Sojitz/JCI and ADV partnership

[something]

ANN has posted a short news story just now in relation to this: link to article here.

Looks like Sirabella's little hint meant what I figured it meant. I'll let others who know more about what this kind of things means do most of the commenting, but it's clearly interesting. What I do notice though, is that it seems to be somewhat different from the other developments with Viz/Geneon/Funi in that they're not partnering with an anime producing or license-holding company. Or I don't think so. I can't really find any information (read: I searched for 45 seconds and lost interest) on what either of these groups are so I can't be sure.

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JCI's investment in ADV will provide capital allowing for ADV to license and release more films in 2006.

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I figure that sentence sums everything up best.

Also interesting but meaningless without details is:
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In addition, an unnamed ADV spokesman told ICv2 that ADV has "big plans" for its manga division.

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But I suppose the manga forum can discuss that more.

Oh, and there's all that stuff about "new media", take it as you will.

*link updated to go to the original ICV2 story for full details.

[MeggieMay]

Well I clicked the link to the ANN board thread and someone found this and posted it there http://www.sojitz.com/en/

I think I'll read the About Us section and see what it has to say (those are always quite informational, even if they are sometimes like swiming upstream)

[Half Pain]

Well, I personally hope ADV decides to bring the Gantz manga to the states. I REALLY want to continue the story and see how things unfold. I hear it's really interesting. I'll keep my fingers crossed, but they probably won't release it. [img]/images/graemlins/cry00000.gif[/img]

[MeggieMay]

I just did some more digging after reading this

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As part of the partnership, Japan Content Investments (JCI), will acquire equity in ADV in return for a capital investment. John Ledford, founder and CEO of A.D. Vision will remain the majority shareholder of ADV. JCI is an investor group that includes Sojitz Corporation, the Development Bank of Japan, Klockworx.

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The last one is a doozy - http://klock-anime.net/ (translated)

I think we now have a 80% chance idea of who may be getting what in the licencing dept.

Edit: Or maybe just 50/50 - the more I read the website the less certain I am about my first impression.

[something]

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MeggieMay said:
The last one is a doozy - http://klock-anime.net/ (translated)

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Dunno, I'm looking at their catalog and most of it is already licensed -- and to a lot of different companies at that. About the only unlicensed title on there that I see reason to potentially make noise over as a potential license is Shuffle.

Don't know anything about Shin-Angyo but the style doesn't grab me really. In fact, I've never even heard of it. Though according to ANN it's just a movie, which would means I'm not interested anyways. Apparently it came out back in 2004. Hmm, Tristia looks somewhat interesting. But... meh, an OVA (so again, not interested), and from 2004, so again not new.

So basically, looking around a bit more, I'm not sure just what the true significance behind KolckWorx is for ADV, if anything. We'll see.

Edit: Ok, so wtf is KlockWorx? A sort of online rental place? Streaming video purchases or something? What finally got me interested is that I noticed Haruhi in the scrolling banner... but I'm not sure in what context.

Edit again: according to the wiki for Milennium Actress, they did the distribution for that show in Japan.

According to ANN:
Anime with which this company was involved:
Chrono Crusade (TV) : Production - ADV
Dokkoida?! (TV) : Production - Geneon
Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid (TV) : Production - Funi
Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu (TV) : Production - ADV
Godannar (TV) : Production - ADV
Maburaho (TV) : Production - ADV
Millennium Actress (movie) : Released by - Dreamworks or something
Misaki Chronicles (TV) : Production - ADV
Tristia of the Deep Blue Sea (OAV) : Production - Pathfinder (who?)

Sort of looks like ADV has had a relationship with this company, formally or informally, for awhile. They've certainly licensed most of the properties Klockworx has some hand in, at least.

Still, determining what company is *the* main force behind any given show is always difficult. We all think of Chrono Crusade as "A Gonzo Show", so what does it even mean that Klockworx is a (one of four, that is) company listed under "production" for it?

Another little bit of info: Sojitz/Klockworx -- apparently Sojitz just bought a stake in the other about two months ago, or something.

Last edit: If I had to guess, when all is said and done, I'll just read the press release in the simplest way and say "some company takes a stake in ADV and in return ADV gets money to license stuff and do their thing"... right?

