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 Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2007 1:23 pm
FUNimation Entertainment (previously known as FUNimation Productions) is an American entertainment company formed by Gen Fukunaga in the early 1990s to produce, merchandise and distribute anime and other entertainment properties in the United States and international markets. On May 11, 2005, FUNimation was acquired by Navarre Corporation (NASDAQ: NAVR) and is now a subsidiary business unit. FUNimation is headquartered in North Richland Hills, Texas, near Fort Worth, occupying one and a half floors of a four story office building. However it is relocating to Flower Mound, Texas in October 2007
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Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2007 1:26 pm
InformationType: A wholly owned subsidiary of Navarre Corporation Founded: Early 1990s Headquarters: Fort Worth Key people: Gen Fukunaga and Daniel Cocanougher Industry: Licensing and distribution for television and film properties Products: anime and other entertainment properties Website: http://www.funimation.com
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Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2007 1:31 pm
FUNimation's first blockbuster property
FUNimation rose to prominence by acquiring the rights to the popular anime title Dragon Ball (licensed early to mid 1990s), Dragon Ball Z (licensed in the early to mid 1990s) and Dragon Ball GT (licensed between 2003–2004). By 1998, they were able to get widespread television exposure via Cartoon Network and the Dragon Ball phenomenon quickly grew in the United States as it had elsewhere. (Two previous attempts by FUNimation to release Dragon Ball to network television had previously been canceled, before the series and the company found success on Cartoon Network.)
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Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2007 1:36 pm
Properties licensed by FUNimation
Aquarion; announced on the website's Kickoff '07
Baki the Grappler (Grappler Baki)
Beck
Blue Gender
Basilisk
BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad
Black Blood Brothers
Black Cat
Burst Angel (Bakuretsu Tenshi)
Case Closed (Detective Conan)
Desert Punk (Sunabouzu)
Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball Z
Dragon Ball GT
Fruits Basket
Fullmetal Alchemist (Hagane no Renkinjutsushi)
Galaxy Railways
Garasu no Kantai (Funimation rename - Glass Fleet)
Gunslinger Girl
Haré+Guu (along with Bang Zoom! Entertainment and AN Entertainment)
Kiddy Grade
Kodocha (Kodomo no Omocha)
Lupin III*
Mr. Stain on Junk Alley (Ga-Ra-Ku-Ta)
Mushishi - announced on the website's Kickoff '07
My Santa; announced on the website's Kickoff '07
Negima
One Piece - confirmed on animeOnline, acquired from 4Kids Entertainment
Origin: Spirits of the Past (Gin Iro no Kami no Agito)
Peach Girl
Ragnarok The Animation - announced on the website's Kickoff '07
Rumbling Hearts (Kimi ga Nozomu Eien)
Sakura Taisen
Samurai 7
School Rumble
Shin-chan
Shuffle! - announced on the website's Kickoff '07
Slayers (acquired from Software Sculptors)
Slayers Next (acquired from Software Sculptors)
Slayers Try (acquired from Software Sculptors)
Solty Rei
SpeedGrapher
Spiral
Spider Riders
Suzuka; - announced on the website's Kickoff '07
Tenchi Muyo! GXP*
Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki OVA 3*
Trinity Blood
Tsubasa Chronicle - announced on the website's Kickoff '07
Tsukuyomi - Moon Phase
YuYu Hakusho**
Witchblade
xxxHolic
*Geneon has the rights to the other Tenchi Muyo! properties, the Lupin III feature film Mystery of Mamo, and the second Lupin III TV series. FUNimation only has the rights to eight of Lupin TV movies and two of the feature films.
**FUNimation only has the rights to the YuYu Hakusho television series.
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Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2007 1:38 pm
Properties distributed by FUNimation
FUNimation provides distribution services for several production companies, including Alliance Atlantis, 4Kids Entertainment and Moonscoop. The following list may not be comprehensive.
Afro Samurai
Beyblade G Revolution
Code Lyoko
Full Metal Panic!: The Second Raid (licensed by Kadokawa Pictures USA)
My Dad The Rock Star
Princess Tenko
Sonic X
Spider Riders
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003 TV series)
WildC.A.T.s
Yu-Gi-Oh! (uncut version)
Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles
Degrassi: The Next Generation
Instant Star
Shaman King (Uncut Version)
Tony Hawk's Boom Boom Sabotage
FUNimaton will also be distributing a number of the TOKYOPOP anime catalog, with Initial D leading the march with the release of the First Stage in March 2007.
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Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2007 1:41 pm
Distribution of properties to non-U.S. markets
FUNimation does not directly release its properties in non-U.S. (English-speaking) markets, instead sublicensing to other companies such as Revelation films in the United Kingdom and Madman Entertainment in Australia.
Towards the end of 2005, Fullmetal Alchemist (along with Beez Entertainment's Wolf's Rain) became one of the flagship programs on the relaunch of satellite channel Rapture TV and had only one edit, that of changing the opening to "Ready, Steady, Go!!" (the second opening), instead of the few minor edits the show received for its Adult Swim airings. Yu Yu Hakusho has also been acquired for television broadcast in the UK. However, it has not been announced who has picked it up and who the intended audience is (although present rumors suggest that Toonami UK acquired the series only to not air the show, further hurting its rather damaged relationship with its viewership).
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Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2007 1:45 pm
FUNimation Channel
FUNimation has launched the "FUNimation Channel", the second 24 hour anime digital cable network in North America (the first being ADV's The Anime Network). OlympuSAT is the exclusive distributor and the FUNimation Channel is now available to video service providers throughout the United States.
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Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2007 1:48 pm
Reaction to Fansubbing
In 2005, FUNimation's legal department began to pursue a more aggressive approach toward protecting their licensed properties, and started sending "cease and desist" (C&D) letters to sites offering links to fansub torrents of anime they distributed. This move was similar to that taken by ADV Films several years before with several of the major torrent sites. FUNimation has also been criticized for sending C&D letters to sites who were selling legitimate imports licensed in the country of origin (since copyright laws grant FUNimation an exclusive distribution right).
FUNimation's legal department served C&D letters for series that had not yet been advertised or announced as licensed, including Tsubasa Chronicle, Black Cat, and Solty Rei, with a few known series also mentioned in the letter. Since fansubbers tend to voluntarily cease distribution once a series has been announced, this move was seen as "impolite and intrusive" and has upset alot in the fansub community (even by some who supported FUNimation's intellectual property rights). This is the second time in the history of US anime distribution that a license has been announced first through a C&D letter rather than through a press release or convention announcement, after ADV Films' C&D letter for Gantz in 2004. FUNimation repeated this method of "announcing license via Cease and Desist" letters on 2006-10-06 when it sent letters to torrent sites demanding that distribution of xxxHolic's TV series, Mushishi, Ragnarok the Animation and other series cease.
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