Alongside most company’s attending this years Anime Expo in Los Angeles, Funimation Entertainment (A localizer and publisher of anime series) came with a number of acquisition announcements pertaining to broadcast, home entertainment etc rights. These titles were as follows:
Aria the Scarlet Ammo
The first title announced by the company was “Aria the Scarlet Ammo”, also referred to as Hidan no Aria (緋弾のアリア). They have acquired the North American broadcast, home entertainment, streaming and mobile rights to the complete anime series directed by Takashi Watanabe (Also known for directed Ikki Tousen, Shakugan no Shana and Slayers Revolution).
Synopsis
A ruthless arms dealer on a quixotic quest for world peace. A child soldier born into chaotic conflict. Their lives will intertwine as they journey together through the seedy underbelly of the world’s arms market.
Blood-C
The company also announced their acquisition of the broadcast, home entertainment, streaming and mobile rights to the complete anime series of Blood-C along with its respective movie release of Blood-C: The Last Dark. This series was produced by the studios Production I.G and CLAMP alongside Tsutomu Mizishima as director of the project, who has been behind other releases such as Big Windup! and Squid Girl.
Synopsis
Saya Kisaragi is a clumsy girl with a secret. She attends school, goes to the café with her friends and is always in a rush during the day. At night she becomes a hunter, protecting her town from monsters. As she battles these monsters she finds herself faced with uncertainty regarding her identity and purpose. In order to protect her friends Saya must become stronger or else face turning into a monster herself.
Michiko & Hatchin
Another announcement was for the anime series Michiko & Hatchin which was originally aired in Japan during 2008. The company have since attained broadcast, home entertainment, streaming and mobile distribution rights. The series was produced by studio Manglobe and directed by Sayo Yamamoto, who has been known for her storyboard work on many big titles including Death Note, Gunslinger Girl and Eureka 7.
Synopsis
After escaping from prison, the sexy criminal Michiko rescues an abused girl known as Hatchin. The two are about as opposite as they come, but their fates become intertwined through the connection of a man from both their pasts. On the run from the police and Hatchin’s abusive foster parents, the unlikely duo set out to find this man and ultimately discover their freedom.
Appleseed XIII
The next announcement pertained to the Appleseed XIII series from Production IG, for which Funimation have acquired the broadcast, home entertainment and streaming rights for.
Synopsis
After facing massive destruction from a devastating war, the city Olympus has become the last stronghold as the center of command for the world. In order to protect the city from a group of terrorists known as the Argonauts, former LAPD SWAT member, Deunan Knotts, runs special military forces consisting of Biroids (cloned humans) and her cyborg partner Brialeos. Knotts must protect the city at all costs but is met with difficulties when Al Ceides, the Argonaut leader thought to be dead, resurfaces and causes problems.
Ikki Tousen Seasons 3 and 4
Fans of the Ikki Tousen series will be glad to know that Funimation announced their acquisitions of the third and four seasons (Ikki Tousen – Great Guardians and Ikki Tousen – Xtreme Xecutor). This acquisition entails the broadcast, home entertainment, streaming and mobile rights to the seasons.
Synopsis of Great Guardians
Hakufu’s dreams of participating in new fights and tournaments are put on hold as new obstacles block her path. Her friends have lost faith in her, new enemies appear, and a younger sister she never knew existed suddenly shows up on her doorstep. If Hakufu ever hopes to compete worldwide, she’s going to have to deal with her issues at home first.
Synopsis of Xtreme Xecutor
Life gets crazy for Hakufu when she takes on a pupil that acts just like her! A tournament between the school heads start, but due to Hakufu’s negligence, her pupil ends up taking her place. The tournament isn’t what it seems, and the girls find themselves in the middle of a plot to take over the clans.
Simulcast Rights to Binbougami ga! and Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero
At their panel, Funimation Entertainment also mentioned two new series they had picked up simulcast rights to, and which will be streamed in line with the Japanese air dates – Binbougami ga! and Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero.
Synopsis of Binbougami ga!
At the expense of the people and things around her, Sakura has absorbed so much “happiness energy” that she has caused an energy imbalance in the world. In order to return balance to the world, the Poverty God, Momiji, sets out to take away Sakura’s ability to absorb this energy. Will Momiji be able to put a stop to Sakura’s absorbing abilities, or will the God succumb to her happiness?
Synopsis of Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero
Hero defeats bad guy. Good triumphs over evil. The end. Or, at least that’s how it usually goes. But what happens after the hero goes home? Our hero, Ohtorizawa Akatsuki, is about to find out that sometimes the greatest adventure starts once happily ever after ends.
Eureka 7: Astral Ocean
The final acquisition announcement from Funimation Entertainment today was the broadcast, home entertainment AND theatrical rights to the complete anime series Eureka 7: Astral Ocean. The series is a sequel to Eureka 7 and is created by Bones, best known for producing Wolf’s Rain, Soul Eater, Darker than Black and several other acclaimed series.
Synopsis
The story is set on Okinawa’s isolated island of Iwado, which has seen a growing movement advocating a return to an autonomous government. Ao Fukai, a 13-year-old boy with a missing father, lives on the island with an old doctor named Toshio and is about to enter middle school. Ao’s mother was taken away a decade ago by unknown individuals. Naru Arata, Ao’s 13-year-old childhood friend and the story’s heroine, lives with her father, older sister, and grandmother. She has a “Yuta” power awakened within her due to an incident when she was young. A mysterious entity called “Secret” suddenly appears and launches an attack on the Scub Coral lifeform on the island. Ao launches a certain military FP called “Nirvash” aboard a Japanese military transport in his fervent desire to protect the island.