[MeggieMay]

[ QUOTE ]
disarm said:

Edit: Ok, so wtf is KlockWorx? A sort of online rental place? Streaming video purchases or something? What finally got me interested is that I noticed Haruhi in the scrolling banner... but I'm not sure in what context.

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Well the other site for Klockworx I found was http://www.klockworx.com/ and they have a link that takes you back to the other site. After checking the Company page on that and running it through Google Translation I found this

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Movie distribution and video sale sale
Movie-related right import and movie-related commodity import sale

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So it looks like they do have a hand in production though how much I haven't a clue (but Trinity Blood is on that page and it has ties to Gonzo IIRC, so maybe these guys are just co-producers of some sort?)

I've been trying to figure out more about this as well but I'm just not coming up with much. It does look like the Haruhi DVD's are coming out from KlockWorx in Japan but just how much pull they have over the shows they are handling I haven't a clue.

However, I as said in my edit to my original post I'm not quite as sure of what's going after reading more on this as I was earlier. So I'm down to 50/50 on who may be getting what (I over reacted for a bit there).

[MeggieMay]

[ QUOTE ]
disarm said:
Another little bit of info: Sojitz/Klockworx -- apparently Sojitz just bought a stake in the other about two months ago, or something.

Last edit: If I had to guess, when all is said and done, I'll just read the press release in the simplest way and say "some company takes a stake in ADV and in return ADV gets money to license stuff and do their thing"... right?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm getting dizzy from the editing [img]/images/graemlins/happy.gif[/img]. Anyway, the way I read the press release is it's more like ADV and Sojitz Corporation, through Sojitz new Japan Content Investments (JCI) arm, are exchanging stock in each other and will work with each other. ADV will be giving Sojitz a foot in the door to the R1 and European Anime markets (I guess through ADV UK on the last one), while Sojitz will help ADV get into the wireless content market (i.e. selling shows via things like I-Tunes and wireless telephone companies that have their own TV cable set ups (I'm reading things that Verizon has something like this)) to sell their products.

It seems to me Sojitz is working to cut out some of the people in the middle and strenghten it's position in Japan in the Anime market by trying to get a cut of the R1 and European markets while ADV is getting much needed capital to help run things and to get into expand into the wireless market. Then both groups seem to be getting in to (or back into with ADV) the Manga market, if the un-named source is correct, or maybe even getting out of the market (another angle I don't think it could be ruled out that JCI might have a buyer lined up for the Manga holdings and a sell would then give both Sojitz and ADV some more capital to work with). However, IMO with the Manga, only time will tell what is going on with that front of the business.

The main thing is ADV is getting some much needed capital (and this is probably one reason behind ADV being about to announce a new Anime title after a noteable break) and Sojitz getting into the English Language and European markets for selling Anime and Manga. BTW, I also won't be surprised if I start reading in the near future that Sojitz is doing similar deals with Japanese animation houses, thus making them a bigger "mover and shaker" in the Anime field - because IMO that would be a logical road for them to take with this venture.

[SeraphMichael]

Hmmm. I wonder how many new licenses this will open up for ADV to easily acquire. I hope some older anime. The past few years, while having a few good properties, have been less than stellar for the most part.

ADV had something to do with Tristia? It was a domestic release maybe two years ago. It was a nice little OAV. I'd like to see more short OAV's/one-shots and movies released. We get mostly TV shows now... Which isn't always a good thing.

[something]

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Seraphim said:
ADV had something to do with Tristia? It was a domestic release maybe two years ago. It was a nice little OAV. I'd like to see more short OAV's/one-shots and movies released. We get mostly TV shows now... Which isn't always a good thing.

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Is that first sentence a question or...? ANN marks it as being licensed by Pathfinder or someone else, and I don't remember the show ever being released here, but Chris reviewed it and apparently it did. Weird. I just don't pay attention to OVAs I guess.

But no, there's no indication that ADV had anything to do with it.

[Fencedude]

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disarm said:

Don't know anything about Shin-Angyo but the style doesn't grab me really. In fact, I've never even heard of it. Though according to ANN it's just a movie, which would means I'm not interested anyways. Apparently it came out back in 2004.

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Shin Angyo Onshi?

Dude, that movie fucking ROCKS.

You'd love it.

Sando is <3 <3 and Awesome Awesome.