Tag Archives: Anime

Crunchyroll details major licensing slate ahead of the autumn anime season

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The global anime brand, Crunchyroll, has detailed a slate of cross-category licensing partnerships ahead of the autumn anime season, highlighting not only the diversity of the anime medium, but the global reach of the animation form.

“This latest slate of licensing partnerships represents the diversity of anime as a medium, from the spooky stylings of Jujutsu Kaisen and the Junji Ito Collection, to the eternally cute Bananya,” said John Leonhardt, head of consumer products at Crunchyroll.

“Crunchyroll represents anime titles that can drive success to your category.”

The latest licensing line-up sees Bananya – the kitten who lives in a banana – move into the board games sector with Japanime Games, books with Running Press, mugs with Wild Bill’s Soda, and novelties and pins with Just Funky.

Meanwhile, Black Clover, the long running Shonen action series, was recently signed to Hypland for fashion, Japanime Games for board games and Taka for figures, while Dr. Stone, the scientific action series based on the popular Shonen Jump manga of the same name, is coming back for season two in January 2021 and was signed by Wild Bill’s Soda for mugs.

Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma, the culinary competition series, was recently granted to Espada Arts for figures, Mobile Suit Gundam, the iconic anime series that recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, was granted to FiGPiN for pins and Just Funky for novelties and gifts, and Haikyu the beloved volleyball series, was recently granted to Hypland and Good Smile company for fashion and apparel.

Elsewhere, Jujutsu Kaisen the hit Shonen Jump title streaming exclusively on Crunchyroll, was granted to Bioworld for apparel and Great Eastern Entertainment for accessories and home goods. the Junji Ito Collection was recently granted to Ground Up International for footwear, Hypland for fashion and to Wild Bill’s Soda for mugs, and Kuroko’s Basketball was recently signed to Hypland for fashion.

Completing the raft of signings and Mob Psycho 100 was granted to Team Liquid, the world renowned professional gaming organization, and Good Smile Company for apparel, and  Espada Arts for figures, while finally the Good Smile Company was granted licenses to create apparel for both Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime.

Crunchyroll’s consumer products team provides global anime fans with the best in lifestyle, home goods, fashion and more, managing all-rights for more than 350 anime series for more than 100 global licensees. It also operates the direct to consumer Crunchyroll Store, which is the exclusive home of Crunchyroll Loves, the brand’s in house streetwear label.

Crunchyroll, the global streaming brand from WarnerMedia, serves more than 70 million registered users and 3 million subscribers in more than 200 countries and territories. Crunchyroll’s robust online community also includes more than 40 million followers across social media.

A new anime Godzilla series is landing on Netflix in 2021

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Godzilla is stomping its way back onto Netflix next year with the launch of a new original anime series titles Godzilla Singular Point. The series is currently in development by the studio bones, the name behind My Hero Academia, and Orange, the popular Japanese animation studio.

Developed under a licensing agreement with Toho, known worldwide for its Godzilla films and manager of the licensing rights to the Godzilla brand, the new anime series will premiere in 2021 with a new cast and original story. It lands following the success of Godzilla anime films, Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters, Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle and Godzilla: The Planet Eater and taps into the growing global appeal of the anime entertainment scene.

Anime studio bones, in partnership with studio Orange, (Beastars, Land of the Lustrous) will produce the series combining hand-drawn and CG animation styles.

In addition to director Atsushi Takahashi, the creative team includes Kan Sawada, composer for countless Doraemon films and series such as Yowamushi Pedal, Japanese science-fiction novelistToh Enjoe making his TV debut as editor and writer for the series, Kazue Kato creator of Blue Exorcist and the hit comic currently serialized in Jump Square will serve as the character designer, and animator Eiji Yamamori from Studio Ghibli films including Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away and The Wind Rises will do the Kaiju design.

A new anime Godzilla series is landing on Netflix in 2021

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Godzilla is stomping its way back onto Netflix next year with the launch of a new original anime series titles Godzilla Singular Point. The series is currently in development by the studio bones, the name behind My Hero Academia, and Orange, the popular Japanese animation studio.

Developed under a licensing agreement with Toho, known worldwide for its Godzilla films and manager of the licensing rights to the Godzilla brand, the new anime series will premiere in 2021 with a new cast and original story. It lands following the success of Godzilla anime films, Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters, Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle and Godzilla: The Planet Eater and taps into the growing global appeal of the anime entertainment scene.

