Wikipedia

Sentai Filmworks

Sentai Filmworks, LLC(or simplySentai) is an American entertainment company. Located inHouston,the company specializes in the dubbing and distribution ofJapanese animationandAsian cinema.Its post-production arm isSentai Studios.

Sentai Filmworks, LLC
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryEntertainment
GenreAnime
PredecessorA.D. Vision
FoundedJune 4, 2008;16 years ago(2008-06-04)[1]
FounderJohn Ledford
Headquarters10114 West Sam Houston Parkway
Alief,Houston, Texas77099,
U.S.
Area served
North America, United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark
Key people
John Ledford (CEO)
Products
Services
ParentAMC Networks
DivisionsSentai Studios
Websitesentaifilmworks

The company has its origins inA.D. Vision,which was founded in 1992 by video game fanJohn LedfordandMatt Greenfield.ADV collapsed due to low sales and eventually liquidated their assets in 2009. Ledford founded Sentai in 2008 and acquired the majority of ADV's titles. Sentai was then acquired by New York City-based AMC Networks in 2022 and became its subsidiary. Its offices are in theInternational DistrictinSouthwest Houston.[2][3]

History

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Origins

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Main article:A.D. Vision
See also:History of anime in the United States

In 1990,John Ledford,a native of Houston, started a Japanese video game and video console import business. He was introduced to anime when he watchedMy Neighbor Totoroat his friend's suggestion. His friend,Matt Greenfield,born inSacramento, California,ran a local anime club called Anime NASA.[4]Both men establishedA.D. Vision,which officially opened for business on August 17, 1992.[4]Ledford contactedTohoabout optioning the rights to licenseDevil Hunter Yohko,which became the first title to be released by ADV.[4][5]

Ledford establishes Sentai

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In June 2006, the JapaneseSojitz Corporationacquired a 20% stake in ADV Films. This was done as a means for ADV Films to acquire more titles in the Japanese market.[6]From this point on, virtually all titles that ADV acquired were with Sojitz's help. The following year, Sojitz announced that Japan Content Investments (JCI),Development Bank of Japan,and film distribution company KlockWorx, planned to contribute money to ADV, in return for equity in the company. Ledford was to remain the majority shareholder and CEO. JCI subsidiary ARM also planned to contribute money for ADV to use in acquiring new distribution licenses. The investment was to ADV Films to raise its output of new anime titles, which had dropped in 2006, back to previous levels or above. In return, ADV planned to assist Sojitz with the acquisition of North American and European content for importation into Japan. According to ADV, they also reportedly had "big plans" for its manga line.[7]

However, in January 2008, ADV mysteriously removed a large number of titles from their website.[8]Among the titles which were subsequently removed wasGurren Lagann,which had test disks sent out with dubbed episodes. As a result, ADVsuedARM Corporation and its parent Sojitz for abreach in a contractmade previously. In the suit, the exact amount ADV paid to license twenty-nine titles was disclosed. The lawsuit was withdrawn and no ruling was made.[9]That July,Funimationannounced the acquisition of thirty of these titles licensed by Sojitz from ADV.[10]

Ledford established Sentai Filmworks in October 2008.[11]Among its first titles to be released wereClannad,Princess Resurrection,Indian Summer,AppleseedandMahoromatic(formerly licensed byGeneon).[12][13]On September 1, 2009, ADV had closed its doors and sold off its assets, which included transferring distribution rights toSection23 Films.[14]

On July 4, 2013, during its industry panel atAnime Expo,Sentai Filmworks announced its plans to release a number of classic titles fromTatsunoko Production.[15]The current list of released titles from the partnership include the originalGatchamanseries andmovie,Time Bokan: Royal Revival,andCasshan,and more titles followed.

