Madman Entertainment in 2015 and Beyond – Interview

madmanEOTY
A selection of Madman’s 2015 releases:  Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions, Log Horizon, Spirited Away, Rozen Maiden: Zurückspulen, D-Frag!

This time next week, we will have bid farewell to 2015 and already be well into 2016. I would like to spend some time as I do every year reflecting on how big a year this has been. It has been another massive year for the Australian anime industry, particularly as this has been the first full year in which anime simulcasting and streaming has been available on a large scale – with Madman Entertainment, Siren Visual and Hanabee all taking advantage of this. Not only have anime fans in Australia and New Zealand been able to enjoy hundreds of anime series on-demand, but they have also had access to a plethora of physical anime releases, increased merchandise sales by publishers and a number of feature film screenings throughout the year.

Continuing what I have done the past few years, I reached out to representatives from each of Australia’s major anime publishers, with some questions about this year and their potential plans for 2016.

As the company managing the major AnimeLab video-on-demand service, Madman Entertainment have been on quite the licensing spree this year. They have acquired the rights to many new series when each season pulls around, and have also begun streaming a range of their older licenses which are already or soon to be available on DVD/Blu-ray. This is all in addition to a range of film screenings at select cinemas across the country, continuing their approach from last year where one-off Reel Anime screenings are held more frequently than the major biennial festival last held in 2013.

This year I had an opportunity to pose a few questions to Madman Entertainment’s Publicity Manager. Scroll down to see what he has to say about Madman Entertainment in 2015 and beyond…

Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'f | ©BIRD STUDIO /SHUEISHA ©2015 DRAGON BALL Z the Movie Production Committee
Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘f | ©BIRD STUDIO /SHUEISHA ©2015 DRAGON BALL Z the Movie Production Committee

As we come to the end of 2015, can you share a bit about how the year has fared for Madman Entertainment?

2015’s been a supremely busy year (like it ever isn’t), but also hugely diverse for the business. We started releasing a limited range of collectibles at the beginning of the year – mostly just selling online and at conventions – which has continued to grow throughout the year. AnimeLab launched their subscription model, as well as app support across the likes of iOS, Android, PlayStation and Sony TVs. We brought 10 feature films to cinemas this year, including The Last: Naruto the Movie, Boruto: Naruto the Movie, Attack on Titan Live Action Parts 1 & 2, Love Live! School Idol Movie, the martial arts epic, SPL2 and of course, Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’ – which has gone on to become the most successful anime theatrical releases in Australia for at least a decade.

All this, plus a number of great collectible / limited edition releases that we’re pretty proud of, like the Collected Works of Hayao Miyazaki, Tokyo Ghoul Limited Edition and Gurren Lagann – Pierce The Heavens Collection. Oh, and we got Sailor Moon out on DVD, AND set a release date for the DVD/Blu-ray release of Evangelion 3.33 (Feb 10, if you didn’t know!).

Out of all the anime releases and acquisitions you have made this year, were there any titles in particular which drew in a greater than expected reception in terms of sales / public interest?

The new Dragon Ball Z movie was easily a standout. I mean, we know Dragon Ball Z is popular, but there is a huge resurgence of love for DBZ in the air at the moment. The fact that there’s a new series obviously helps, but the sheer amount fandom and nostalgia just continues to blow me away. Sword Art Online continues to do really well, and Love Live! has also been a huge hit this year – the theatrical screenings sold out (there was actually an encore screening this weekend that was close to full) and the DVD set is also doing really well. As a brand, it’s killing it! Plus there’s Tokyo Ghoul, One Punch Man, Sailor Moon, One Piece, Naruto and a bunch of others still have a huge following.

Love Live! School Idol Project | © 2013 PROJECT Lovelive!
Love Live! School Idol Project | © 2013 PROJECT Lovelive!

AnimeLab has celebrated its first full year in 2015. Are you pleased with the reception of this service, and can you share some of your goals or hopes for it in 2016?

The AnimeLab guys are really happy with the response the service has garnered throughout the year. They’ve built up a huge community following in a very short time, and now that the subscription model is out there – and that more people / new audiences can access it through the spread of apps – they’re seeing some really positive and tangible growth. Of course, great content helps – One Punch Man definitely being the current user (and staff) favourite!

Can Australian and New Zealand anime fans expect even more film screenings in 2016?

Absolutely. As for how many, it really depends on the release slate, but we already have a few things more or less locked in. Look for confirmation on the first film of 2016 very soon!

Sailor Moon | ©1992 Naoko Takeuchi/PNP, Toei Animation/Toei Animation Co. Ltd.
Sailor Moon | ©1992 Naoko Takeuchi/PNP, Toei Animation/Toei Animation Co. Ltd.

With 2016 almost upon us, what can fans of anime and manga expect from your team in the New Year?

More great content, more films to get you out into the cinemas, much more news on the AnimeLab front and maybe a surprise or two!

Finally, if you were to name three favourite anime releases from 2015, what would they be?

Easily have to list the Collected Works of Hayao Miyazaki and the Gurren Lagann – Pierce The Heavens Collection. But I also kind of like the underdog releases – so I’ll run with Ping Pong as my third choice!

Sam
Sam
Founder of The Otaku's Study. I have been exploring this labyrinth of fandom these last fifteen years, and still nowhere close to the exit yet. Probably searching for a long time to come.

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