Anime studio bones, in partnership with studio Orange, (Beastars, Land of the Lustrous) will produce the series combining hand-drawn and CG animation styles.

In addition to director Atsushi Takahashi, the creative team includes Kan Sawada, composer for countless Doraemon films and series such as Yowamushi Pedal, Japanese science-fiction novelistToh Enjoe making his TV debut as editor and writer for the series, Kazue Kato creator of Blue Exorcist and the hit comic currently serialized in Jump Square will serve as the character designer, and animator Eiji Yamamori from Studio Ghibli films including Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away and The Wind Rises will do the Kaiju design.

And the West will follow: Life and licensing for Crunchyroll at the forefront of the anime explosion

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Leading the charge of an estimated $20bn anime market is a rather pretty place to be sitting at the best of times, but with this value only expected to grow as the popularity of the Japanese art form continues to sweep across audiences to the West, it’s undoubtedly a large grin that spreads across the faces at Crunchyroll right now.

With the largest community of fans – that’s more than 70 million registered users – and 3 million paying subscribers on the books, Crunchyroll is well and truly at the forefront of the anime and manga popularity explosion. Not only does it boast the world’s largest collection of anime, including more than 1,000 titles and 30,000 episodes, but it is engineering further growth across the market with development in the distribution, events, and licensed games channels, too.

John Leonhardt, head of consumer products at Crunchyroll

The plan, according to John Leonhardt, head of consumer products at Crunchyroll, as he speaks exclusively with Licensing.biz, is now to “elevate anime into an extraordinary lifestyle,” and doing so by licensing it in to theatrical, TV, consumer products, and video game markets – jumping on the opportunity that has seen the pop culture genre become an international sensation over recent years.

“Anime continues to grow in popularity all over the world,” Leonhardt tells Licensing.biz. “We see anime’s evolution from an exclusively Japanese category to a worldwide sensation as one of the most fascinating case studies in modern branding history, and a testament to the power of anime’s ability to tell rich, captivating stories.”

It’s certainly helped the genre’s cause that the last decade has seen the geek culture shake off its stigma to become fully embraced by the mainstream today. Among its globally-spanning audience, high profile names including John Boyega, Michael B Jordan, Megan Thee Stallion and even the wrestler Xavier Woods have outed themselves as celebrity fans of the medium. 

And yet, there is still room for anime to grow.

“We recognise that adult dramatic animation is still in its infancy here in the West,” continues Leonhardt. “Anime is so much more than one genre – it’s a storytelling medium that crosses many genres, including sci-fi, sports, thriller, adventure, action, romance, and more.”

Having been recognised as ‘the world’s best home for anime’ for over ten years now, Crunchyroll recently crossed a major milestone when it landed its 70 millionth registered user and three millionth subscriber; a demonstration, it says, that “the growth of anime shows no signs of slowing down.”

Part of WarnerMedia and having acquired Viz Media Group only last year, Crunchyroll has not only expanded its suite of brands and capabilities in a very short time, but has also become a world leader of the anime medium, with roots embedded in markets across the globe. That’s not bad for a company that started out life as a content sharing platform based in San Francisco some 14 years ago.

In the coming year, Crunchyroll is expecting to see its diverse slate of anime series, as well as its continued collaboration with the European arm, Crunchyroll SAS, to drive significant growth for the overarching company. In Europe alone, Crunchyroll SAS has plans to deliver merchandising programmes for key IP in library, including My Hero Academia and Captain Tsubasa, focusing on publishing, apparel, figures, toys, stationery, back to school, accessories, homeware, and health and beauty.

“Crunchyroll SAS will also tap into the broader EMEA network of partners across live events, gaming and more to enhance a fast-growing licensing plan and a strong retail presence supported by marketing activations across Europe,” says Leonhardt.

2020 may have served up its fair share of challenges for all to handle, but Crunchyroll has remained resolute in its mission to deliver anime to the global community, even when it meant transforming its Crunchyroll Expo into the first-ever Virtual event. On top of that, the firm has secured distribution partnerships with Cartoon Network in LATAM and TNT Comedy in Germany, while Crunchyroll Games has made its library of anime-inspired games available to the international audience.

“We put our fans first,” continues Leonhardt. “Being everything for someone and making sure we deliver the best of anime to them is what makes us successful.

“The licensing business is being driven by product and experiences, the pandemic has seriously disrupted some of the planned strategies for 2020/2021, leaving licensing and retail businesses particularly exposed.

