Enoki Films
Encyclopedia
Enoki Films Co., Ltd. is a producer of anime
based in Tokyo
.
Enoki Films also has a North America
n division, established in 1986, headquartered in the Encino
area of Los Angeles, California
, United States
called Enoki Films USA, Inc.. Enoki Films USA acts as a middle-man between Japanese companies and American licensees such as 4Kids Entertainment
and Saban
. In May 2007 it was announced that their content would also be provided as video on demand
by Internet startup ReelTime.com
(worldwide except Japan).
Some of the anime productions listed on Enoki's website are under alternate names and may list characters under different names as well. In many cases, when sub-licensed to anime home video companies, the original titles and character names have been restored. Enoki's translations of episode titles and scenarios may also be different than what may be on the official release.
If Enoki's series' have a separate movie or direct-to-video production, it is usually not licensed by Enoki, and the film or direct-to-video production may be licensed to a separate company than the series (as is the case with the Slayers movies and OVAs and the Utena movie).
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
based in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
.
Enoki Films also has a North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n division, established in 1986, headquartered in the Encino
Encino, Los Angeles, California
Encino is a hilly district of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. Specifically, it is located in the central portion of the southern San Fernando Valley and on the north slope of the Santa Monica Mountains...
area of Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
called Enoki Films USA, Inc.. Enoki Films USA acts as a middle-man between Japanese companies and American licensees such as 4Kids Entertainment
4Kids Entertainment
4Kids Entertainment is an American film and television production company in bankruptcy since April 2011. It is known for English-dubbing Japanese anime and specializing in the acquisition, production and licensing of children's entertainment around the United States...
and Saban
Saban
Saban Entertainment , was a worldwide-served independent American television production company formed in 1984 by music and television producers Haim Saban and Shuki Levy as "Saban Productions", a U.S...
. In May 2007 it was announced that their content would also be provided as video on demand
Video on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
by Internet startup ReelTime.com
ReelTime.com
ReelTime.com is an Internet-based video on demand provider located in Seattle, Washington. It was founded as Reeltime Rentals Inc. in 2004 and went public in September 2006 at the same time that its online service was launched. The company's Directors are Michael Gersh and Beverly...
(worldwide except Japan).
Some of the anime productions listed on Enoki's website are under alternate names and may list characters under different names as well. In many cases, when sub-licensed to anime home video companies, the original titles and character names have been restored. Enoki's translations of episode titles and scenarios may also be different than what may be on the official release.
If Enoki's series' have a separate movie or direct-to-video production, it is usually not licensed by Enoki, and the film or direct-to-video production may be licensed to a separate company than the series (as is the case with the Slayers movies and OVAs and the Utena movie).
History
In 1975 Zen and Yoshi Enoki established Enoki Films Co., Ltd. in Tokyo. In 1986 the California office opened; soon afterwards Yoshi Enoki opened the American division.Anime Licensed by Enoki Films USA
Some of the Enoki USA titles include:- Bistro Recipe (Fighting FoodonsFighting FoodonsFighting Foodons, known as in Japan, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Naoto Tsushima and serialized in Comic BonBon in September 1997...
; produced with 4Kids Entertainment4Kids Entertainment4Kids Entertainment is an American film and television production company in bankruptcy since April 2011. It is known for English-dubbing Japanese anime and specializing in the acquisition, production and licensing of children's entertainment around the United States...
) - Captain TsubasaCaptain Tsubasa, also known as Flash Kicker, is a popular long running Japanese manga, animation, and video game series, originally created by Yōichi Takahashi in 1981...
(under the titles Flash Kicker and Captain Tsubasa) - Cosmo Warrior ZeroCosmo Warrior Zerois a science fiction OVA series.-Plot:The long war between the planet Earth and the machine men is finally over, resulting in a peace that is more a victory for the machine men than the Earth. Warrius Zero lost his family in the war to the machinemen but despite this he still is a member of the...
(under the title 'Cosmowarrior Zero') - El-HazardEl-Hazardis a Japanese anime franchise written by Ryoe Tsukimura and directed by Hiroki Hayashi. The series was produced and animated by AIC.There is also a manga adaptation, which is published in English by VIZ Media. The series was formerly distributed in the U.S. by Pioneer LDC, now known as Geneon...
: The Wanderer - Genshi-kun (Flint the Time DetectiveFlint the Time DetectiveFlint the Time Detective, known in Japan as , is an animated Japanese television series directed by Hiroshi Fukutomi. It was based on a manga by Hideki Sonoda and Akira Yamauchi and was published by Kodansha in Japan...
; produced with Saban) - (Gensomaden) Saiyuki
- Gun FrontierGun Frontieris a 1972 manga by Leiji Matsumoto. It introduces Tochiro Oyama, best friend to Matsumoto's classic hero, Captain Harlock, who is in turn depicted as a gunslinger in the Old West. In sharp contrast to other Matsumoto's stories, Gun Frontier is a comedy adventure rather than a space opera.It is a...
- GokudoGokudois a light novel series created by Usagi Nakamura. The light novel was first serialized by Kadokawa Shoten in their light novel magazine Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko. It was later adapted into a manga in 1995 and is released in Dengeki Daioh magazine...
(as Jester the Adventurer) - His and Her Circumstances (as Tales at North Hills High; released under original name)
- Honey Honey no Suteki na BoukenHoney Honey no Suteki na Boukenis a shōjo manga by Hideko Mizuno first published in 1966 and made into a 29-episode anime TV series in 1981 by Kokusai Eiga...
