The trend towards consolidation in the American anime industry continues to accelerate. In its second major announcement at Anime Expo, FUNimation trumpeted its acquisition of 30 titles from Sojitz’s ARM—all titles that had been either distributed or announced by ADV. Under the terms of its agreement with Sojitz FUNimation gained the right to distribute the 30 titles in
The list of titles includes nearly all the properties ADV has released since its deal with Sojitz in June of 2006 (see “Japanese Investment Bulks Up ADV”) including two series, Sgt. Frog and Murder Princess, that ADV had not yet begun to distribute. Problems in the ADV/Sojitz relationship became apparent in January when ADV drastically revised its shipping schedule, but by March most of the Sojitz titles were back on the ADV slate (see “ADV Titles Back on Schedule”). Now series such as Devil May Cry, Guyver: Bioboosted Armor, and Kanon will be released by FUNimation.
Other titles acquired by FUNimation include: 009-1, Ah! My Goddess Flights of Fancy, Air Gear, Air (movie), Air (TV), Blade of the Phantom Master, Comic Party Revolution, Coyote Ragtime Show, Jing, King of Bandits: Seventh Heaven, Jinki: Extend, Kyoshiro to Towa no Sora, Le Chevalier D’Eon, Magikano, Moeyo Ken (TV), Moonlight Mile, Murder Princess, Nerima Daikon Brothers, Pani Poni Dash, Project Blue Earth SOS, Pumpkin Scissors, Red Garden, Sgt. Keroro (Sgt. Frog) 1st and 2nd, Tokyo Majin, UFO Princess Valkyrie, Utawarerumono, Venus Versus Virus, The Wallflower, Welcome to the NHK, and Xenosaga.
