MVM Films is a British distributor of Japanese animation. The company sublicenses anime titles from US Anime companies such as Geneon and US Manga Corps, which do not have a UK presence, and releases them on Region 2 DVD. It is part of the MVM Group, which also has wholesale and retail arms, and specialises in anime, manga and related merchandise. It is headquartered in Chepstow, Monmouthshire, Wales.
Beginnings and today[]
MVM entertainment came into existence in 1990 as a mail order and retail shop that specialised in niche market items. It grew as did the demand for anime & manga products into the nineties allowing the company to start licensing anime series’ for the United Kingdom market in 1998. Today MVM have over 40 different titles for the UK market and is the largest Anime distributor in the country by volume of titles.[1]
Some of their DVD releases have been jointly mastered with Australia's Madman to save costs, and are therefore dual-region (Region 2 and Region 4). The company also won the Best Anime distributor award in the 2006 Neo Magazine Awards. MVM entertainment have also managed to win the 2009 Best Anime Distributor award in Neo magazine amid stiff opposition from the likes of Beez and Manga entertainment UK.
FUNImation[]
Up until November 2006, FUNimation Entertainment released its titles in the United Kingdom through MVM. However, in a surprise announcement, FUNimation switched its UK licensee to Revelation films[2], starting in early 2007. This move has been credited to Funimation’s takeover by the Navarre Corporation, which already released titles via Revelation in the UK. MVM has retained its licenses for series animated by studio GONZO and licensed by FUNimation in North America, such as Samurai 7 and Burst Angel. Nevertheless, MVM’s market share was damaged, and the publisher lost some of its most popular titles, including Fruits Basket and Fullmetal Alchemist. However in 2009, the Funimation licensed Slayers series began distribution in the U.K. possibly hinting that Funimation may continue using MVM Films.
Current UK and future releases[]
- Aaagh! It's the Mr. Hell Show (Tv)
- Adventures of Mini Goddess (Tv)
- Ah! My Goddess: The Movie (Movie)
- Aquarion (Anime Tv Series) (BBFC Cert: 15)
- Armitage III (Movie)
- Basilisk (Anime Tv Series) (BBFC Cert: 15)
- Battle Vixens (Anime Tv Series)
- Berserk[3] (Anime Tv Series) (BBFC Cert: 18)
- Bio Hunter (Anime Ova)
- Black Cat[3] (Anime Tv Series) (BBFC Cert: 15)
- Black Lagoon (Anime Tv Series)
- Bubblegum Crisis 2032 (Anime Ova)
- Burst Angel (Anime Tv Series)
- Chobits (Anime Tv Series) (BBFC Cert: 15)
- Cutie Honey (Live Action Movie) (BBFC Cert: 12)
- Daphne in the Brilliant Blue (Anime Tv Series) (BBFC Cert: 12)
- Desert Punk (Anime Tv Series) (BBFC Cert: 15)
- Dororo (Live Action Movie) (BBFC Cert: 15)
- Elemental Gelade (Anime Tv Series) (BBFC Cert: 12)
- Ergo Proxy[3] (Anime Tv Series) (BBFC Cert: 15)
- Fate/Stay Night (Anime Tv Series) (BBFC Cert: 12)
- FLCL (Anime Ova) (BBFC Cert: 12)
- Gantz (Anime Tv Series)
- Gantz: Second Stage (Anime Tv Series)
- Gastalt (Anime Ova)
- Golgo 13:Queen Bee (Anime Movie)
- Gravitation (Anime Tv Series + Ovas) (BBFC Cert: 15)
- Gungrave (Anime Tv Series)
- Gunparade March (Anime Tv Series) (BBFC Cert: 12)
- Gun Sword (Anime Tv Series) (BBFC Cert: 15)
- Haibane Renmei (Anime Tv Series) (BBFC Cert: 12)
- Love Hina (Anime Tv Series)
- Love Hina Christmas Special (Movie)
- Love Hina Spring Special (Movie)
- Love Hina Again (Anime Ova)
- Le Portrait de Petit Cossette (Anime Ova) (BBFC Cert: 15)
- Makai Senki Disgaea (Anime Tv Series) (BBFC Cert: 12)
- Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit (Anime Tv Series) (BBFC Cert: TBC) YET TO BE RELEASED
- Ninja Scroll (Anime Tv Series)
- Oh My Goddess (Anime Tv Series)
- Oh My Goddess (Ova)
- Paranoia Agent (Anime Tv Series) (BBFC Cert: 18-Hanging scene cut)
- Psycho Driver: Soul Siren (Movie)
- Ranma ½ (Movie)
- Riding Bean (Anime Ova)
- Read Or Die: Tv (Anime Tv Series)
- Requiem from the Darkness (Anime Tv Series)
- Romeo X Juliet (Anime Tv Series)
- Rozen Maiden (Anime Tv Series)
- Saiyuki Reload (Ova)
- Samurai 7 (Anime Tv Series)
- Samurai Champloo (Anime Tv Series)
- Samurai Deeper Kyo (Anime Tv Series)
- Serial Experiments Lain (Anime Tv Series) (BBFC Cert: 12)
- Nihon Chinbotsu (2006 film) (Sinking Of Japan)(BBFC Cert 12)
- Slayers (Anime Tv Series)
- Speed Grapher (Anime Tv Series)
- Shakugan no Shana (Anime Tv Series)
- Solty Rei (Anime Tv Series) (BBFC Cert: 15)
- Starship Operators (Anime Tv Series) (BBFC Cert: 15)
- Tenchi Muyo (Ova)
- Tenjho Tenge (Anime Tv Series)
- Texhnolyze (Anime Tv Series)
- Trigun (Anime Tv Series) (BBFC Cert: 15)
- Trinity Blood [3] (Anime Tv Series) (BBFC Cert: 15)
- Tsukihime, Lunar Legend (Anime Tv Series) (BBFC Cert: 15)
- Twilight of the Dark Master (Ova)
- Twin Signal (Ova)
- Urusei Yatsura (Ova)
- Urusei Yatsura (Movie)
- Witchblade (Anime Tv Series) (BBFC Cert: 15)
- You're Under Arrest (Ova)
External links[]
- MVM Films
- MVM Group (Archive)
- London Expo the main event for Anime, Manga, Gaming, Comics and Movies in the UK
References[]
- ↑ "MVM's history".
- ↑ "Revelation Films release".
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "MVM licenses new anime". Retrieved 2007-05-29.
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