Sunriseannounced a licensing deal with Sentai Filmworks that included a number of titles from Sunrise's library that were formerly licensed byBandai Entertainmentduring itsOtakonpanel on August 8, 2013.[16]

Later history

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In 2014, Sentai opened its in-house localization and recording facility,Sentai Studios.[17]

On June 1, 2015, Sentai made an announcement on its website thatAkame ga Kill!had been picked up byAdult Swimfor broadcast on itsToonamiprogramming block, almost one week after its announcement atMomoCon2015.[18][19]The show began airing on the broadcast night of August 8, 2015, and its premiere night was one of the most watched programs in the block's history with over 1.8 million viewers.[20]Later that year,Parasyte -the maxim-,premiered on October 3.[21]Sentai has promoted the time that the two shows air as "#SentaiHour" on social media. On July 6, 2019,Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Somabegan airing on Toonami.[22]

In March 2017, Sentai signed a deal withAmazonto stream the majority of its new licensees exclusively on itsAnime Strikechannel onAmazon Prime Videoin the United States, starting with the Spring 2017 season.[23]After Anime Strike was shuttered in early 2018, all titles previously exclusive to the service were made available to Amazon Prime subscribers in the U.S. at no extra charge.[24]

The company launched its own streaming serviceHIDIVEin June 2017.[25]

On July 18, 2019, Sentai Filmworks launched aGoFundMeappeal in the wake of thearson attack at Kyoto Animation.[26]With a target of US$750,000, it surpassed the $1 million donation mark within the first 24 hours, and reached $2,370,910 at closing.[27][28]

On August 1, 2019, Sentai Filmworks' parent company Sentai Holdings, LLC announced that theCool JapanFund investedUS$30 millionfor shares of the company, stating that "Sentai's independent status makes it a rarity in North America as a licensor of Japanese anime".[29]On September 30, 2020, the Cool Japan Fund made an additionalUS$3.6 millionavailable, stating that Sentai had achieved better financial results in 2019 compared to 2018, with plans for medium and long-term growth, and strategic changes following theCOVID-19 pandemic.[30]

On September 5, 2020,Crunchyrollannounced that they had entered in a partnership with Sentai Filmworks to distribute Crunchyroll licensed titles onto home video and electronic sell-through, withGranbelm,Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma: The Fourth Plate,Ascendance of a Bookworm,andWorld Triggerbeing the first titles distributed through the partnership.[31]

AMC ownership

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On January 5, 2022,AMC Networksannounced it had acquired Sentai Filmworks' parent company Sentai Holdings, LLC, and all its assets and subsidiaries, includingHidive,Anime Network,and "member interests" from the Cool Japan Fund, via its subsidiary Digital Store LLC.[32][33][34][35]Prior to the sale, in August 2021,Sony'sFunimation Global Group(a joint venture betweenSony Pictures EntertainmentandSony Music Entertainment Japan'sAniplex) acquired Ellation, the parent company of Crunchyroll, fromAT&T'sWarnerMedia(later spun out by AT&T and merged withDiscovery, Inc.to formWarner Bros. Discovery), and later on, in March 2022, Funimation would be rebranded asCrunchyroll, LLC.This would eventually lead to several Sentai titles departing from the Crunchyroll streaming service on March 31, 2022.[36]

AfterRight Stufwas acquired by Sony in August 2022, Sentai announced on March 7, 2023, that all future home releases from them along withSection23 Filmswould be distributed by Distribution Solutions (DS), the releasing unit of wholesaler Alliance Entertainment, on April 3.[37]

On March 2, 2023, Sentai announced that they had entered in a partnership and distribution agreement withMainichi Broadcasting System.[38]

Foreign distribution

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Sentai Filmworks does not directly release its properties outside of America but instead sub-licenses to other companies. In 2011,MVM EntertainmentlicensedMahoromatic: Something More Beautifulafter Sentai's re-release of the series, and has done the same withBroken Blade.[39]

