07 Apr 2012
Posted by bakamann 
© Mitsuru Hattori ・ Kodanasha / Sankarea Production Committee
Anime company acquires multi-platform rights of both animes.
North American anime company Funimation Entertainment has announced in its panel during Sakura-con on Friday that it has acquired the rights for the sci-fi anime Shangri-La and comedy anime Sankarea.
The anime company has acquired multi-platform rights of both animes, such as broadcast, home entertainment, mobile, and streaming rights.
In addition, Sankarea will be available on the English Niconico website for internet users in North America.
Shangri-La is based on a science fiction light novel, written by Eiichi Ikegami & illustrated by Ken’ichi Yoshida, and was serialized on Kadokawa Shoten magazine Newtype from April 2004 to May 2005.
The series was given an anime adaptation, and was aired in Japan from April to September 2009. It was directed by Makoto Bessho, who also directed Ah! My Goddess: The Movie, and produced by the popular anime studio Gonzo.
The anime was aired on cable channel ANIMAX Asia from September 19 to October 20 last year.
Also, its opening theme song, “Kimi Shinitamou Koto Nakare”, was sung by the popular J-pop artist May’n.
Sankarea is based on a romanic comedy manga, written & illustrated by Mitsuru Hatori, and is currenty being serialized on Kodansha’s Bessatsu Shonen Magazine since December 2009. It currently has five (5) volumes.
The staff for the anime adaptation includes Mamoru Hatakeyama as the series director, while Noboru Takagi, who also worked on the anime series [C] – Control, will handle series composition, and Higurashi no Naku Koroni character designer Kyuuta Sakai will also handle character designs.
The anime series premiered on Thursday, April 05.
