The Great Chiyoda-ku Yakiniku-ya Betrayal

The anime world was rocked down to its very foundations yesterday by the announcement that the US based ImaginAsian Entertainment had acquired the television and DVD rights to three series from the ‘80s era Tokyo Movie Shinsha (TMS) stable: Orguss, Cat’s Eye, and Remi: Nobody’s Boy.

Well, no, not really. Still, the question remains, "where can I buy the rights to a TMS anime for myself"?

The trail to the truth leads to the recent Tokyo Anime Fair where the TMS booth housed American comic book spinner racks full of literally thousands of glossy fliers for their old programs. Many looked like they had been routinely pulled out of storage boxes for film and TV sales conventions over the decades…which they probably had been only to be routinely ignored by representatives from foreign markets.

But this time, actual buyers - in addition to a few plainclothes otaku like myself who'd managed to sneak into Business Day at the Anime Fair – greedily snatched up handfuls of the sales sheets. For nuts like me, it’s probably all because issues related to uncorrected personality traits left over from childhood or maybe because Space Adventure Cobra, God Mazinger, and Star of the Giants are eternal signifiers of "otakool." But for the man with the plan, this must have looked like a turkey shoot. I don’t think the rights to the lesser stars in the TMS stable cost as much as say, the latest Production I.G. opus. And finally, even the dumbest yokel in the audience finally gets it: there's kind of a demand for Japanese animation abroad. In a pinch, anything will do.

And who knows? Maybe one of these ancient TMS productions could be the next Pokemon.

(click to view fliers)
Reporter Blues
Makoto-chan
Karate Master
The Rough and Ready Cowboy
And a pair of obscure shows directed by Osamu Dezaki called Lady Oscar and The Champion.

I guess nows the time to get them while the getting is good. Anyone want to go in half for The Happy Section Chief?

Comments

[Carl Horn]

I was going to say that I remain loyal to Eiyaku Nonki-kun (it's mind-blowing that the same person who translated it for Hobunsha in 1984 is today kind enough to do Oh My Goddess! for me), but after reading that The Happy Section Chief is named Arthur DeSade, it's a bit hard to resist.

[Carl Horn]

Actually, the news *has* prompted a fairly lengthy and enthusiastic thread:

http://www.animeondvd.com/forum/showtopic.php?tid/19471/all/1/

[Matt]

"These men apparently had no previous experience with children, but the presence of sweet little Isamu gave these men a life worth living."

Glad to see the English on these flyers is still as great as last year.

http://altjapan.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/03/somewhat_like_a.html

[Carl Horn]

That Lupin flyer is for the first series, which could be pretty vicious at times--that is, until Miyazaki and Takahata stepped in, made Lupin trade in his Benz for a Fiat, bobbed Fujiko's hair, and reduced her about three cup sizes.

[Justin Sevakis]

Hiya! Justin Sevakis here from ImaginAsian Entertainment.

Thanks for the write-up! We're glad everyone is so excited about these projects.

Actually, nobody from iaTV has ever been to TAF, I'm afraid (I'm dying to go). Actually, our discussions with TMS started way before this year's TAF. Also, what TMS was doing, distributing sell sheets, is no different from what any other content owner does to sell their content at industry trade shows like MIPTV and NATPE. Glad you were able to get your hands on a few of them, though. They certainly are fun to look at!

As for the timing, well, it just happened to work out right. TMS has long been on our radar as a potential treasure trove for the otaku in all of us, and when Titlematch came along with their new technology, it seemed like a perfect fit.

Thanks again, and I hope we can count on you and your readers for your support! This is a pilot program, so every sale counts towards the decision to do more of these.

[Justin Sevakis]

Hiya! Justin Sevakis here from ImaginAsian Entertainment.

Thanks for the write-up! We're glad everyone is so excited about these projects.

Actually, nobody from iaTV has ever been to TAF, I'm afraid (I'm dying to go). Actually, our discussions with TMS started way before this year's TAF. Also, what TMS was doing, distributing sell sheets, is no different from what any other content owner does to sell their content at industry trade shows like MIPTV and NATPE. Glad you were able to get your hands on a few of them, though. They certainly are fun to look at!

As for the timing, well, it just happened to work out right. TMS has long been on our radar as a potential treasure trove for the otaku in all of us, and when Titlematch came along with their new technology, it seemed like a perfect fit.

Thanks again, and I hope we can count on you and your readers for your support! This is a pilot program, so every sale counts towards the decision to do more of these.

[Justin Sevakis]

Ack! Double post! Sorry, you can delete that, right? ^_^;

[Steve Harrison]

See, Justin? These are the things I'm afraid of, the concern I mentioned over at AoDVD. As long as TMS doesn't insist you use the wacky 'adapted for America' names and such, I think the project can have success.

Cobra really needs to be on the short list for the second tier of releases....

[Anders HJ]

The French version of "The Rough And Ready Cowboy" has a fantastic Bernard Minet sung opening, I couldn't find the full version at Youtube, but a sneak peak comes 05:18 into this collection:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7VpU3PuA-c

[wildarmsheero]

I should probably watch THE HAPPY SECTION CHIEF.

[Patrick Macias]

You should probably buy the US TV and DVD rights to THE HAPPY SECTION CHIEF.

[Dan Hager]

I'll bite. How much do the rights to "the Happy Section Chief" cost?

[Patrick Macias]

$1.98

[Dan Hager]

astounding!

[Josh]

Christ I need to buy Makoto-Chan