In March 2018, it was revealed that Sentai held the distribution rights to the filmNo Game No Life: Zerothat the company gave to the Mexican distributor Madness Entertainment. It was revealed that they directly commissioned a Spanish dubbed version for the film.[40]On March 15, Sentai announced the acquisition ofAlice or Aliceto Spain and Portugal.[41]

Notable titles

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See also:Sentai Studios

See also

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References

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  2. ^"International District Boundaries".International District (Houston).July 1, 2015.Archivedfrom the original on May 5, 2019.RetrievedNovember 13,2019.
  3. ^"Terms of Use".Sentai Filmworks.Archivedfrom the original on September 21, 2019.RetrievedNovember 13,2019.Copyright Agentc/oSENTAI FILMWORKS 10114 W Sam Houston Pkwy S Houston, Texas 77099-5109andPrivacy PolicyArchivedNovember 14, 2021, at theWayback Machinestates: "Attn: SENTAI FILMWORKS Privacy Administration, 10114 W. Sam Houston Parkway South, Suite 100, Houston, Texas 77099-5109"
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  22. ^Pineda, Rafael Antonio (June 28, 2019)."Toonami Premieres Food Wars! Anime on July 6".Anime News Network.Archivedfrom the original on February 16, 2021.RetrievedFebruary 12,2021.
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  26. ^Dassanayake, Dion (July 18, 2019)."Kyoto Animation fire: Fundraiser started after deadly anime studio 'arson attack'".Daily Express.Archivedfrom the original on July 18, 2019.
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  29. ^Sherman, Jennifer (August 2, 2019)."Cool Japan Fund Invests US$30 Million in Sentai Holdings (Update)".Anime News Network.Archivedfrom the original on August 2, 2019.RetrievedAugust 8,2019.
  30. ^Hodgkins, Crystalyn (October 3, 2020)."Cool Japan Fund Makes Additional $3.6 Million Available to Sentai Holdings".Anime News Network.Archivedfrom the original on October 6, 2020.RetrievedOctober 4,2020.
  31. ^Pineda, Rafael Antonio (September 5, 2020)."Crunchyroll, Sentai Filmworks Partner for Home Video Releases".Anime News Network.Archivedfrom the original on September 7, 2020.RetrievedSeptember 6,2020.
  32. ^"AMC Gets Serious About Anime by Acquiring Sentai Filmworks and Hidive".January 6, 2022.Archivedfrom the original on September 28, 2022.RetrievedSeptember 22,2022.
  33. ^Maas, Jennifer (January 5, 2022)."AMC Networks Acquires 'Made in Abyss' Distributor Sentai and Anime Streamer HIDIVE".Variety.Archivedfrom the original on January 5, 2022.RetrievedJanuary 5,2022.
  34. ^"AMC NETWORKS ACQUIRES LEADING GLOBAL ANIME DISTRIBUTOR SENTAI, INCLUDING DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER ANIME PLATFORM HIDIVE".AMC Networks.January 5, 2022.Archivedfrom the original on January 11, 2022.RetrievedJanuary 10,2022.
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  37. ^"Distribution Solutions to Distribute Sentai Filmworks/Section 23's Home Video Releases".Archivedfrom the original on March 8, 2023.RetrievedMarch 8,2023.
  38. ^Mateo, Alex (March 2, 2023)."Sentai Filmworks Announces New Partnership With MBS, Licenses The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior Anime".Anime News Network.Archivedfrom the original on March 21, 2023.RetrievedMarch 27,2023.
  39. ^"MVM Licenses Broken Blade".Anime News Network.Archivedfrom the original on December 11, 2015.RetrievedDecember 18,2015.
  40. ^"Animes en HIDIVE – Catálogo Completo".Crunchyroll.RetrievedMarch 17,2018.
  41. ^"Sentai Filmworks' Acquires the Adorable Slice of Life Series ALICE or ALICE".Sentai Filmworks.Archivedfrom the original on March 17, 2018.RetrievedMarch 17,2018.
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