Animax Asia

Animax Asia is a Japanese anime television network that broadcasts Animax's English-language feeds in Southeast Asia and South Asia, as well as in other regions of mainland Asia, including Hong Kong and Taiwan. 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 initially launched in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia in January 2004,^[1] and was launched in several other countries soon after. The company has reached over 66 million viewers spanning 15 markets throughout Asia.^[2] Since 2013, the network is unavailable in Vietnam due to government content restrictions.^[3]

History

Hong Kong and Taiwan

Animax Asia first launched in Taiwan on 1 January 2004, and then in Hong Kong 11 days later.^[4] It broadcasts a variety of anime programming, from old to modern television series. Animax also airs anime series that premiered in Taiwan and Hong Kong prior to their release in Southeast Asian networks, some of them are Death Note, Blood+, Trinity Blood and Mushishi.

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.^[5][6]

Southeast Asia

A week after its launch in Taiwan and Hong Kong, Animax launched in Southeast Asia on 19 January 2004, initially featuring its anime programming exclusively in the original Japanese audio with English subtitling, becoming the company's first English language network.^[4] It also later incorporated an English audio dub feed.^[4] On 31 August 2006, Animax launched in Malaysia, in the Southeast Asian English language feed and also in Japanese audio feed with subtitles in the local languages. Prior to this, selected Animax shows were 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.). Animes such 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. were some of the network' early airing in Southeast Asia. It has also aired 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 programming blocks, such as "Ani-Chan", which is aired on weekdays at 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm containing the programs 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 containing the programs Dragon Ball and Law of Ueki; "Mega Zone", its prime time programming block is aired on weekdays from 7:00 pm containing the programs Gun X Sword, Fate/stay night and Honey and Clover; and its "Weekends" programming block is aired every Sunday at 9:00 pm and 10:00 pm containing the series Dear Boys, Blood+ and Please Teacher!.^[7]

Philippines

Animax began its operations in Philippines from January 2004. It is a joint venture between Sony Pictures Entertainment and Asian Cable Communications inc. (ACCION). Its broadcast was distinct from the Southeast Asia feed, and shared the same schedule as the SEA feed but featured local advertisements. Later in November 2014, the schedule was revised to air Valvrave at 11PM every Monday - Wednesday, at the same time the SEA feed airs Golden Time. It utilizes the same programming feed as Animax Asia, in addition to that 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.

South Asia

Animax began operations across India and South Asia beginning 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 Animax Asia. It now operates as a 24/7 English language feed. The channel is broadcast across South Asia and has a time shift version in Pakistan with local advertisements.

Programming

Programmes currently on air

New

• January 4, 2016: Assassination Classroom Season 1
• January 7, 2016: Naruto Season 3
• January 10, 2016: Durarara!!x2 Ketsu:
• January 23, 2016: Pandora in the Crimson Shell: Ghost Urn

Upcoming

• Snow White with the Red Hair
• Black Bullet

Reruns

• Accel World
• Cardfight!! Vanguard: Link Joker
• City Hunter
• Fairy Tail
• Guilty Crown
• Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha
• Kamisama Kiss
• Kekkaishi
• Kill Me Baby
• Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions
• Strike the Blood
• My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU
• SKET Dance
• The File of Young Kindaichi

Translation and dubbing teams

Animax has many 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, installments of the World Masterpiece Theater series, and various 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.

Animax has also broadcast English dubs on its English-language networks the series produced by other enterprises, such as Bandai Entertainment, The Ocean Group, Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Geneon Entertainment, Funimation Entertainment, VIZ Media, Central Park Media, and various others. Some of the other enterprises' series aired by Animax are, 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 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

Sony Primary businesses Sony Corporation (electronics & holding of the Sony group) Sony Interactive Entertainment Sony Computer Entertainment Sony Network Entertainment International PlayStation Sony Entertainment Sony Pictures Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment Sony/ATV Music Publishing Sony Financial Holdings Sony Life Sony Bank Sony Assurance Sony Lifecare Technologies and brands Alpha Betacam Blu-ray BRAVIA CD Cell Cyber-shot Dash Dream Machine DVD FeliCa Handycam HDCAM/HDCAM-SR LocationFree Memory Stick MiniDisc MiniDV mylo PlayStation Reader S/PDIF SDDS SXRD Sony Tablet TransferJet Triluminous Display UMD Vaio Video8/Hi8/Digital8 Walkman Walkman Phones XDCAM Xperia Xplōd HMZ-T1 Historical products AIBO CV-2000 DAT Betamax Sony CLIÉ Discman Jumbotron Lissa Mavica NEWS Qualia Rolly TR-55 Trinitron U-matic Watchman WEGA Electronics Sony Electronics (US subsidiary) Sony Mobile Communications Sony EMCS Corporation Sony Semiconductor Corporation Sony Energy Devices Corporation Sony Creative Software Sony Mobile Display sony olympus medical solutions FeliCa Networks JV Sony Computer Entertainment SCE Worldwide Studios Gaikai SN Systems Cellius (49%) Sony Music Columbia Records RCA Records Epic Records Sony/ATV Music Publishing (50%) EMI Music Publishing (19%) Sony Music Nashville Arista Nashville Columbia Nashville RCA Records Nashville Provident Label Group RCA Inspiration Ultra Records Sony Masterworks Century Media Records Legacy Recordings RED Distribution Black Butter Records IODA Kemosabe Records The Orchard Robbins Entertainment Syco Music (50%) Sony Music Australia Sony Music India Sony Music Japan Aniplex Aniplex of America A-1 Pictures Sony Music Latin Vevo Online distribution platforms Sony Entertainment Network PlayStation Network (PlayStation Music PlayStation Now PlayStation Store PlayStation Video PlayStation Plus PlayStation Vue) PlayMemories Online The Minisode Network Crackle Other businesses Sony DADC So-net Corporation Sony Professional Solutions Sony Biotechnology Sony Sendai !Sony Sendai Other assets Sony Corporation of America (umbrella company in the US) Other subsidiaries List of Acquisitions Key personnel Kazuo Hirai Masaru Ibuka Nobuyuki Idei Yasuo Kuroki Kunimasa Suzuki Hiroki Totoki Ken Kutaragi Michael Lynton Akio Morita Norio Ohga Howard Stringer Nicole Seligman Other History of Sony Sony Toshiba IBM Center of Competence for the Cell Processor Category Commons Wikinews