What's the future of Bandai Entertainment properties?

[WTK]

How fast will we see Bandai Ent. properties getting license rescued? Akira is picked up by FUNimation. Jubei-Chan Season 1 is picked up by Media Blasters (this one probably expired for a while now though). IMO, many/most Bandai Ent. properties won't be license rescued. It will be interesting to see how things play out in 2013 and beyond.

???

• 5 Centimeters Per Second - ??? Crunchyroll has the DVD license, what will happen to the distributor side?
• Mobile Suit Gundam properties - This IMO is the biggest question. The question could fall on whether if interested North American distributor is allowed to take on select Gundam properies. If the answer is a no (as in having to take on most/all of Gundam properties), we may not see Gundam license rescues any time soon.

License rescue locks (or close to it)

• Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion - Whomever gets Code Geass: Akito the Exiled OVA will likely have both S1 & 2)
• Cowboy Bebop - Bandai Ent.'s all time best selling anime
• Eureka Seven - Logic will say FUNimation since they have Eureka Seven AO
• Gurren Lagann
• K-ON! (Season 1) - Logic will say Sentai Filmworks since they have Season 2
• The Girl Who Leapt Through Time - Likely FUNimation since they have Summer Wars, Wolf Children
• The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya properties

License rescue possibilities

• .hack properties - Could be FUNimation if .hack//Quantum did well for them. Or perhaps whomever decides to license .hack//The Movie may be interested in the previous .hack properties.
• Escaflowne - one of the best selling properties for BEI (could be in license lock category)
• My-HiME / My-Otome properties
• Outlaw Star - one of the best selling properties for BEI (could be in license lock category)
• Sola - Sentai Filmworks had accidentally licensed once when it was with BEI, would they try one more time?
• Sword of the Stranger
• The Big O
• Toward the Terra (TV) - Would TRSI be interested in this since they have the movie?

Wild card category - Aniplex of America

• Gurren Lagann - A possibility especially if Aniplex Japan releases a JP BD-Box in the future.
• Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maiden - JP BD-Box was released by Aniplex Japan back in May 2012.
• Star Driver - There is the upcoming movie to think about. Aniplex Japan has BD-Box scheduled for Janaury 2013.

