Bandai Visual
Encyclopedia
, is a Japan
ese anime
, film production and distribution enterprise, established by Bandai Co., Ltd.
and a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings, Inc., which is based in Minato
, Tokyo, Japan. Since the reorganisation of Namco Bandai Holdings in 2006, Bandai Visual now heads the group's Visual and Music Content Strategic Business Unit
. Its subsidiaries include the Emotion Music Co. Ltd, (whose logos also include the Moai
from Easter Island), and Lantis Co., Ltd
music publishing labels.
It is involved in the production and distribution of several anime
titles, including those it has directly produced itself and anime series produced by the anime studio Sunrise
, a subsidiary of Bandai.
based subsidiary of Bandai America. Despite its name it is not directly established by Bandai Visual. Originally separate from Bandai Visual USA, Namco Holdings announced that Bandai Entertainment would absorb Bandai Visual USA in 2008. Headquartered in Cypress, California
, it licenses anime
properties from various Japanese companies for North American distribution; most of those licenses come from Bandai and its sister company Sunrise
. The company also licenses manga
series for release with English translation, and publishes American-made graphic novel
s. As with many North American anime distributors, Bandai Entertainment offers a 'fan support' program to facilitate public screenings of licensed content at anime club
s and anime convention
s.
. On May 23, 2008, Namco Bandai Holdings announced that Bandai Visual USA would be merged into Bandai Entertainment. Bandai Visual USA was dissolved on July 1, 2008 and absorbed by Bandai Entertainment.
, Minato
, Tokyo
. When Bandai Visual began in August 1983, its headquarters was in Kōjimachi
, Chiyoda, Tokyo
. In December of that year the headquarters moved to Roppongi
, Minato, Tokyo
. In June 1984 the headquarters moved to another building in Roppongi. In May 1985 the headquarters moved to Shibuya, Tokyo
. In March 1990 the headquarters moved to Shinjuku, Shinjuku, Tokyo
. In August 1991 the headquarters moved to Taitō, Tokyo
. In March 1994 the headquarters moved to another location in Taitō. In September 2004 the headquarters moved to its current location in Minato.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
, film production and distribution enterprise, established by Bandai Co., Ltd.
Bandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
and a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings, Inc., which is based in Minato
Minato, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 1 March 2008, it had an official population of 217,335 and a population density of 10,865 persons per km². The total area is 20.34 km².Minato hosts 49 embassies...
, Tokyo, Japan. Since the reorganisation of Namco Bandai Holdings in 2006, Bandai Visual now heads the group's Visual and Music Content Strategic Business Unit
Strategic business unit
In essence, the SBU is a profit making area that focuses on a combination of product offer and market segment, requiring its own marketing plan, competitor analysis, and marketing campaign.A Strategic Business Unit emerges at the cross-over between:...
. Its subsidiaries include the Emotion Music Co. Ltd, (whose logos also include the Moai
Moai
Moai , or mo‘ai, are monolithic human figures carved from rock on the Chilean Polynesian island of Easter Island between the years 1250 and 1500. Nearly half are still at Rano Raraku, the main moai quarry, but hundreds were transported from there and set on stone platforms called ahu around the...
from Easter Island), and Lantis Co., Ltd
Lantis (company)
is a Japanese company that specializes as a music publisher label for Japanese musicians, anime soundtracks and video game soundtracks. It was established on November 26, 1999, and in May 2006, it was bought by, and became a subsidiary of, Bandai Visual...
music publishing labels.
It is involved in the production and distribution of several anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
titles, including those it has directly produced itself and anime series produced by the anime studio Sunrise
Sunrise (company)
is a Japanese animation studio and production enterprise. It is a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings. Its former name was Nippon Sunrise, and prior to that, Sunrise Studios...
, a subsidiary of Bandai.
History
Bandai Visual is currently a fully owned subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings. Namco Bandai announced on November 8, 2007 that it would buy the voting shares it did not own between that date and December 10, 2007 and turn the company into a wholly owned subsidiary. On December 18, 2007, Bandai Namco announced that it owned 93.63% of Bandai Visual's shares since the end of November. The remaining shares were delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange on February 15, 2008 after Namco Bandai acquired the remaining 10% of the shares.Bandai Entertainment
Bandai Entertainment is a North AmericanNorth American
North American generally refers to an entity, people, group, or attribute of North America, especially of the United States and Canada together.-Culture:*North American English, a collective term used to describe American English and Canadian English...
based subsidiary of Bandai America. Despite its name it is not directly established by Bandai Visual. Originally separate from Bandai Visual USA, Namco Holdings announced that Bandai Entertainment would absorb Bandai Visual USA in 2008. Headquartered in Cypress, California
Cypress, California
Cypress is a suburban city located in the northern region of Orange County within Southern California. Its population was 47,802 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, it licenses anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
properties from various Japanese companies for North American distribution; most of those licenses come from Bandai and its sister company Sunrise
Sunrise (company)
is a Japanese animation studio and production enterprise. It is a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings. Its former name was Nippon Sunrise, and prior to that, Sunrise Studios...
