of an episode of a MTV reality show, says DVD Vision Japan.