Bandai Entertainment
.hack//G.U. Trilogy (Movie)
.hack//Legend of The Twilight
.hack//SIGN / .hack//Intermezzo (OVA)
.hack//Roots
Angel Links
Angel Tales
Agent AIKa (OVA)
AIKa R-16: Virgin Mission (OVA)
Argentosoma
Arjuna
Avenger
Banner of the Stars
Banner of the Stars II / Lost Chapter of the Stars - Birth (Special)
Betterman
Brain Powered
Blue Submarine No. 6 (OVA)
Carried by the Wind: Tsukikage Ran
CLAMP School Detectives
Clockwork Fighters: Hiwou's War
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2
Cowboy Bebop (TV)
Crest of the Stars
D.I.C.E.
Dan Doh!! The Super Shot
Di Gi Charat Nyo [Incomplete]
Don't Leave Me Alone, Daisy
Dragon Drive
Eat-Man '98
Escaflowne (TV)
Escaflowen: The Movie
Eureka Seven (TV)
Eureka Seven: Good night, Sleep Tight, Young Lovers (Movie)
Fancy Lala
Fantastic Children
FLAG
Future GPX Cyber Formula
Galaxy Angel
Galaxy Angel A
Galaxy Angel AA
Galaxy Angel S (Special)
Galaxy Angel X
Galaxy Angel Z
Geneshaft
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence - License expired August '10
Ghost Slayers Ayashi (TV) / Ayashi Divine Comedy (OVA)
Gurren Lagann
Haunted Junction
Hayate the Combat Butler
Hoop Days
Immortal Grand Prix (IGPX)
Infinite Ryvius
Jin-Roh - The Wolf Brigade (DVD) (Movie)
Junkers Come Here (Movie)
K-ON! (Season 1)
Kannagi - Crazy Shrine Maiden
Kaze no Yojimbo
Kikaider (TV) / Kikaider (OVA)
Kurokami: The Animation
Love Hina Again (OVA)
Love Hina Spring Special: I wish Your Dream
Love Hina X'mas Special: Silent Eve
Lucky Star (TV)
Lucky Star (OVA)
Magical Meow Meow Taruto
Mars Daybreak
Melty Lancer (OVA)
Mobile Fighter G Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam (TV)
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Movie Trilogy
Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (Season 1)
Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (Season 2)
Mobile Suit Gundam 00: A Wakening of the Trailblazer (Movie)
Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket (OVA)
Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust memory (OVA)
Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack (Movie)
Mobile Suit Gundam F91 (Movie)
Mobile Suit Gundam Seed (TV)
Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Special Edition (TV Movies)
Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny (TV)
Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny OVA: Final Plus
Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny Special Edition (TV Movies)
Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn (DVD) (OVA)
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing (TV)
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz (OVA)
Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team (OVA) / Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team, Miller's Report (Movie)
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (TV)
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation (Movies): Heir to the Stars / Lovers / Love is the Pulse of the Stars
Monkey Magic [Incomplete]
My-HiME
My-Otome
My-Otome 0~S.ifr~ (OVA)
My-Otome Zwei (OVA)
Nyorōn Churuya-san (ONA)
Outlaw Star
Overman King Gainer
Panda-Z: The Robonimation
Pilot Candidate
Planetes
Please Teacher! / Please Teacher! (OVA)
Please Twins! / Please Twins! (OVA)
Rescue Me: Mave-Chan (OVA)
Rocket Girls
Robonimal Panda-Z: The Robonimation
Ronin Warriors (TV)
Ronin Warriors OVAs: Gaiden / Legend of the Inferno Armor / Message
s-CRY-ed
Saber Marionette J
Saber Marionette J Again (OVA)
Saber Marionette J to X
Scrapped Princess
SD Gundam Force
Silent Möbius (TV)
Silent Möbius: Movie 1
Silent Möbius: Movie 2
Spirit of Wonder Scientific Boys Club (OVA)
Star Driver
Stratos 4 (TV) / Stratos 4 (OVA)
Sword of the Stranger (Movie)
Tales of the Abyss
Tekken: Blood Bengeance (DVD) (Movie)
Tenamonya Voyagers (OVA)
The Big O
The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (Movie)
The Girl Who Leapt Through Space
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (DVD) (Movie)
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (Blu-ray) (Movie)
The Melancholy of Haruhi-chan Suzumiya (ONA)
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2009 Renewal)
Toward the Terra (TV)
Witch Hunter Robin
Wolf's Rain (TV / OVA)
Yukikaze (DVD) (OVA)
Z-Mind (OVA)
Zegapain
Zentrix
======
Bandai Visual USA / Honneamise
Demon Prince Enma
Diebuster: The Movie
FREEDOM (Blu-ray)
Galaxy Angel Rune
Gunbuster
Gunbuster: The Movie
Gunbuster vs Diebuster: Aim for the Top! The Gattai Movie
Gunbuster 2
Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time – A Tale of the Eight Guardians
Jin-Roh - The Wolf Brigade (Blu-ray)
Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO
Patlabor: The Movie
Patlabor 2: The Movie
SOS! Tokyo Metro Explorers: The Next
Super Robot Wars: OG - Divine Wars
Super Robot Wars: OG - The Animation
Royal Space Force - Wings of Honneamise
Wings of Rean
Yukikaze (Blu-ray)
======
Crunchyroll
5 Centimeters Per Second (Movie)

[Mach Rider]

Hopefully Sentai nabs K-ON. Bebop is for sure going to be a hot one, especially with the upcoming BD box in Japan. Hopefully someone can get that out within next year sometime.

Gurren Lagann is probably going to be another big one. Does Outlaw Star have a BD release? I know it has a remastered DVD release that blows Bandai's original release out of the water. It'd be nice to even have that.