“This disruption pushes us and our partners to explore a number of new creative options to enable the same experiences online or virtually. This change was actually predictable and already going on, but let’s say that the world situation we’re all facing today has accelerated the process of finding ways to keep our community in.”

It’s that community, that 70 million worldwide, Leonhardt understands, is what is at the heart of the anime boom right now. A fervent collective of fans, all of whom are looking for means to express their fandom. This is what Crunchyroll is servicing today.

“In addition to a deep library of titles, Crunchyroll has a passionate global community that love to wear their fandom as a badge of honour,” says Leonhardt. 

“Between the new content coming to the platform, Crunchyroll’s increasingly global presence in the anime industry overall, and Crunchyroll’s continued commitment to building out 360-experiences for the anime community with consumer products, live and virtual events, games, and more, the future looks bright for the year ahead,” he concludes.

Crunchyroll and Adult Swim partner for anime series based on SEGA video game franchise Shenmue

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It’s been a busy weekend for the global anime brand Crunchyroll who spent the past two days rolling out a roster of new announcements and partnerships as part of its Virtual Crunchyroll Expo, including the renewal of its partnership with Adult Swim for the production of the original anime series Shenmue, based on the SEGA video game franchise.

The year’s expo was the first time Crunchyroll had brought the annual offering to the digital space, taking the opportunity to detail a slate of new partnerships, that also included a new deal with Loot Crate, a home video partnership with Sentai Filmworks, and news of the return of Dr Stone to Crunchyroll.

Leading the announcements, the anime brand will once again partner with Adult Swim for the production of Shenmue. The new anime series will stream worldwide outside of Japan and mainland China on Crunchyroll and will air on Adult Swim’s Toonami in the US.

“The first Shenmue video game was released more than 20 years ago and we’re so excited to be working again with Adult Swim to bring this franchise to life through anime,” said Sarah Victor, head of development, Crunchyroll. “We’re eager to show our fans more of this action-packed adventure series as we move through production.”

Shenmue is an anime series with 13 episodes, following the journey of Ryo Hazuki. After he witnesses his father’s murder at the family dojo, Ryo dedicates his life to finding the man responsible – a mission that takes him from the streets of Yokosuka, Japan to the sprawling metropolis of Hong Kong, and beyond. Soon he’ll learn that larger, mystical forces are at play as he trains to become the ultimate martial artist in his quest for revenge.

“The world of Shenmue is fascinating and unique, and we are so excited to partner with Yu Suzuki to bring his epic creation to anime- and make a kick-ass martial arts epic,” said Jason DeMarco, svp/creative director on-air for Adult Swim.

Shenmue, a Crunchyroll and Adult Swim Production, is being directed by Sakurai Chikara (season two of One Punch Man, Naruto) with animation production by Telecom Animation Film, and production management provided by Sola Entertainment.

Video game creator Yu Suzuki is also onboard as an executive producer.

Meanwhile, Crunchyroll and Loot Crate revealed more details behind the partnership to bring fans more from their favourite anime series. Crunchyroll is curating two different crates with Loot Crate: the Crunchyroll Crate and the Limited Edition Mobile Suit Gundam Life Crate.

The monthly Crunchyroll crate will include items from a lineup of anime titles, including the upcoming Crunchyroll Original series Noblesse, alongside fan-favorites Mob Psycho 100, Welcome to Demon School Iruma-Kun, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, alongside the brand’s beloved mascot Crunchyroll-Hime.

Also detailed was Crunchyroll’s new home video and electronic sell-through partnership with Sentai Filmworks. The global supplier and distributor will handle four titles to kick off the partnership, including Food Wars! The Fourth Plate, Ascendance of a Bookworm, Granbelm, and World Trigger. These series will appear as a mix of subtitled and English-dubbed content.

“We are delighted to expand Crunchyroll’s partnership with Sentai, and look forward to working closely with them to bring even more anime to fans in the US and Canada,” said Alden Budill, head of global partnerships and content strategy, Crunchyroll.

“Since at least 2011, Sentai and Crunchyroll have collaborated to bring exciting content to anime fans in new and innovative ways,” added John Ledford, Sentai CEO. “Through this latest content partnership, Sentai is thrilled to empower fans to own their favorite Crunchyroll shows on select Blu-rays and our award-winning Premium Box Sets.”

Crunchyroll has a global community of more than 3 million subscribers and 70 million registered users that enjoy the world’s largest collection of anime, including more 1,000 titles and 30,000 episodes.

