Kadokawa Pictures USA's Shut-Down Official

I mentioned quite some time ago-- in June, in fact --that I had received (unofficial) word that Kadokawa Pictures USA, a branch of Kadokawa that acted as middle man for the company's licensing efforts in the USA, was going to shut down. No release or official announcement came out, however, and I think for the most part it was forgotten (certainly by me!). But OtakuReview.net spotted a closure notice on Kadokawa USA's website declaring that the company did indeed close its doors on August 31st.

Honestly, I doubt that this will make too much of a difference for most American fans, as Kadokawa Pictures USA was (as far as I'm aware) primarily a conduit for the licensing process, which most of the American companies are already pretty used to these days. It may have greased the wheels a tad, but I'd be surprised if it slowed things down for Kadokawa-related titles in the future significantly-- if this has truly been in the works since June, any glitches in the licensing process have probably been smoothed over by now, I would think.

Still, my sympathies out to those who were happy working in the division, and I hope that they all land on their feet, if they're no longer working at Kadokawa. (With no announcements, and since I have no contacts directly there, I'm not sure exactly what's become of the employees.)