TBS Contributes Characters from Beyond the Boundary Anime to Chinese Smartphone App WeChat
TBS contributes characters from “Beyond the Boundary” anime to mega-popular Chinese smartphone app WeChat!
TBS's anime character business continues to grow globally! Recently TBS agreed to supply stickers featuring 16 characters from its popular anime series “Beyond the Boundary” to the free voice call and messenger smartphone application WeChat, which is operated by Tencent, China's largest IT company.
Based on the ‘light novel’, as termed in Japan which targets teens and young adult demographic, by Nagomu Torii, “Beyond the Boundary” is a schoolyard battle action story featuring the character of Akito Kanbara, who was born of a human and a youmu, one of the fearsome monsters that humans battle. Another key character is Mirai Kuriyama, who is an ikaishi, or warrior from another world. Since the program started airing in October, it has established a strong and loyal fan base, and the motion picture “Beyond the Boundary –I'LL BE HERE–” is scheduled to reach theaters across Japan this spring.
TBS has licensed “Beyond the Boundary” in markets outside Japan as well, where its popularity continues to rise. In China, the characters of the program have received very enthusiastic support from online communities, thereby inspiring the new sticker service on WeChat.
WeChat is a free voice call and messenger smartphone application operated by Tencent, China's largest IT company as measured by market capitalization. Growing rapidly, Tencent is the world's third-largest IT company after Google and Facebook. WeChat is used by 1.1 billion people in over 200 countries and regions and is said to be the world's most popular messenger application.
The stickers TBS is supplying to WeChat are a set of 16 created under the direction of leading anime studio Kyoto Animation and featuring cute action scenes with the popular characters Mirai Kuriyama, Ai Shindo, and more. The digital stickers feature versions of the characters with big heads and small bodies for an even cuter appearance. Outside of Japan, this service is available free to all WeChat users.
Going forward, TBS plans to proactively promote its anime programs through the growing Chinese smartphone applications and services market, as well as through other media worldwide.
■Service overview
Content name: “Beyond the Boundary” WeChat stickers
Price: Free
Platform: WeChat
Start of service: January 27, 2015
Geographic availability: Wherever WeChat is available (excluding Japan)
© Nagomu Torii･Kyoto Animation/ProjectBB
© Imagineer Co., Ltd.
Note: The names of companies, products, and services mentioned in this article are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
■About Tokyo Broadcasting System Television, Inc.
With over 40 years of experience licensing programming overseas, Tokyo Broadcasting System Television, Inc. (TBS) has distributed programs of all genres – dramas, anime, documentaries, formats, movies – totaling several tens of thousands of hours of programming in over 150 countries worldwide and has firmly established its presence as a major content provider in the global arena. TBS is one of the most innovative broadcasters in creating variety formats, having licensed nearly 200 localized versions with several thousand episodes being produced including global hits like America's Funniest Home Videos, Takeshi's Castle/MXC, Sasuke/Ninja Warrior, etc. Looking ahead, TBS aims to further raise its profile overseas by expanding sales around the world of TBS hit shows and take advantage of new opportunities in the digital market place.
TBS program catalog online:
http://www.tbs.co.jp/eng/programsales/index.html
TBS International Program Sales official Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/tbs.intl.sales
TBS International Program Sales official Twitter account:
https://twitter.com/TBS_prosales
TBS's anime character business continues to grow globally! Recently TBS agreed to supply stickers featuring 16 characters from its popular anime series “Beyond the Boundary” to the free voice call and messenger smartphone application WeChat, which is operated by Tencent, China's largest IT company.Based on the ‘light novel’, as termed in Japan which targets teens and young adult demographic, by Nagomu Torii, “Beyond the Boundary” is a schoolyard battle action story featuring the character of Akito Kanbara, who was born of a human and a youmu, one of the fearsome monsters that humans battle. Another key character is Mirai Kuriyama, who is an ikaishi, or warrior from another world. Since the program started airing in October, it has established a strong and loyal fan base, and the motion picture “Beyond the Boundary –I'LL BE HERE–” is scheduled to reach theaters across Japan this spring.
TBS has licensed “Beyond the Boundary” in markets outside Japan as well, where its popularity continues to rise. In China, the characters of the program have received very enthusiastic support from online communities, thereby inspiring the new sticker service on WeChat.
WeChat is a free voice call and messenger smartphone application operated by Tencent, China's largest IT company as measured by market capitalization. Growing rapidly, Tencent is the world's third-largest IT company after Google and Facebook. WeChat is used by 1.1 billion people in over 200 countries and regions and is said to be the world's most popular messenger application.
The stickers TBS is supplying to WeChat are a set of 16 created under the direction of leading anime studio Kyoto Animation and featuring cute action scenes with the popular characters Mirai Kuriyama, Ai Shindo, and more. The digital stickers feature versions of the characters with big heads and small bodies for an even cuter appearance. Outside of Japan, this service is available free to all WeChat users.
Going forward, TBS plans to proactively promote its anime programs through the growing Chinese smartphone applications and services market, as well as through other media worldwide.
■Service overview
Content name: “Beyond the Boundary” WeChat stickers
Price: Free
Platform: WeChat
Start of service: January 27, 2015
Geographic availability: Wherever WeChat is available (excluding Japan)
© Nagomu Torii･Kyoto Animation/ProjectBB
© Imagineer Co., Ltd.
Note: The names of companies, products, and services mentioned in this article are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
■About Tokyo Broadcasting System Television, Inc.
With over 40 years of experience licensing programming overseas, Tokyo Broadcasting System Television, Inc. (TBS) has distributed programs of all genres – dramas, anime, documentaries, formats, movies – totaling several tens of thousands of hours of programming in over 150 countries worldwide and has firmly established its presence as a major content provider in the global arena. TBS is one of the most innovative broadcasters in creating variety formats, having licensed nearly 200 localized versions with several thousand episodes being produced including global hits like America's Funniest Home Videos, Takeshi's Castle/MXC, Sasuke/Ninja Warrior, etc. Looking ahead, TBS aims to further raise its profile overseas by expanding sales around the world of TBS hit shows and take advantage of new opportunities in the digital market place.
TBS program catalog online:
http://www.tbs.co.jp/eng/programsales/index.html
TBS International Program Sales official Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/tbs.intl.sales
TBS International Program Sales official Twitter account:
https://twitter.com/TBS_prosales
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