Bandai US and UK shuts down DVD/BD/Manga production

Date: 2012 January 05 13:34

Posted by Eeeper

The US anime releasing division of Bandai has announced that from February they will cease publication of both new anime titles and manga titles. The company’s UK and French sister divisions have also released similar statements.

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Announcing on Monday the 2nd of January, Bandai Entertainment announced that the US division would cease production on new manga, DVD and Blu ray titles in February. In an interview with Anime News Network, Bandai Entertainment president Ken Iyadomi stated that their corporate parent, Namco Bandai Holdings, had made the decision to shut down the US DVD releasing department of the company in October 2011. Unsustainable losses in the retail sector is one reason given as to why Namco Bandai shut down the company. This means that all current titles published on DVD and Blu ray will remain in print for as long as the licence for said title remains in effect. A number of employees and contractors will be let go as a result. Iyadomi did, however, emphasise that Bandai Ent. will remain in the licencing business, sub-licencing titles for TV and Internet distributors. New manga titles, however, will not be published. Iyadomi does not know what will happen to these titles but they will not be finished by Bandai. Bandai’s other operations (Toys, etc.) in the United States are unaffected by the shutdown.

In a separate decision BEEZ UK and France have also made similar statements regarding the ceasing of publications of new titles. BEEZ France has reportedly recorded losses of €671,200.

Titles affected by the shutdown in the US are:

DVD

• Gosick


• Nichijō


• Turn A Gundam

Manga

• Code Geass: Renya


• Gurren Lagann volume 7


• Kannagi volumes 4-6


• Lucky Star Boo Boo Kagaboo


• Mobile Suit Gundam 00I


• Tales of the Abyss: Jade's Secret Memories

While no official announcements have been made in regards to BEEZ UK and France, they have made similar indications that their releases will cease around February as well.

Separately, Madman Entertainment in Australia has stated that any titles licensed by Bandai for the US will have no effect on identical titles released by Madman in their territories.

UPDATE: Madman have stated through their official forums that while they are waiting to see if a new licenser picks up GOSICK and/or Nichijou, if no one in the US/UK does pick these titles, Madman will proceed with a English subtitled only release of said titles.

On a personal note, the staff at Otaku News would like to extend our thanks to the staff at Bandai Entertainment, BEEZ UK and BEEZ France for their faithful service over the years. While we may not have bought every title they released, we respect and always respected their dedication to their customers and titles.

Source: Otaku News