You may have heard…

…the news from today, so here’s the gist of it.

We can confirm that our parent company, Navarre Corporation, has engaged Houlihan Lokey, an international investment banking firm, to assist it in exploring and structuring a transaction for the sale of FUNimation Entertainment. This is a strategic move that will benefit both Navarre and FUNimation, allowing Navarre to concentrate on its distribution and software businesses while looking to the future growth of FUNimation including co-productions of original anime content, social networks and digital broadcasting. Navarre believes those plans will be best executed with ownership that has assets or expertise in those areas.

This event does not necessarily mean that a sale is imminent or that one may even occur and will not change our release schedule or other day-to-day business.

For more information, you can read Navarre’s press release.

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19 Responses to “You may have heard…”

  • 1
    AstroNerdBoy on May 27th, 2010 at 3:49 pm says:

    Navarre had no business buying FUNimation in the first place, but that’s just my opinion.


  • 2
    Chrisc: Please License Angel Beats! on May 27th, 2010 at 3:52 pm says:

    As long as there is a potential chance Angel Beats! can get licensed, and future awesome animes also still be in business 10-100+ more years.

    @AstroNerdBoy,

    If it wasn’t for Navarre Kanon and the 30 other titles from ADV would be history. well thats how I feel.


  • 3
    mdpioneerb on May 27th, 2010 at 4:01 pm says:

    I don’t know what Navarre is thinking, since this company has been a profitable asset for them, and moving away from it could be bad for ‘em (not necessarily FUNi). I’m not too concerned right now , and neither is the Otakon rep if you look at his response on their BBS.


  • 4
    Michael Tanzer on May 27th, 2010 at 6:04 pm says:

    I don’t FUNimation to end, Let FUNimation live! They’re the best company!


  • 5
    Onlera on May 27th, 2010 at 6:22 pm says:

    wait… so is this a good thing or a bad thing? will this maybe give a better chance for more series to be licensed and released? or less?
    well, not a lot we can do anyway, i suppose.


  • 6
    Maiku on May 27th, 2010 at 6:31 pm says:

    This being bad or good would be decided by 2 things.

    1 is if it even happens or not.

    2 would be who purchases Funimation if this happens. Depending on who does it could be VERY good or VERY bad.

    A example of good would be a company in entertainment that could use their muscle to help with things like getting shows on TV or movies in Theaters helping to expand the market. A example would be like Warner entertainment. They have the ability to help alot due to their experience with movies and television.

    A bad one would more or less run Funi into the ground in various ways.

    Either way if it happens it won’t be for quite awhile and there is always the chance that it won’t happen at all.


  • 7
    Onlera on May 27th, 2010 at 6:57 pm says:

    @Maiku – that’s both comforting and worrying, but thank you for explaining. we can only hope and pray that, if this does go through, the company that buys Funi will be a good one.


  • 8
    Tyrenol on May 27th, 2010 at 7:14 pm says:

    WOW, Rojas. That was quick.

    Usually; when it’s not part of some PR plan, it would take a week to appear on this blog. :|

    Oh well… I only have one thing to say about this: Atleast it’s not anything like the relationship between Bancolding$ and Poof Sputter.

    Did anybody check out the news about Sola? How “Snickering…” now has it, how Bancolding$ said that they still have it, and how it’s badly-written harem animu that’s still sub-only? :lol:


  • 9
    Chrisc: Please License Angel Beats! on May 27th, 2010 at 7:24 pm says:

    @Tyrenol

    LOL!


  • 10
    DemonRin on May 27th, 2010 at 9:04 pm says:

    As Long as new One Piece DVDs and Blu-rays come out, and the dub retains its currently high quality, I’ll be right as rain with whatever happens with this.


  • 11
    Dragon0 on May 27th, 2010 at 10:36 pm says:

    I just hope this provides Funi the chance to licence more anime (if this happens) and not drive them into the ground like other companies have been/are doing.

    And Tyrenol, What so bad about Sola? I bought it way back and didn’t see much to compalin about other thatn the story not being the best I’ve seen. But I’ll give how That … umm… company have fallen low in terms of quality.


  • 12
    Richard J. on May 27th, 2010 at 10:51 pm says:

    My position on this news is more or less like Maiku’s but with a slightly more cynical tone. There’s potential for good but the chances of bad outcomes are just better. Heck, if Funi is bought by another company that’s much bigger, that company will probably expect much more in the way of high profit margins than Funimation could possibly produce. Yes, Funi makes money on anime but, with the Great Recession upon us, how much do they make?

    This could turn out great but it feels like trouble to me. Not like what Bandai or ADV had in the past but it just don’t feel right, you know?


  • 13
    Chrisc: Please License Angel Beats! on May 28th, 2010 at 4:14 am says:

    Normally I would think this would be good news but how other anime and manga companies are still downsizing or closing, I just have a feeling if Funimation does sell they would license less and the animes that would get licensed would only be the ones they can get on tv. I will be honest I don’t like DBZ, FMA, & One Piece.

    Edit, and/or sub-onlys would start, don’t get me wrong I am not totally against sub-only as long as the anime normally wouldn’t get licensed otherwise. An example of bad to sub-only would be K-ON, Angel Beats Saki the player. a good example would be Yumeiro Patissiere, Kaasan – Mom’s Life or something that 4+ years old.


  • 14
    JustiX-NL on May 28th, 2010 at 5:18 am says:

    -Quoted from the Press Release-

    Company Expects to Present FUNimation Entertainment as a Discontinued
    Operation Beginning in the First Quarter of FY 2011

    -Quoted from the Press Release-

    Doesnt this mean they are shutting down the Funimation?


  • 15
    Dragon0 on May 28th, 2010 at 7:35 am says:

    I’m sure some people have hopes from this potential buy, but my gut felling says it a bad idea. :?


  • 16
    Kayla on May 28th, 2010 at 9:04 am says:

    Well, since both this and the artical on ANN seam to say it in possitive ways, and seem to say it is a good move on both parts (and that FUNi was still my anime company love BEFORE Navarre bought them), I wish both FUNimation and Navarrehe best of luck.


  • 17
    Enspite on May 28th, 2010 at 11:58 am says:

    @Chrisc
    Please stop talking. You’re giving me a headache.


  • 18
    Tyrenol on May 28th, 2010 at 3:54 pm says:

    @ JustiX-NL:

    Uh… “Discontinued Operation” is “a financial term for a segment of a company that has been separated from the rest of the company, or has been approved for separation.”

    It means that FUNi can do well on its own.

    Don’t be bamboozled by a word that looks like a buzzword.


  • 19
    Tenchi on May 30th, 2010 at 7:23 pm says:

    @AstroNerdBoy

    “Navarre had no business buying FUNimation in the first place, but that’s just my opinion.”

    Care to elaborate why, as you clearly have everything figured out? Do you really think FUNimation would be the premier anime company it is today without Navarre’s corporate backing?


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