 

The Asian Animation Summit goes virtual for 2020

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The ninth annual Asian Animation Summit has bitten the bullet and confirmed that this year’s event will take place in the virtual landscape, a move made in response to the continued travel restrictions and health and safety issues related to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Summit will now take place online from November 16 to December 4 this year.

The event will see its regional partners undertake the process of selecting the most promising projects from their regions that are new to the market, and look for financing and partners. Event delegates will be able to watch along in real time as these projects are presented to panels of programming buyers.

Project presentations will be scheduled in morning and late evening time slots (EST) over three weeks. Because time zones and scheduling conflicts at home and work may prevent delegates from tuning in live, the sessions will also be recorded and made available for two weeks of catch-up viewing online.

“We are excited about the new opportunity this virtual AAS format creates to invite many more leading broadcasters to participate in the event than is usually possible,” said Kidscreen VP and publisher Jocelyn Christie. “And without the challenges of travel to consider – the costs, and time away from work and home – we are hoping that more attendees will be able to take part in the event virtually this year and discover some great new content from Asia-Pacific.”

Kidscreen’s intention is to return to a live AAS event format in 2021, and the regional partners remain committed to holding the event in Bali, Indonesia next year.

Registration for AAS Virtual 2020 is now open. More information about the event can be found online at www.asiananimationsummit.com.

ADK Emotions NY prepares for 20th anniversary of Beyblade with archived epsiodes drop on its YouTube channel

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The US-based Japanese IP specialist, ADK Emotions NY, has debuted a selection of archived episodes from the global anime and toy franchise Beyblade across its official YouTube channel. The classic Generation  One content is now available to watch on demand, laying the foundations of Beyblade’s 20th anniversary celebrations in 2021.

Focused on exploring the two-decades rich history of Beyblade, ADK Emotions NY is embarking on a nostalgic journey back to the origins of the global phenomena. With weekly classic episode drops in both English and Latin American Spanish, the brand’s YouTube channels – which boast more than 2 million subscribers (excluding Asia) – is connecting with a groundswell of rekindled fandom for the franchise.

All of the episodes are being promoted by a robust social media campaign that serves both Beyblade demographics: the long-time fans, who have responded to the nostalgia of the campaign, and a new generation of fans keen to discover the classic content for the first time. Meanwhile, the Beyblade Geeks, long time Beyblade YouTubers, have also come on board to release a special episode that will give fans past and present alike, a chance to dive into the storylines and concepts of Generation One.

Buoyed by the social media buzz generated by the classic content campaign, ADK Emotions NY will be releasing brand new Beyblade Generation One apparel which will also be available this summer on Amazon.

New content in the form of Beyblade Burst has been championed by international broadcasters and it has enjoyed a profile presence on Netflix and YouTube where we have seeded more than 1,600 videos and achieved 360 million global views.  The addition of classic content is the perfect kick-off to what promises to be a comprehensive and coordinated campaign of fresh content and bold new consumer products that will take Beyblade into its third decade.

ADK Emotions NY will continue to engage Beyblade Burst fans in as many ways as possible in the latter half of the year. In September, a digital EP featuring the series theme songs will be released on all major digital distribution platforms including Spotify, iTunes, and Google Play Music, meeting the fans fervent demand for music.

Reemsborko’s Max Arguile: “The anime investment bubble shows no sign of bursting”

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With a portfolio spanning some of the most iconic IP in pop culture, including Bill and Ted, Dragon Ball Z and and extended library of anime properties now starting to gather pace here in the UK, Max Arguile, founder of the licensing agency Reemsborko is riding on the crest of a wave that shows no sign of ebbing any time soon.

Much like the Big Bang, the pop culture explosion seems only to be expanding further and further into even the most distant corners, helping the kind of properties and fandom that was once deemed ‘underground’ pitch new flags in the mainstream channel, and finding new ways to engage audiences the world over.

While lockdown has not come without its challenges for the pop culture space, and for Arguile’s own Reemsborko business alike, it’s with a sense of optimism that the pop culture specialist takes his position at the front of that charge, and the wealth of new developments he has managed to forge, even in the face of the last few months.

Licensing.biz catches up with Arguile to talk about the latest projects for Reemsborko, the unerring passion for pop culture, and where business is heading from here on out.

Hi Max, to kick us off, how has business been for Reemsborko over the last few months?

It was pretty mixed under lockdown. Three deals fell apart in early on and it was tough but I still managed to get a dozen contracts signed, mostly new business but a couple of renewals.

What sort of impact do you think the lockdown has had on the pop culture/anime licensing and merchandising business?

