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4Kids Adds Toei's Tai Chi Chasers Fantasy TV Anime (Updated)

4Kids Entertainment has announced that it is offering the Japanese/Korean animated series Tai Chi Chasers (Tai Chi Senjimon) to television service providers worldwide (except in Asia) starting in the fourth quarter of 2011. 4Kids describes the story of the 39-episode series as follows:

Tai Chi Chasers focuses on Rai, a young orphan, shocked to discover he's a secret descendent of the Tigeroids: an ancient race of peaceful beings locked in struggle with the ruthless and cunning Dragonoids. In a parallel universe called Suhn, the Tigeroids and Dragonoids are locked in an age-old race to recover 500 lost tai chi symbols. Whoever recovers these precious and potent symbols will possess the ultimate power to rule their realm…and destroy their enemies. Rai must now hone his innate tai chi card skills to fight the Dragonoids, find the lost symbols and battle to become one of the champion Tai Chi Chasers.

The veteran Japanese studio Toei Animation and the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) co-produced the series with traditional cel animation and computer graphics. It premiered on Korean television in 2007. 4Kids notes that Tai Chi Chasers is the first Japanese-animated children's series that 4Kids is adapting since it licensed Dinosaur King in 2008.

4Kids Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Alfred Kahn said during 4Kids' latest quarterly earnings conference call last week that "4Kids needs to return to its roots as a licensing and merchandising company [that] specializes in bringing wonderful Japanese programming and merchandising to the rest of the world." He added that 4Kids signed an agreement for "very important Japanese property" that the company would announce in the next few days, and that the new fall season will include a number of new "substantial Japanese hits."

Thanks to NJ_ for the news tip.

Source: Animation World Network via Toonzone

© KBS/Toei Anim./Dongseo Univ./Iconix/JM Anim. 

Update: 4Kids licensed and premiered Dinosaur King in 2007. Thanks, D Dubbs.