Gundam is really the most interesting to me out of all of them. Which ones do/don't have remastered versions? Which ones would sell? I would buy BD sets of the older series for sure but I don't know if they even exist in Japan or not.

[Orochimaru]

Originally Posted by WTK

Jubei-Chan Season 1 is picked up by Media Blasters (this one probably expired for a while now though).

Out of the frying pan, into the fire...

[Buckeye]

So based on this list, I will attempt to figure out how likely a title will be rescued. It's pretty much a given that Eureka 7 will be rescued by Funimation since they are doing AO. K-On! season 1 should be a lock to be rescued by Sentai. Gurren Lagaan looks like it will be an Aniplex rescue since they have the movie. Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is huge, so there is no way anybody will let that show fade into oblivion, and likewise with Lucky Star. I think that Sentai will rescue those titles someday. Escaflowne looks like a rescue job for Nozomi if you asked me, and the .hack stuff should be rescued by Funimation since they have .hack//Quantum. With more Code Geass coming, it's a given that someone will rescue this title to promote the new OVA. For 5cm, I am hoping it goes back to Sentai, and it be re-released with both dubs on BD. All of the bases have pretty much been covered here, but the question really is how quickly will these rescues come considering that the licenses are not exactly up for grabs just yet.

[Rootsofjustice]

Here's how I see things going:

FUNimation
.Hack (FUNimation has been courting the .hack franchise since last year)
Blue Submarine No.6 (The Range Murata factor and keeping broadcast rights in perpetuity for Toonami)
The Big O (Keeping the broadcast rights to the first season available for Toonami should they want to use it)
Code Geass (I have the feeling they were the ones who picked up Akito the Exiled, but we'll see)
Cowboy Bebop (I don't think anyone else has the sheer bankroll and reputation for the rights)
Eureka Seven (Eureka Seven AO and keeping the broadcast rights open)
Gundam Franchise (I could see Cartoon Network chip in a little to keep the broadcast rights open once Toonami finds its legs)
Outlaw Star (Once again, keeping rights available for Toonami)
Patlabor (Hoping Space Battleship Yamato and Akira do well enough for FUNimation to look at older franchises)

Sentai Filmworks
Escaflowne (I think Sentai will grab at least one big franchise from Bandai)
Haruhi Suzumiya Franchise (KyoAni factor)
K-On! (Sentai has s2, KyoAni Factor)
Lucky Star (KyoAni Factor)

[Rhodes]

Unless they made all nice again... anything from Kadokawa will not go to Sentai. Unless Kadokawa has no say in things... ie a 3rd party holds the international licensing rights.

[WTK]

Originally Posted by Rhodes

Unless they made all nice again... anything from Kadokawa will not go to Sentai. Unless Kadokawa has no say in things... ie a 3rd party holds the international licensing rights.

I don't quite follow your logic here. Sentai Filmworks has been licensing Kadokawa properties (Another and Ebiten for example).

[ultimatemegax]

Originally Posted by Rhodes

Unless they made all nice again... anything from Kadokawa will not go to Sentai. Unless Kadokawa has no say in things... ie a 3rd party holds the international licensing rights.

Sentai was able to license Another this year and has played nice with Kadokawa. I see no reason why any Kadokawa show won't go there given the difficulties Kadokawa has had with Funi in 2012.

[Hrld]

Would it be worth it for Williams Street to get the DVD rights for the following? All .hack// titles, Big O, Cowboy Bebop, Kikaider, Outlaw Star, Wolf's Rain, and Witch Hunter Robin? They could cut the middle man and take all profits.

[Rootsofjustice]

Originally Posted by Hrld

Would it be worth it for Williams Street to get the DVD rights for the following? All .hack// titles, Big O, Cowboy Bebop, Kikaider, Outlaw Star, Wolf's Rain, and Witch Hunter Robin? They could cut the middle man and take all profits.

Problem is Williams Street doesn't do DVD. Warner handles that for them. It would make sense for them to chip in a little to help FUNimation get the home media rights and keep the broadcast rights in a sweetheart deal.