Viz Media Europe Acquires European TV & Licensing Rights of Yo-Kai Watch
Paris-based VIZ MEDIA EUROPE, the leader in Japanese Entertainment content in Europe, is thrilled to announce the acquisition of the animated TV series YO-KAI WATCH for TV, Home Entertainment/VOD, Licensing & Merchandising rights for Europe, Russia and Africa.
Created by the renowned Japanese video game company LEVEL-5, Inc. (LBX: Little Battlers eXperience, Inazuma Eleven, Professor Layton), the YO-KAI WATCH franchise currently boasts a NINTENDO 3DS video game series that has sold over 6.5 million units in Japan alone, a top-rated animated TV series jointly produced by LEVEL-5, Inc., Dentsu Inc., and TV TOKYO Corporation, manga and related books published by SHOGAKUKAN INC, as well as toys and other merchandise that have generated over 1 billion USD in retail sales in Japan.
With an imaginative plot, great characters and hilarious comedy, YO-KAI WATCH has become one of the most popular franchises of all time in Japan, in just 2 years!
The story of YO-KAI WATCH centers around a young boy, Nate, who gets a special watch empowering him to discover mysterious beings called “Yo-kai” that are everywhere to cause us little nuisances in our daily life. Nate's role is to find out the reason for the Yo-kai's mischievous behaviors and to talk them out of it, using his own creative wit and helped by his fellow Yo-kai that he befriends each time he solves a problem.
Dentsu Inc. and TV TOKYO Corporation have already partnered with leading global Play Company Hasbro, Inc. to bring an innovative toy line for YO-KAI WATCH to Europe in 2016.
VME will present the TV series to top broadcasters in April at MIPTV 2015 in Cannes. The YO-KAI WATCH cross-platform experience will also include video games and merchandising partnerships to be announced later this year.
«We strongly believe that YO-KAI WATCH will become a major hit in Europe. Kids, broadcasters and licensees have all been waiting for long for the next big anime thing. This is it…! » says Pascal J. Bonnet, Senior Director TV Sales & Licensing, Viz Media Europe.
About Viz Media Europe
Headquartered in Paris, France, Viz Media Europe (VME) specializes in managing the development, marketing and distribution throughout Europe, Middle East and Africa of Japanese animated entertainment and graphic novels (manga). Owned by three of Japan's largest creators, publishers and licensors of manga and animation, Shueisha, Inc., Shogakukan, Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VME handles the comprehensive distribution, licensing and promotion of some of the most popular Japanese manga and animation properties for consumers of all ages. VME administers an integrated product line including graphic novels, consumer products, DVD and music. Current VME animated properties include: BLUE EXORCIST, BLEACH, DEATH NOTE, JEWELPET, KILARI, MAGI, MIRMO, TENKAI KNIGHTS, VICTORY KICKOFF!!
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