×
  • remind me tomorrow
  • remind me next week
  • never remind me
Subscribe to the ANN Newsletter • Wake up every Sunday to a curated list of ANN's most interesting posts of the week. read more

Forum - View topic
NEWS: Bandai Namco Holdings USA Establishes Bandai Namco Filmworks America Subsidiary




Note: this is the discussion thread for this article

Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> Talkback
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
BigOnAnime
Encyclopedia Editor


Joined: 01 Jul 2010
Posts: 1271
Location: Minnesota, USA
PostPosted: Wed Feb 05, 2025 1:03 am Reply with quote
So, another go at this? RIP Bandai Visual USA (which didn't understand anime fan wants) and Bandai Entertainment.
animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-05-23/bandai-visual-usa-to-be-liquidated-by-september
animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-08-31/bandai-entertainment-to-discontinue-home-video-manga-novel-sales

I still wonder why they shut down Bandai Entertainment, it was stated on the ANNCast (MP3 link because Flash) they were still profitable. They could have always just kept BEI running instead of having to do this.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
mdo7



Joined: 23 May 2007
Posts: 6771
Location: Katy, Texas, USA
PostPosted: Wed Feb 05, 2025 1:06 am Reply with quote
BigOnAnime wrote:
So, another go at this? RIP Bandai Visual USA (which didn't understand anime fan wants) and Bandai Entertainment.
animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-05-23/bandai-visual-usa-to-be-liquidated-by-september
animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-08-31/bandai-entertainment-to-discontinue-home-video-manga-novel-sales

I still wonder why they shut down Bandai Entertainment, it was stated on the ANNCast (MP3 link because Flash) they were still profitable. They could have always just kept BEI running instead of having to do this.


Yeah, I didn't fully understand this, but then again, anime was still not close to mainstream like it is today. So maybe this one will be a Bandai Entertainment revive but now more sustainable, I hope.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
fuuma_monou



Joined: 26 Dec 2005
Posts: 1876
Location: Quezon City, Philippines
PostPosted: Wed Feb 05, 2025 1:51 am Reply with quote
Hopefully this means the Gundam anime Blu-rays will be back in print in the U.S.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Nionel



Joined: 08 Sep 2004
Posts: 374
Location: Nebraska
PostPosted: Wed Feb 05, 2025 2:08 am Reply with quote
If they're going to distribute their titles over here, I just hope they don't adapt a pricing structure like Aniplex. Aside from that I'm all for another potential player in the US anime market.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message AIM Address My Anime My Manga
NJ_



Joined: 31 Oct 2009
Posts: 3146
Location: Wallington, NJ
PostPosted: Wed Feb 05, 2025 3:20 am Reply with quote
If this turns out like Toho as of late then I expect the former Sunrise to start blocking stuff from getting picked up.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Lann



Joined: 12 Dec 2006
Posts: 275
PostPosted: Wed Feb 05, 2025 3:28 am Reply with quote
They are just going to will the people of America to like Gundam as much as the Japanese again, aren't they?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website Yahoo Messenger
Kicksville



Joined: 20 Nov 2010
Posts: 1268
PostPosted: Wed Feb 05, 2025 3:32 am Reply with quote
Am I misunderstanding something here? I'm not getting the impression this has anything to do with Bandai releasing their own discs in North America again.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
gloworm



Joined: 08 Jan 2007
Posts: 52
PostPosted: Wed Feb 05, 2025 5:50 am Reply with quote
Kicksville wrote:
Am I misunderstanding something here? I'm not getting the impression this has anything to do with Bandai releasing their own discs in North America again.

Sunrise USA did directly supervise the Gundam releases after Bandai Entertainment shut down, even if they relied on Nozomi to actually produce and distribute the discs. Whether this leads to any changes - like them involving themselves in other shows beyond Gundam - remains to be seen. They may not have decided exactly how they're going to proceed yet themselves, since Discotek mentioned they hadn't been able to license any new Sunrise shows while this reorganizing was taking place.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Lord Geo



Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 2732
Location: North Brunswick, New Jersey
PostPosted: Wed Feb 05, 2025 11:53 am Reply with quote
BigOnAnime wrote:
I still wonder why they shut down Bandai Entertainment, it was stated on the ANNCast (MP3 link because Flash) they were still profitable. They could have always just kept BEI running instead of having to do this.


After all this time I think it was likely just a case of Bandai Namco simply not having any continued interest in being a direct part of the American anime industry anymore by that point. They probably saw Bandai Entertainment as nothing more than a waste of time & money in an industry that they were fine with just licensing stuff out to, even if it was still profitable.

