Animax Asia

Animax Asia is a Japanese anime television network that broadcasts Animax's English-language feeds in Southeast Asia, as well as its feeds across other regions of mainland Asia, including Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Asia. It is operated by Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia (SPENA), a television operator unit of Japanese media conglomerate Sony.

Animax is the first channel in Asia fully dedicated to broadcasting anime 24 hours a day. It was first launched in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia in January 2004,^[1] and launched in several other countries soon after. The company has reached over 66 million viewers in 17 markets throughout Asia.^[2] The network is unavailable in Vietnam due to government content restrictions.

History

Hong Kong and Taiwan

Animax Asia first launched in Taiwan on 1 January 2004, and then in Hong Kong on 12 January 2004.^[2] It broadcasts a variety of anime programming, including numerous older and modern television series. Animax also airs anime series that premiered in Taiwan and Hong Kong prior to their release in Southeast Asian networks, such as Death Note, Blood+, Trinity Blood, Mushishi and several others.

Animax is also the number one channel in Hong Kong and Taiwan in international and animation/kids categories. After the TV premiere of Gurren Lagann, Animax's TV ratings recorded a huge increase and moved 80% more TRP than its closest competitor, Cartoon Network Hong Kong.^[3][4]

Southeast Asia

A week after its launch in Taiwan and Hong Kong, Animax launched in Southeast Asia on 19 January 2004, originally featuring its anime programming exclusively in the original Japanese audio with English subtitling, becoming the company's first English language network.^[2] It also later incorporated an English audio dub feed.^[2] On 31 August 2006, Animax launched in Malaysia, utilizing the Southeast Asian English language feed and also airing its programming in a Japanese audio feed with subtitles in the local languages. Prior to this, selected Animax programmes were also shown on astro@15 (formerly channel 15, now channel 715), an interactive channel, starting 15 December 2004, from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., later shortened to 2 hours (until 9 a.m.). The network's early programming in Southeast Asia consisted of such anime as Chobits, Cardcaptor Sakura, Great Teacher Onizuka, Ultra Maniac, Haibane Renmei, Doctor Dokkiri, Vision of Escaflowne, Midori no Hibi, Captain Tsubasa, Wolf's Rain, Mobile Suit Gundam, Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C., and it has gone on to air several series, including Fate/stay night, Blood+, Honey and Clover, Maria-sama ga Miteru, Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo, Otogizōshi, Jigoku Shōjo, Galaxy Angel, Witch Hunter Robin, Samurai 7, Gunslinger Girl, Urusei Yatsura, Ranma 1/2, and Detective Conan.

It also includes numerous programming blocks, such as "Ani-Chan", which is aired on weekdays at 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm and has aired such programs as Naruto, Danball Senki (a.k.a. Little Battlers eXperience) and Tsubasa Chronicle; "Animania", which is aired on weekdays from 6:00 pm and 6:30 pm and has aired such programs as Dragon Ball and Law of Ueki; "Mega Zone", its prime time programming block that is aired on weekdays from 7:00 pm and aired such programs as Gun X Sword, Fate/stay night and Honey and Clover; and its "Weekends" programming block that is aired every Sunday at 9:00 pm and 10:00 pm and has aired series such as Dear Boys, Blood+ and Please Teacher!.^[5]

Philippines

Animax began its operations in the Philippines from January 2004. Its broadcast was distinct from the Southeast Asia feed, and shared the same schedule as the SEA feed but featured local advertisements. Later on November 2014, it will be separated the 11PM time slot programming every Monday - Wednesday (such as Valvrave which airs only in the Philippines while the SEA feed will be airing Golden Time). While utilizing the same programming feed as Animax Asia, it also houses a two- to four-hour block of unique programming. It has occasionally aired localized programs such as Mad Mad Fun and In The Qube. Its simulcasts (of Tears to Tiara, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, InuYasha: The Final Act and Kaichou-wa Maid-sama!), former inclusion of Korean programs in its roster, and acquisition of fresh titles like Accel World put Animax ahead of its only known competitor in the Philippines, Hero TV.

India and South Asia

Animax began operations across India and South Asia from 5 July 2004. The channel was broadcast and operated from Singapore by Animax Asia and distributed by SET India. On 1 January 2008, Animax India merged with India and operates as a 24/7 English language feed. The channel broadcasts across South Asia and has a time shift version in Pakistan with local advertisements.

Programming

Programmes currently on air

New

• Ranma 1/2
• Tokyo Ravens
• Shonen Hollywood -Holly Stage for 49- (Starts 5 May)

Reruns

• Pretty Rhythm: Dear My Future
• Yu Yu Hakusho (Starts 4 May)
• Fairy Tail (Season 4)
• Little Battlers Experience (Starts 1 May)
• The "Hentai" Prince and the Stony Cat. (Starts 2 May)
• Photo Kano (Starts 15 May)
• Chihayafuru (Season 1) (Starts 9 May)
• Rental Magica (Starts 26 May)
• Blue Dragon
• The Squid Girl (Season 1)
• Accel World (Starts 7 May)
• Bleach VI
• Kamisama Kiss
• K-On!
• Brothers Conflict
• K
• Tales of the Abyss
• Hunter x Hunter (Starts 21 May)
• Inari,Kon Kon (Starts 14 May)
• Parasyte -the maxim- (Starts 25 May)
• K-On!! (Starts 6 May)
• Hyouka (Starts 8 May)
• The Seven Deadly Sins (3 May)
• Love, Chunibyo and Other Delusions (Starts 23 May)

Translation and dubbing teams

Animax has utilized numerous translation and dubbing studios for the broadcast of its anime series across its English-language networks in Southeast Asia and South Asia, some of which were not licensed by North American distributors and do not have any English adaptation counterparts, such as Detective School Q, Dokkiri Doctor, Twin Spica, Zettai Shōnen, Clamp School, Future Boy Conan, numerous installments of the World Masterpiece Theater series, and numerous others. Animax has also produced and aired uncensored English versions and dubs of anime series, among the most notable of them being their dub of Cardcaptor Sakura, which was shown uncensored and retained all of the original names, plot details and dialogue, and numerous others.

For broadcast across its English-language networks, Animax has also broadcast English dubs produced by other enterprises, such as Bandai Entertainment, The Ocean Group, Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Geneon Entertainment, Funimation Entertainment, VIZ Media, Central Park Media, and numerous others, airing their dubs of Cowboy Bebop, Witch Hunter Robin, Mobile Suit Gundam, Brain Powerd, Please Teacher!, Galaxy Angel, Arjuna, Jubei-chan, Tsukikage Ran, Angel Tales, Saber Marionette, Appleseed, Alien 9, the InuYasha films, Fullmetal Alchemist, Yukikaze and several others.

Original production

Animax Asia also created a number of original productions directly connected to anime and youth culture; these include Imagine Nation, Technomax, Mad Mad Fun, LaMB, c/o AUTODESK: PARANOMA 2004-2007, and 2012 Asia Pacific Design Challenge.

See also

• Animax
• Animax (India)
• Animax (South Korea)
• List of programs broadcast by Animax
• Animax Pakistan

Notes and references

External links

• Animax Asia
  • Animax Taiwan (Chinese)
  • Animax Hong Kong (Chinese)
  • Animax India
• Animax Asia on-demand (Malaysia only)
• Animax Asia at Anime News Network's encyclopedia