. The company also licenses manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series for release with English translation, and publishes American-made graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
s. As with many North American anime distributors, Bandai Entertainment offers a 'fan support' program to facilitate public screenings of licensed content at anime club
Anime club
An anime club is an organization that meets to discuss, show, and promote anime in a local community setting and can also focus on broadening Japanese cultural understanding. Anime clubs are increasingly found at universities and high schools. Organizers may also utilize public meeting spaces such...
s and anime convention
Anime convention
An anime convention is an event or gathering with a primary focus on anime, manga and Japanese culture. Commonly, anime conventions are multi-day events hosted at convention centers, hotels or college campuses. They feature a wide variety of activities and panels...
s.
Bandai Visual USA
Bandai Visual USA was established in 2005 to distribute and market Bandai Visual's productions in North America. Bandai Visual's anime and manga productions are also distributed in North America by Bandai Entertainment and in Europe by Beez EntertainmentBeez Entertainment
Beez Entertainment is a European anime distributor, and they also distribute anime soundtracks. They mainly act as the European branch for Bandai Visual as it is owned by Namco Bandai Holdings...
. On May 23, 2008, Namco Bandai Holdings announced that Bandai Visual USA would be merged into Bandai Entertainment. Bandai Visual USA was dissolved on July 1, 2008 and absorbed by Bandai Entertainment.
Music
In August 2009, Bandai Visual had their first music release on US iTunes with Lantis Sounds. In September 2009, Banda Visual teamed up with NAMCO for their periodic release of game sounds (classic and new) to iTunes USA.Headquarters
Bandai Visual's headquarters are in the in the Shiodome Sumitomo Building in ShiodomeShiodome
Shiodome is an area in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, located adjacent to Shinbashi and Ginza, near Tokyo Bay and the Hamarikyu Gardens. Formerly a railway terminal, Shiodome has been transformed into one of Tokyo's most modern areas...
, Minato
Minato, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 1 March 2008, it had an official population of 217,335 and a population density of 10,865 persons per km². The total area is 20.34 km².Minato hosts 49 embassies...
, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. When Bandai Visual began in August 1983, its headquarters was in Kōjimachi
Kojimachi
is a neighborhood in Chiyoda, Tokyo.Prior to the arrival of Tokugawa Ieyasu, it was known as . The area developed as townspeople settled along the Kōshū Kaidō. In 1878 Kōjimachi became a ward in the city of Tokyo. It was the forerunner of Chiyoda which is now a special ward.The Kōjimachi ward was...
, Chiyoda, Tokyo
Chiyoda, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards in central Tokyo, Japan. In English, it is called Chiyoda ward. As of October 2007, the ward has an estimated population of 45,543 and a population density of 3,912 people per km², making it by far the least populated of the special wards...
. In December of that year the headquarters moved to Roppongi
Roppongi
is a district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan, famous as home to the rich Roppongi Hills area and an active night club scene. Many foreign embassies are located in Roppongi, and the night life is popular with locals and foreigners alike...
, Minato, Tokyo
Minato, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 1 March 2008, it had an official population of 217,335 and a population density of 10,865 persons per km². The total area is 20.34 km².Minato hosts 49 embassies...
. In June 1984 the headquarters moved to another building in Roppongi. In May 1985 the headquarters moved to Shibuya, Tokyo
Shibuya, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008, it has an estimated population of 208,371 and a population density of 13,540 persons per km². The total area is 15.11 km²....
. In March 1990 the headquarters moved to Shinjuku, Shinjuku, Tokyo
Shinjuku, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative center, housing the busiest train station in the world and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration center for the government of Tokyo.As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population...
. In August 1991 the headquarters moved to Taitō, Tokyo
Taito, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. In English, it calls itself Taito City.As of April 1, 2011, the ward has an estimated population of 168,909, with 94,908 households, and a population density of 16,745.86 persons per km². The total area is 10.08 km².-History:The ward was founded...
. In March 1994 the headquarters moved to another location in Taitō. In September 2004 the headquarters moved to its current location in Minato.