This is a list of anime industry companies involved in the production or distribution of anime. [edit] Japan-based companies [edit] Animation studios [edit] Producers [edit] Non-Japanese companies [edit] Distributors [edit] North America & other regions - ADV Films (U.S., U.K.)
- AnimEigo (U.S.)
- Bandai Entertainment (U.S., owned by Namco Bandai[1])
- Bandai Visual USA (U.S., previously a subsidiary of Bandai Visual Japan and not affiliated with Bandai Entertainment, now folded into Bandai Entertainment[2])
- Disney (U.S.)
- Funimation Entertainment (U.S.)
- 4Kids Entertainment (U.S.)
- Manga Entertainment (UK, U.S.: bought by Anchor Bay Entertainment in 2005, which was itself later bought by Sony in fall 2007)
- Media Blasters (U.S.)
- The Right Stuf International (U.S., main distribution subdivision rebranded "Nozomi Entertainment" in 2007)
- Tokyopop (U.S.)
- Viz Media (U.S., owned jointly by Shogakukan and Shueisha, of Japan, but it is run independently)
[edit] Europe exclusive [edit] Australia Australia is not part of the normal global anime release system. Major worldwide anime distributors, such as for example ADV or FUNimation, usually hold the release rights to everywhere except for Japan itself, and Australia [edit] Defunct - Central Park Media (de facto defunct since mid-2006 when plans to eventually declare bankruptcy were announced and new releases ceased, entering a state of limbo for three years.[3] Officially declared bankruptcy and assets liquidated in mid-2009 [4]).
- Family Home Entertainment (U.S., renamed Artisan Entertainment) in the 1990s, then acquired by Lions Gate Entertainment in 2003).
- Geneon Entertainment (U.S. branch "Geneon USA" (formerly "Pioneer Entertainment") defunct September 2007. Parent Japanese company ceased in-house distribution of its own titles, many of which have been re-licensed by Funimation.[5][6] Parent company "Geneon Entertainment" then sold off its own ownership to NBC Universal subsidiary UPI, which then merged Geneon with its own "Universal Pictures Japan" division on February 1, 2009, renaming the new company "Geneon Universal Entertainment Japan").[7][8]
- Streamline Pictures (U.S., Canada: stopped producing new anime releases in 1996, folding into Orion Pictures, which in turn folded into Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer one year later, in 1997. The Streamline brand name officially went defunct in 2002).
- U.S. Renditions (U.S., A subsidiary of Books Nippan, defunct mid-1990's)
[edit] Producers [edit] References - ^ http://www.namcobandai.com/
- ^ "Bandai Visual USA to be Liquidated by September". Anime News Network. May 23, 2008. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-05-23/bandai-visual-usa-to-be-liquidated-by-september. Retrieved May 22, 2009.
- ^ Musicland files for bankruptcy
- ^ "Central Park Media Files for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy (Update 2)". Anime News Network. April 28, 2009. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-04-28/central-park-media-files-for-chapter-7-bankruptcy. Retrieved May 22, 2009.
- ^ "Funimation Agrees to Distribute Select Geneon Titles". Anime News Network. July 3, 2008accessdate=May 22, 2009. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-07-03/funimation-agrees-to-distribute-select-geneon-titles.
- ^ "Funimation to Distribute Gungrave Anime for Geneon". Anime News Network. December 30, 2008. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-12-30/funimation-to-distribute-gungrave-anime-for-geneon. Retrieved May 22, 2009.
- ^ "Geneon to Merge with Universal Pictures Japan". Anime News Network. November 12, 2008. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-11-12/geneon-to-merge-with-universal-pictures-japan. Retrieved November 13, 2008.
- ^ "Geneon Universal Entertainment Japan Official Website" (in Japanese). http://www.geneonuniversal.jp/. Retrieved 2009-02-22.
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