Consistent with all industries, it has been horrific for those companies that have gone bankrupt and for those that have had to down-size. I have been working from home since early 2018 so no real change for me but everyone has had to adapt to survive. And coming out of lockdown a big impact for the companies that are still trading is the disruption to production timelines and therefore a delay for new business.

The numbers of people streaming content over the lockdown has surged – a good share of which is anime content… Meanwhile, Netflix continues to bulk out its own anime library – how do you think this may impact the merchandising opportunities?

Whatever people love represents a merchandising opportunity. Unsurprisingly Netflix did phenomenally well with a captive audience and other streamers must have done OK but everything has a cost.

Families facing increased streaming bills will have been glad of not only the BBC but also free channels like POP, which apparently enjoyed record viewing figures. For everyone still undecided, yes, Dragon Ball is still the number one boys show on POP with more content on the way.

What lasting impact do you think recent events will have on licensing? How well has the pop culture scene adapted to the changes, and what do you think this will mean for its licensing?

Recently it was Comic-Con From Home – the online version of a crucial pop-culture event. I’ve seen some good presentations done with flair and imagination (Factory Entertainment and Super7 take a bow), and others that just looked like giant Zoom meetings and so I didn’t even bother.

E-commerce has leaped forward by about five years since March, and as a trader, if you don’t have a vibrant route to market online then it’s going to be tougher from now on. Fortunately for Reemsborko, the fans of the licenses I sign don’t usually expect to find the corresponding merchandise in bricks and mortar, you know? The fans just wouldn’t think to look there – the first place they will go is online hence the licensees I have that do online selling in a meaningful way actually did OK in Q2.

The Reemsborko portfolio is now looking very strong. Can you talk us through some of the exciting developments for you over the last few months/first half of 2020?

The portfolio is decent but frankly there isn’t enough in there. We’re not resting yet. I’m looking for more animation properties, and also video games – anything that is cool and interesting, rather than simply a cashcow (although I’m not against those).

Hatsune Miku has been extremely strong in 2020 firstly at the level of interest and secondly now in the market place. The first Wild Bangarang range launched just last weekend – online only – they are very happy with the sales and consider this to be a signing that will grow, especially once the fans start discussing their purchases. Not only is the fanbase super-engaged but we have influencers on board that will wear and show the product via their social media channels – free advertising, directly to the fans never hurts. Likewise, Dragon Ball also continues to work. Junji Ito hasn’t really started yet in Europe (although the t-shirt range will hit retail in Australia by Q4) and there is a lot to come on both Heathen and Black Hammer.

Heathen should start filming in January – they have cast the lead so that is pretty exciting, and we are in the midst of approving a massive apparel range for Black Hammer.

What have been some of the key partnerships you’ve established for 2020 so far?

I’m very happy to now be working with some major talent in the comics industry. Dark Horse have already committed to pushing new Black Hammer products via their Twitter account and Vault Comics are really punching above their weight as a publisher. Aside from Heathen, they have a range of titles, one of which – Vagrant Queen – was made into a TV series, showing recently on Syfy. Vault are fully open to maximising on their whole catalogue – so if anyone is interested in original IP to develop as live action or animation, please get in touch.

You’ve recently partnered with TMS to bring Lupin the Third into the portfolio. What sort of plans have you got for the property in the European market? What is the strength of the brand here in Europe?

Lupin is a well loved classic animé – I aim to start with apparel and collectibles and the new feature length CGI film should be released this year so I’m hopeful of also capitalising on the halo effect that will have

It’s a topic we’ve discussed many times before, but always worth highlighting – what do you make of the current strength of the pop culture scene across Europe? How has the demand for animé ‘swag’ in Europe grown? 

Pop culture is just getting bigger in all territories. What was traditionally underground is becoming mainstream and, as the saying goes, the geek shall inherit the earth.

Animé is only getting started in the UK outside of specialty – we have a long, long way to go catch up with Europe and North America. Furthermore, the animé investment bubble shows no sign of bursting – the streaming platforms continue to commission new content which just increases the size of the total offering.

Conventions won’t be happening so there will be no physical meeting for a while but communication never stops. The fans are fully aware of new developments, and new content almost before they are announced – it’s the job of people like me to ensure that they also know about new products too.

The fans should have the swag so it is our job to make the good stuff visible to not just the fans but also the gift givers. We have our work cut out but the future is bright.

What’s the next big step for Reemsborko as the world wakes up from the pandemic lockdown?