(as simply Honey Honey) - Ikki TousenIkki Tousen, also known as Battle Vixens, is a manga series written and illustrated by Yuji Shiozaki, based on the classic Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms...
- Lost UniverseLost Universeis a series of science fiction light novels, running from 1992 to 2000, by Japanese author Hajime Kanzaka. It was later adapted into a 26-episode anime television series that ran throughout the summer of 1998 on TV Tokyo during the same time slot that the anime depiction of Kanzaka's previous work,...
- Revolutionary Girl UtenaRevolutionary Girl Utenais a manga by Chiho Saito and anime directed by Kunihiko Ikuhara. The manga serial began in the June 1996 issue of Ciao and the anime was first broadcast in 1997. The anime and manga were created simultaneously, but, despite some similarities, they progressed in different directions. A movie, was...
(as Ursula's Kiss; released under original name) - SlayersSlayersis a series of over 52 light novels written by Hajime Kanzaka and illustrated by Rui Araizumi. It was later developed into several manga titles, five televised anime series, two three-episode original video animations , and five movies. It also spawned several console role-playing games for the...
(as The Slayers)
Young Anime of Enoki Films
- Poko Nyan!
- MojackoMojackois a manga series created by Fujiko F. Fujio about an ordinary student who befriends two aliens. It was adapted into an anime series directed by Tetsuya Endo and produced by Oriental Light and Magic.-Plot:...
- Prince Mackaroo
- Hello Kitty's Paradise
- Petit Petit Anime
- The Galaxy Adventures Oz
- Flint the Time DetectiveFlint the Time DetectiveFlint the Time Detective, known in Japan as , is an animated Japanese television series directed by Hiroshi Fukutomi. It was based on a manga by Hideki Sonoda and Akira Yamauchi and was published by Kodansha in Japan...
- Tomatoman
- Kappamaki
- Mock and Sweet'
- HikarianHikarian, also called Hikarian: Great Railroad Protector, is a Japanese anime and toy franchise by Tomy.The first television series, is about a series of bullet trains that are turned into robots...
- Serendipity the Pink DragonSerendipity the Pink Dragonis a 26-episode anime TV series produced by NTV and Zuiyo which aired weekly from 1 July 1983 to 23 December 1983 in Japan. The series was based on the Serendipity books by Stephen Cosgrove. After a boy is shipwrecked on a deserted island, he finds a pink egg which hatches into the pink dragon ...
- Serendipity Stories: Friends of Pure Island
Anime available through Enoki Films
Enoki also list many other anime series on their website that are available for sub-licensing to other companies for release on home video. As yet, the following titles remain unlicensed by any other company and thus unavailable in English:- Firestorm (Gerry AndersonGerry AndersonGerry Anderson MBE is a British publisher, producer, director and writer, famous for his futuristic television programmes, particularly those involving specially modified marionettes, a process called "Supermarionation"....
anime production) - Galaxy Whirlwind BraigerBraigeris an anime series aired from 1981 to 1982 in Japan. There were 39 episodes aired. Other loosely translated names include "Braiger", "Bryger", "Brygar", "Galactic Whirlwind Bryger", "Galactic Cyclone Buraiger", "Cosmo Runner". It is the first series from the J9 Series.-Original Story:In the year...
(J-9 series one, as Cosmo Runner) - Galaxy Gale BaxingarBaxingerwas an anime series aired from 1982 to 1983 in Japan. There were 39 episodes aired. Other loosely translated names include "Baxingar", "Galactic Stormwind Baxinga", "Cosmo Rangers". It is the sequel to Braiger and the second series of the J9 Series...
(J-9 series two, as Cosmo Ranger) - Galaxy Hurricane SasuraigerSasuraigerwas an anime series aired from 1983 to 1984 in Japan. There were 43 episodes aired. Other loosely translated names include "Sasuraiger", "Galactic Gale Sasuraiger", "Galaxy Whirlwind Sasuraiger" and "Wonder Six." It is the sequel to Baxinger and is the final member of the J9 Series.-Original...
(J-9 series three, as Wonder Six) - Giant KillingGiant Killingis an ongoing Japanese football manga series created by Masaya Tsunamoto. A 26-episode anime adaptation animated by Studio DEEN began airing in Japan on the BS hi network on April 4, 2010. In 2010, it won the Kodansha Manga Award for best general manga....
- HikarianHikarian, also called Hikarian: Great Railroad Protector, is a Japanese anime and toy franchise by Tomy.The first television series, is about a series of bullet trains that are turned into robots...
- Mission Outer Space Srungle (as Gorilla Force; previously licensed by Saban as part of "Macron 1" along with GoShogunGoShogunwas a super robot anime series produced in 1981 and aired in 1982 in Japan. It is variously referred to in English as "Demon God of the War-Torn Land GoShogun", "Warring Demon God GoShogun", "Civil War Devil-God GoShogun" and "Macron 1".-Original story:A meteor strikes the Earth and is found to...
) - Ruins Legend AcrobunchAcrobunchwas an anime series aired in 1982. There were 24 episodes. It is also referred to as "Demon Region Legendary Acrobunch", "'Demon Regions Legend Acrobunch", "'Ruins Legend Acrobunch", "'Acrobanch".-Story:...
- Submarine Super 99Submarine Super 99is a television series created by Leiji Matsumoto. Video was distributed by TV Tokyo.Enoki Films USA Inc. holds the distribution rights of English version, but it is not releasing it.-Story:...
- Thumbelina