FUNimation Forum

 FUNimation Entertainment Enters Simulcast Partnership with Fuji TV for NoitaminA Block
 
Anime Leader to Stream Episodes within One Hour of
Japanese Television Debut
 
Flower Mound, TX – April 15, 2010 -- FUNimation® Entertainment is partnering with the leading and largest Japanese broadcast television network, Fuji Television Network, Inc., to simulcast anime series featured in its late-night noitaminA programming block airing in Japan on Thursday nights. The partnership gives the American anime leader rights to the online streaming and simulcast of the series in noitaminA in the U.S.
 
“We are excited to bring this programming to the North American audience,” said Koji Yamamoto, producer of the noitaminA block at Fuji Television, “and to bring it with FUNimation Entertainment, with which we enjoy a long and cooperative relationship.”
 
“This is a fantastic opportunity to work again with the formidable Fuji TV,” said Gen Fukunaga, president and CEO at FUNimation Entertainment, “particularly on the debut of a new noitaminA lineup. This highly-rated block has already launched hits like ‘Eden of the East’ and ‘Tokyo Magnitude 8.0’ and we hope to extend that success for these new series in the U.S.”
 
“House of the Five Leaves” will premiere on Fuji TV on early Friday morning, April 16 at 1:30 a.m. Japanese Standard Time (JST) and at 12:30 p.m. CDT Thursday, April 15, just one hour after its Japanese debut, FUNimation will deliver the first episode of the series for North American streaming via www.funimation.com.
 
On Thursday, April 22 at 11:45 a.m. CDT, FUNimation will stream the first episode of “The Tatami Galaxy” one hour after its Japanese premiere.
 
Each episode will be high-quality and contain its original Japanese dialogue accompanied by English subtitles. A new episode will be rolled out weekly at www.funimation.com as well as key video-sharing partners as both series continue their television run.
 
“House of the Five Leaves” is a 12 episode series produced by Manglobe and directed by Tomomi Mochizuki (OCEAN WAVES, “Ranma ½”) and adapted from the Natsume Ono samurai manga of the same name. Set in the Edo period, the series centers on a masterless samurai, Masa, and a gang of mysterious outlaws called “Five Leaves.” 
 
The upcoming “The Tatami Galaxy” is an 11 episode adaptation of Tomihiko Morimi’s novel “Yojo-Han Shinwa Taikei.”  The series is animated by MADHOUSE (SUMMER WARS, “Claymore, “Black Lagoon”) and directed by Masaaki Yuasa (“Kemonozume”, “Crayon Shin-chan”). 
 
This month, Fuji TV is expanding the noitaminA block to one hour and announced that five new titles will be aired by the end of the year.
 
Visit www.funimation.com for updates on upcoming NoitaminA series.
 
About Fuji Television Network, Inc.
Fuji Television is the leading commercial broadcaster in the Japanese media industry. By providing cutting edge entertainment, news and sports programming, Fuji Television has maintained its current status as the leading media company in Japan with top average ratings in the Japanese households.
 
About noitaminA
Set at Thursday 24:45, noitaminA has been the highest rated midnight anime slot on TV in Japan. Stable and high reputations gained from Japan’s national advertisers. Starting April, 2010, the 30-min. weekly timeslot will be expanded into one-hour featuring two 30min. series, doubling the number of animation titles to be produced and broadcast in the slot throughout the year. Some of the series broadcast in noitaminA include “Honey and Clover”, “Mononoke” and “Eden of the East”.
 
About FUNimation Entertainment
FUNimation® Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Navarre Corporation, is the leading company for home video sales of Japanese animation in the United States.  FUNimation has a proven formula for launching and advancing brands, and manages a full spectrum of rights for most of its brands including broadcasting, licensing, production, internet, and home video sales and distribution. For more information about FUNimation Entertainment and its brands, visit www.funimation.com.