This story is not limited to people who live or lived in Latin America, exclusively... But perhaps there are several references or anecdotes, which I develop during the story, that you may not know what it refers to or what the appropriate context is; if you are not even from this part of the world... However, it is not a labyrinth or something too impossible to understand. It is the story, in a very subjective way, of Locomotion; the most important cable TV channel broadcasting Japanese anime for adults (not hentai) that has ever existed.
And, if you grew up in the always neglected region of Latin America (which is not a geographical region, but a cultural, political and linguistic one) you will know, in all likelihood, that the anime we could enjoy in those years was epic and excellent, but very limited. Titles like Yu-Gi-Oh!, Digimon, Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, Samurai X, Zodiac Knight, were the ones that dominated the broadcasting channels. And let's not forget that we are at the beginning of the 21st century. With the Internet, yes, but not the one we know today...
Everything was totally different.... Locomotion was Spanish-speaking America's answer to the productions that originated in Japan. That's how iconic titles such as Evangelion or Death Note arrived in this part of the world. And don't forget, all in a legal and pioneering way. There was simply nothing like what I am describing. The more serious content and the manga that later became anime titles could be enjoyed on cable television. In their original language, and with dubbing into Latin American Spanish, with subtitles. Although it may seem ‘normal’ today, 20 years ago it wasn't, and it was revolutionary.
Movies, updates on manga and anime news, anime conferences in Latin America, and 24-hour programming were some of the fascinating things that could only be enjoyed on this channel. Imagine being in the shoes of a 12/13 year old girl who loved Japanese animation and found such a treasure. It was delirium, total insanity. Locomotion was so niche that not even the people who watched the channel used to openly admit it... Let's not forget that back then, confessing that you watched anime was not cool or tolerated as it is now, but synonymous with bullying or mockery...
Even today I remember this precious channel because it came up in a totally isolated and unplanned conversation, while we were waiting for the electricity to come back on after a power cut... Some friends and I were talking about our teenage years and the love for anime and cable TV (something of our generation) didn't lead to Locomotion... ‘More than just anime,’ went one of their catchy slogans they had. Nowadays, it is known as ‘Animax’. It was bought by a multinational company and is nothing like what it was... It is all-purpose, with plenty of shonen content, but it undoubtedly marked the lives of hundreds of thousands of fans and lovers of anime and original, non-Western stories.