Over 10 years later, though, they now seemingly have interest again.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Beatdigga



Joined: 26 Oct 2003
Posts: 4671
Location: New York
PostPosted: Wed Feb 05, 2025 12:48 pm Reply with quote
From what I’m hearing this is being founded to be a direct producer for the LA Gundam movie.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
mdo7



Joined: 23 May 2007
Posts: 6771
Location: Katy, Texas, USA
PostPosted: Wed Feb 05, 2025 1:06 pm Reply with quote
Lord Geo wrote:
BigOnAnime wrote:
I still wonder why they shut down Bandai Entertainment, it was stated on the ANNCast (MP3 link because Flash) they were still profitable. They could have always just kept BEI running instead of having to do this.


After all this time I think it was likely just a case of Bandai Namco simply not having any continued interest in being a direct part of the American anime industry anymore by that point. They probably saw Bandai Entertainment as nothing more than a waste of time & money in an industry that they were fine with just licensing stuff out to, even if it was still profitable.

Over 10 years later, though, they now seemingly have interest again.


Well, as I said, back then anime was not mainstream in the US like it is today. I mean late 2000/early 2010's is different from 2018 and today when the environment is better for anime and manga today. That's why we're getting Bandai Entertainment 2.0 I assume.

It makes me wonder if WB/DC Comics could revive their CMX manga imprint (which was shut down in 2010) given that DC Comics and WB has been going knee-deep into anime/manga thanks to anime work based on their IPs, and also the acceptance of manga in the US (and acknowledged that manga outsell comics and graphic novels). Well, that and DC Comics has revived their defunct imprint in the last few years like for example, they brought back Wildstorm in 2017, Milestone Media in 2015, and in 2023, DC brought back Elseworlds. So given that these 3 defunct imprints have been brought back and factor in western comic book publishers now jumping in on licensing, translating, and publishing manga in the US, could we see DC reviving CMX imprint in the near future? I think it could be possible given that DC and WB have now more experience with anime/manga then they did back in 2000's and early 2010's.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
Lord Geo



Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 2732
Location: North Brunswick, New Jersey
PostPosted: Wed Feb 05, 2025 2:01 pm Reply with quote
mdo7 wrote:
It makes me wonder if WB/DC Comics could revive their CMX manga imprint (which was shut down in 2010) given that DC Comics and WB has been going knee-deep into anime/manga thanks to anime work based on their IPs, and also the acceptance of manga in the US (and acknowledged that manga outsell comics and graphic novels). Well, that and DC Comics has revived their defunct imprint in the last few years like for example, they brought back Wildstorm in 2017, Milestone Media in 2015, and in 2023, DC brought back Elseworlds. So given that these 3 defunct imprints have been brought back and factor in western comic book publishers now jumping in on licensing, translating, and publishing manga in the US, could we see DC reviving CMX imprint in the near future? I think it could be possible given that DC and WB have now more experience with anime/manga then they did back in 2000's and early 2010's.


I highly doubt CMX would ever make a comeback. DC is already doing the occasional manga (that are related to their comics, of course) via partnering with Kodansha USA (arguably in response to Marvel partnering with Viz), and even if DC was to revive CMX it wouldn't be anything like what it became known for back in the day, i.e. releasing a ton of classic shojo manga.

CMX essentially was able to do what it did because DC didn't really care all that much about CMX was doing, and there's no way a modern CMX would be given that kind of freedom by DC today.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Alan45
Village Elder



Joined: 25 Aug 2010
Posts: 10082
Location: Virginia
PostPosted: Wed Feb 05, 2025 2:20 pm Reply with quote
@mdo7

DC comics is not bringing back old imprints. Everything coming out now is labeled DC. The last two attempts to reboot the WildCats franchise were placed in the DC universe and put out under a DC imprint. Most recently the WildC.A.T.s compendium of the original material was put out under a DC imprint. Even stuff originally put out under Vertigo is now coming out under the DC Black imprint.

I would sincerely hope they would not try anything with a CMX imprint. They did the same thing Tokyo Pop did, pulled the plug with no warning and no explanation. That left a lot of bad feeling. I think that ship has sailed.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
Todd_Harry08



Joined: 24 Sep 2019
Posts: 210
PostPosted: Wed Feb 05, 2025 6:49 pm Reply with quote
It returned after Doing D.I.C.E for the American audience ?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> Talkback All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Page 1 of 1

 


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group