Manga & Anime Comics

Japanese animation licensing group FUNimation Entertainment made a few moves last week to pack on a few more titles to its catalogue; specifically angling to distribute anime titles with an established audience Stateside. As has been customary for a while now, the company kicked off the new Year with a healthy slate of new acquisitions [recent a.I. news: "FUNi: Early 2010 Licensing News" (01/2010)], but FUNimation is likewise hoping to keep the momentum going, as the spring and summer convention season gets underway. Recent announcements include acquisition of the anime television series Black Butler, and a license-rescue for the playful comedy Chobits, originally released in the U.S. a half-decade ago. these acquisitions follow the license of Baka and Test and Dance in the Vampire Bund, announced one month ago.a new acquisition for FUNimation this spring, is the supernatural anime series Black Butler (originally Kuroshitsuji). Set in a darkened London, there sits the head of an aged noble family, a boy named Ciel Phantomhive. Furthermore, sitting behind Ciel, is a butler, a demon named Sebastian. The anime series Black Butler is largely a mystery/supernatural tale, tugging viewers toward a gingerly-paced inquiry into the strange but compelling relationship between these two characters.

Ciel is a mere twelve-years-old, and questions linger as to how (and why), he should have a demon serving at his side. Sebastian will, after all, do anything and everything for his master in a second. and given the peculiar times in which they live, having a demon at one's side can become quite an advantage.

Layered with a fair degree of light humor amongst its equally active moments of action and the supernatural, Black Butler does however take the time to lure viewers into questioning the dark and memorably complicated past of Sebastian's young master.

The anime was produced in the 2008-year, and features musical composition by Taku Iwasaki (R.O.D. the TV, Origin: Spirits of the Past). FUNimation currently plans to distribute the title's first season later this year.

Previously distributed in the U.S. several years ago, the anime Chobits originates from a manga series by the author group CLAMP, and tracks a hapless student as he transitions into a new phase of his life. The romantic comedy Chobits, to be blunt, is about a cash-strapped kid doing everything he can to adapt to the big city; even, or rather especially, if that means getting his own Persocom, or personal computer, in the process. Persocoms, computer devices manufactured in various shapes and sizes, accompany just about anyone in just about every form, but poor Hideki has his college student exams and rent to think about. but then, on one serendipitous day, Hideki stumbles upon a human-modeled Persocom -- a girl -- and decides to take her home with him.

Hideki aptly names the Persocom, Chii, so aptly because that's all she can say. but the guy soon begins to wonder about the robot girl.... she seems to have her own learning software, and doesn't appear to be a mass-produced version of any other type of Persocom, either. As Chobits continues, before Hideki can take a leap of faith and conclude that Chii may indeed have independent thought, he first has to educate her on how the world, and people, work, since everything is so new to her. and thus begins the humorous, and frequently mature, venture into adulthood for a poor student-to-be and his cute PC girl. Chobits was directed by Morio Asaka, and will be available from FUNimation on DVD and Blu-ray in the 2011-year.

FUNimation Entertainment has also announced their acquisition of the three film addendum to the Production I.G-produced television animation Eden of the East.

The animated series, which itself tracks a Japanese student who chances an encounter with a young man whom has lost his memory, has earned a substantial life beyond the small screen.

The series was directed by noted animator Kenji Kamiyama (GHOST: Stand Alone Complex, Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit), and was acquired for western distribution by FUNimation last summer [past a.I. news: "FUNi at Otakon 2009" (07/2009)]. now, FUNimation has acquired three films deriving from the series' central story -- The King of Eden, Paradise Lost, and Air Communication -- all of which are written and directed by Kamiyama. The films will be available on home video in the 2011-year.

on FUNimation Entertainment: FUNimation Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Navarre Corporation, is the leading company for home video sales of Japanese animation in the United States. FUNimation has a proven formula for launching and advancing brands, and manages a full spectrum of rights for most of its brands including broadcasting, licensing, production, internet, and home video sales and distribution.

Recent FUNimation Anime News:For more FUNimation convention news, anime reviews, and other home video release highlights, don't hesitate to search "FUNi2010" only at AnimationInsider.net, for all of a.I.'s articles published this calendar year.

FUNimation Spring 2010 Anime Licensing News

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