>The Japanese government's Cool Japan Fund has invested $30 million in U.S. anime distributor Sentai as part of its strategy to expand the global market for Japanese content.
>The fund, which has been criticized for its choice of projects and results, will make a stock investment in Sentai Holdings, which runs Sentai Filmworks, HIDIVE and Anime Network.
>"We are extremely proud of the work we've done at Sentai to bring great anime storytelling, experiences, characters and collectibles to fans around the world for more than a decade," said Sentai Filmworks CEO John Ledford, adding that the investment will allow the company to expand.
>Sentai runs the HIDIVE streaming platform, the Anime Network cable service, sells premium anime box-sets, releases features theatrically, supplies merchandise and sub-licenses content internationally.
>Sentai Filmworks established a GoFundMe campaign hours after news broke of the Kyoto Animation (KyoAni) arson; it has raised more than $2.2 million since.
This couldn't have been Sentai's goal with the GoFundMe all along, isn't? Now they're richer, viewed as a saint by Japan and everybody in the world, and they didn't even have to spend a dime.
The fire was a planned attack by sentai and the jap gov. They outed themselves with the early gofundme. The attack was too coordinated as well.
RIP CR
Dominic Nguyen
am I now allowed by mighty neckbeard gatekeepers of Yea Forums to buy localized BDs now that there will be more money going to Japan
Kevin Evans
They're after cultural soft power so investing in translation companies is an obvious move. I wouldn't read too much into it desu.
Ethan Long
>Sentai scams retards into giving their money to Kyoto Animation >Japanese government gets involved with incentives and tax breaks >Japanese government "invests" some money into Sentai >Nobody will ever know how much money Kyoto Animation really got out of it >Their president looks shady af Money laundering 101.
Dominic Butler
The timing and everything of this recent announcement, makes Sentai look really shady right now
Henry Parker
If there is even a small percent going to white pigs I would not put my money on it.
So the Japanese government is either laundering money, or they just took $30 million worth of taxpayer money and set it on fire for literally no reason.
Juan Edwards
>Seems fishy... If you're part of the last generation, Cool Japan is basically why you like anime, manga, and video games.
Christopher Barnes
Get fucked funimation
Levi Ward
>investing in stocks >with government money >with taxpayer money >investing in overseas stocks with taxpayer money
>viewed as a saint by Japan and everybody in the world, and they didn't even have to spend a dime. Viewed as a saint by dumb people that think charity is a race.
Landon Rivera
I agree, although I do think it's bizarre that rather than giving that money to the company who just had 35 of their employees murdered, they chose to give it to their distributor instead.
James Cook
The Japanese government has been using Cool Japan for a while now trying to expand Japan's soft power it only makes sense they'd inject money into foreign anime distribution. That also probably why there were so ready to provide government support to the Kyoani victims
Because it's the best anime of all time. Initial bros where we at?
James Reed
it all makes sense now. can i get my money back?
Tyler King
But why Sentai? Why not a company that's less of a flaming dumpster fire? All localization companies are worse than trash, but why pick one of the worst of the bunch?
Chase Lee
no refunds
Hunter Kelly
You act as if there are many to choose from. Funimation is already owned by Sony. Manga Entertainment has accepted their place as a sub-license company only distributing stuff in the UK while also already being owned by Sony. AnimEgo is only kept alive through KickStarter. Eastern Star only does old/obscure shit.
Adam Bailey
It's not suspicious. Funimation is about to get their asses sued into oblivion. So it only makes since for Japan to invest in Funi's biggest rival.
Luke Jackson
Because they want to get soft power and this means that the Japanese government can have a voice to say to them "we want you to publish this"
Kayden Wilson
Oh shit
Benjamin Hall
Cool Japan has always been fishy and ever since it was established there have been accusations of corruption and nepotism
Matthew Morris
Might explaining how remarking that the money from localized material isn't actually going to the creators is "gatekeeping", thin skinned user-kun? That's still not going to change even after this.
Because it's easier to "gain control" over a company that isn't owned by big corporation. CR is owned by ATT/Warner while FUNimation is owned by Sony.
Julian Martin
>Japan shelling out millions of dollars to increase anime distribution >Meanwhile, actual nip animators are still worked to the bone and make barely enough money to sustain themselves Since the government is so interested in sharing anime as their art form, can't they focus on the people who actually work on anime first?
Carson Kelly
>Sentai Filmworks established a GoFundMe campaign the funniest part is that Sentai made the fundraiser, but contributed absolutely no money themselves. All the glory without the cost.
Dylan Thompson
It’s the coolest series.
Jacob Brown
>gives money >doesn't give a tax break to incentive this shit Fucking governments spending the people's money.
Benjamin Brooks
kino ... I like fantasy stories
Aiden Richardson
It's against GoFundMe's terms of service to put money to your own campaign, even if that campaign is to the benefit of a third party.
Wyatt Walker
Great. More atrocious burger subs incoming.
Aaron Diaz
why don’t they just pledge a separate amount then
Kevin Bailey
>going to white pigs The fucking pic you just posted has a white pig in it
>But she's Asian I swear
Nah 98% of anime girls have white western features.
Henry Wood
They're very very wary of interfering internally, I'm worried about sounding too Yea Forums, essentially the rehabilitation of anime in Japan was due to a couple of Marxist academics who explained away the negative aspects of the fandom very pragmatically, one way they did that was by shifting blame to the government away from manga during a string of high profile murders.
Jason Barnes
From a cultural diplomacy perspective the problem isn't that there's not enough anime being made, the problem is that not enough people outside of Japan are watching it. So there's no reason to investing in increasing production, but quite a lot of reason to invest in increasing foreign distribution. Also this was probably in the pipeline for months before the announcement. The gofundme campaign is good marketing, but probably a total coincidence.
Xavier Hall
Nice bait.
Levi Smith
>bait You wish you smelly fuck
Christopher Fisher
Sup.
Anthony Anderson
maybe the real initial d was the tofu we delivered along the way