Before Matrix 4, Cyberpunk 2077, John Wick 4 and the new SpongeBob movie, remember that the renaissance of Keanu Reeves starts in earnest when Bill and Ted Face The Music reaches fans worldwide in September.

For many years licensees have enjoyed a steady pace of success with the merchandise from the first two Bill and Ted films – Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey. A healthy dose of Bill and Ted is something we could all use right now

Anything you’d like to add?

Be excellent to each other!

Anime specialist Crunchyroll hits 3 million streaming subscribers

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The anime specialist, Crunchyroll has hit a new milestone of 3 million subscribers to its global streaming service, highlighting both the growing audience for the animation genre and the platform’s own accelerating growth.

The WarnerMedia-owned business was founded in 2006 and had reached one million streaming subscribers in 2016. By the end of 2018 it had reached the 2 million subscribers mark. Having started out as a San Francisco-based online forum for uploaded anime clips and message boards, it has grown to over 70 million registered users in 200 countries.

The platform now proposes to be the world’s largest anime library with more than 1,000 titles and 30,000 episodes. Last year, Crunchyroll found a new home under WarnerMedia as part of the entertainment giant’s launch plans for HBO Max and a hub of anime curated by Crunchyroll.

The anime platform also recently detailed a slate of summer licensing partnerships across a plethora of categories and series.

“We are excited to announce these new licensing partnerships that serve our fans with quality products based on the shows they are passionate about,” said John Leonhardt, head of consumer products.

Titles from across the Crunchyroll portfolio that will enjoy new licensing partnerships include Bananya, Black Clover, Food Wars, and Mobile Suit Gundam, which will see new apparel and accessory ranges launch via Bioworld and posters from Trends International; Given which has been granted to both Great Eastern and Bioworld for apparel and accessories; Welcome to Demon School! Iruma Kun, Haikyu, The Quintessential Quintuplets, Sarazanmai, and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, which have each been granted to Great Eastern for apparel and accessories; and Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, Dr Stone, Mob Psycho 100, and Yuri!!! on Ice, which were granted to Trends International for posters.

On top of this, The Junji Ito Cat Diary: Yon & Mu was granted to Ripple Junction for apparel and accessories, and Radiant was granted to Bioworld for apparel and accessories.

Other titles available for license include the new Crunchyroll Originals Tower of God, a dark fantasy action series, and The God of High School, a high-energy tournament competition series, both based on Webtoon comics of the same name, as well as Onyx Equinox, the story of a young Aztec boy fighting for humanity in Mesoamerica.

Crunchyroll currently manages all-rights for more than 350 anime titles, working with more than 100 global licensees to provide anime fans with the best lifestyle, fashion, and home goods products from their favourite series.

Crunchyroll also operates a direct to consumer retail destination, which recently launched a Godzilla streetwear collection with Toho International, Inc. through the in house streetwear brand Crunchyroll Loves. This DTC fan connection is further strengthened by Crunchyroll’s robust online community, with more than 40 million followers across social media.

 

Reemsborko partners with TMS Entertainment to bring anime’s Lupin the Third to licensing

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Reemsborko, the pop culture and anime licensing specialist has partnered with TMS Entertainment to represent the classic anime property, Lupin the Third in the consumer products space. Under the deal, Reemsborko will embark on a licensing programme for the European market.

A classic in the anime market, Lupin the Third was created in 1967 by the manga artist Kazuhiko Kato (under the pen name Monkey Punch) and has spawned a multi-media franchise encompassing six animated TV series, seven full length animated films, two live action films, multiple music albums and soundtracks, stage musicals, and video games.

Lupin the Third follows the story of the grandson of the fictional Arsène Lupin, the original gentleman thief, and one of the most famous and wanted crooks in the world. A ruthless criminal with a sense of humour, Lupin is constantly pursued by Interpol’s Zenigata and often accompanied by a group of not-so-faithful accomplices as he attempts some of the most outrageous thefts of all time, or deals with the many, many people holding a grudge against him.

The animé series have been heavily rotated on Funimation and Cartoon Network while new content is still being produced. The first CGI feature film is due to be in cinemas worldwide later this year.

Max Arguile of Reemsborko, said: “It’s really great to be working with TMS, representing the best of Lupin the Third. This classic animé property is still delivering new content that will drive consumer products to the fans.”

Cinzia Mariani, Vice President at TMS Paris, added: “We are very excited at TMS to team up with Reemsborko to bring all the swagger and allure of the Lupin family to European fans old and new. Do keep an eye out for our gentleman thief.”