Geneon Entertainment landed an important deal with leading Japanese anime producer
Toei Animation to distribute the company's animation programs on DVD in the U.S. and Canada. The first titles slated to be distributed under the agreement are, Air Master, Interlude and Slam Dunk.
Toei Animation has international smash hit properties such as DRAGONBALL Z, SAILOR MOON and DIGIMON, and has created more than 180 film and television titles well known by children and adults all over the world.
"We are thrilled to be partnering with such a well-respected anime production company as Toei Animation to bring its stellar properties to new audiences, through our established DVD distribution capabilities in the U.S. and Canada," said Yosuke Kobayashi, president/ceo, Geneon Ent.
Geneon Ent. is a leading supplier of Japanese animation in the U.S. anime DVD market. Its impressive library of titles include TENCHI MUYO!, LUPIN THE THIRD, ARMITAGE, HEAT GUY J, LAST EXILE, BEYBLADE, GUNGRAVE, X, CARDCAPTOR SAKURA and SAILOR MOON. Other films released by Geneon include the stunningly restored anime masterpiece AKIRA, the Japanese blockbuster ONMYOJi, the sci-fi classic PATLABOR WXIII and SAKURA WARS THE MOVIE.
"Geneon Ent.'s commitment to Japanese anime, along with its expertise in sales, marketing and distribution, make it an ideal partner for us as we continue to expand our international business," said Kanji Kazahaya, coo, Toei Animation.
Geneon Ent. (
www.Geneon-Ent.com ) is a full-service producer and distributor of entertainment content, including film, music, animation and television shows on DVD and CD. Continually introducing new and classic anime and live-action programming, as well as anime CD soundtracks, the company also serves as a creative partner to many of Japan's top anime production companies. Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Geneon Ent.'s parent company is Tokyo-based advertising giant Dentsu Inc.
Dentsu Inc., founded in 1901, is the largest advertising agency brand and the fifth largest marketing and communications organization in the world. Based in Tokyo, Dentsu has pioneered and set global standards for integrated communications, which in latter years have been adopted by a number of major international networks. The group has more than 6,000 clients and 14,447 full-time employees in both Japan and in its offices overseas.
Toei Animation Co., Ltd. (
www.toei-anim.co.jp or
www.toei-anim.co.jp/english/index.html ) is Japan's largest animation production company since 1956 It has produced many celebrated works, ranging from feature films such as THE WHITE SNAKE AND PUSS 'N BOOTS to TV series starting from KEN, THE WILD BOY ON TO DRAGON BALL, SAILOR MOON, DIGIMON ADVENTURE and ONE PIECE. Its library totals approximately 8,500 episodes, which accounts for about 4,200 hours. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, its affiliate company is registered as Toei Animation Inc. in Century City, California.
