Anime News Network, a known media website delivering news about Japanese anime, manga, and light novels in North America, has reached an agreement with KADOKAWA Corporation.
KADOKAWA is credited for being the producer of many popular anime like Your Name, Weathering With You, Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, and many more.
It has agreed to further KADOKAWA’s acquisition of Anime News Network’s media business with the objective of further strengthening KADOKAWA’s global marketing in terms of digital and physical products under:
- BOOK WALKER (has the English e-book store, BOOK WALKER Global)
- Yen Press (publishes Japanese manga and light novels into English)
- J-Novel Club (publishes Japanese light novels and manga into English, and can be digitally subscribed)
Anime News Network’s asset acquisition will be under KADOKAWA’s new US subsidiary company, KADOKAWA WORLD ENTERTAINMENT, INC. The transaction is expected to be fulfilled by the end of the year with an undisclosed value. It will have no effect on KADOKAWA’s consolidated business results. After this transaction, KADOKAWA’s businesses are assured to be expanded upon in the English-speaking market through collaborated promotion.
Despite these changes, Anime News Network maintained that they are still going to be independent in their latest statement. They will still remain to strive as the internet’s most trusted anime news source. They are just having more resources and support now from KADOKAWA.
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The executives of Anime News Network (ANN) and KADOKAWA WORLD ENTERTAINMENT, INC. (KWE) have these to say:
I am excited by this opportunity to work with Kadokawa and Kadokawa World Entertainment to dramatically improve Anime News Network during the course of the coming years. Myself and all of ANN’s staff remain entirely dedicated to the standards of professional, exhaustive, and editorially independent journalism that ANN is already known for and we believe that Kadokawa’s resources will be a great benefit to ANN’s journalism and our readers.
Christopher Macdonald, President of Anime News Network (ANN), Publisher of Kadokawa World Entertainment, Inc. (KWE)
For over twenty years, ANN has distinguished itself by providing a window of news and information about Japanese content and establishing a community where fans can interact and share their enthusiasm. This acquisition represents an opportunity not only for KADOKAWA to better and more effectively highlight its own content but to enhance ANN’s mission to grow the global audience for manga and anime as a whole while expanding the boundaries of what the site can offer users.
Kurt Hassler, Chief Executive Officer of Kadokawa World Entertainment, Inc. (KWE), Managing Director and Publisher of Yen Press (YP)
Anime News Network Overview
Anime News Network is founded by Justin Sevakis in 1998. It has since established itself as a reliable and unbiased news source reporting Japanese manga, anime, and light novels in English. Aside from news, reviews, editorial content, and discussion forums can also be found on the website. An encyclopedia can also be accessed, which contains the anime and manga’s crucial information like the synopsis, debut date, and much more.
KADOKAWA Corporation Overview
KADOKAWA is a Japanese media conglomerate that dabbles in the publication of manga and light novels, production of anime series and films, production of video games, operation of web services, and many more. It was originally known as the KADOKAWA Dwango Corporation until it merged with Dwango Co., Ltd. last 2014. Their main goal is to further enhance their digitalization and expanding overseas.
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