Anime Expo 2013

Funimation Online

The Funimation Online panel at Anime Expo 2013 began with a short video previewing various titles that the company currently offers.

Panelists Justin Rojas and Michelle Lee then introduced themselves and began a rundown of Funimation's online presence on social media.

Funimation's Facebook page recently reached over 1 million likes, and as a reward to fans, they have announced the acquisition of the Evangelion 3.0 movie. In addition, fans can also get in touch with Funimation on Twitter (@funimation), Youtube (youtube.com/funimation), Tumblr (funimation.tumblr.com), Pinterest (pinterest.com/funimation), and Instagram (@funimation).

Furthermore, anime viewers can watch Funimation titles through various online video sites including Netflix, Hulu Plus, Vudu, Amazon Instant, iTunes, and Google Play.

Funimation also produces their own web series called The Funimation Show (www.youtube.com/thefunimationshow), a variety show featuring assorted skits involving geek humor. A brief video clip of "epic tabletop gaming" earned plenty of laughs from the crowd.

For TV viewers, the Toonami block on Cartoon Network Adult Swim also features plenty of big-name titles such as One Piece, Soul Eater, Eureka 7, and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

The main Funimation.com website (which currently features over 8,000 anime episodes) is going through an overhaul and will be revamped by the end of summer, in order to better serve the site's ever-increasing traffic. One new feature will be an online Funimation shop where fans can get special discounts and anime bundles along with related merchandise.

In addition, an "Elite Video Subscription" ($7.95/month) offers more perks for Funimation.com users including: commercial-free HD streams, dub screenings before they come out on DVD and Blu-Ray, uncut TV-MA footage, and extra features such as interviews that would normally only be on disc. A 14-day free trial subscription is available for those who want to try it out. Aside from being on the web, the subscription service is also available through an app for media devices including iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, and Roku.

Funimation.com offers the following current simulcasts (including new series for this summer): One Piece, Toriko, A Certain Scientific Railgun, Attack on Titan, Danganronpa: the Animation, and Brothers Conflict. The panelists played a short video clip from Attack on Titan, plus promotional videos for Danganronpa and Brothers Conflict, to pique the interest of fans.

For Elite subscribers, new dubbed releases for July include Eureka Seven AO, Fairy Tail, High School DxD, Guilty Crown, Ikki Tousen, We Without Wings, Black Lagoon, and Haganai. Attendees got to see clips from the dubbed versions of Guilty Crown and Black Lagoon: Roberta's Blood Trail.

In August, Elite subscribers will also be able to see for the first time dubbed episodes of Future Diary, Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, Sankarea and Michiko to Hatchin. This was followed by video clips from the dubs of Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine and Future Diary.

The panel ended with the announcement of a release date for the One Piece: Strong World movie, which comes out on November 19th as a Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack and as a DVD-only release.