Game Company NIS Begins Licensing Anime for North America

NIS America, which is Nippon Ichi Software's American division has announced that it has started to license Anime for North American distribution. Their first licenses will include Toradora, Pandora Hearts, Persona 'trinity soul' & Wagaya no Oinarisama (Our Home's Fox Deity).

So, now we will have yet another bloody Japanese subsidiary (and a game company at that) trying to figure out the North American Anime market. Oh joy. -_^ I know a LOT of people will be happy that Toradora has been licensed, but I think it would have been better had these titles been released in the US through regular channels (like Funi or Section 23 or even MB). NIS has said they might package some of these with some extra's, something we're not getting from anyone else anymore. I just hope these new guys do it right.

Anyway, we don't have any sort of release details or dates yet, but we will certainly be carrying these whenever they are made available on DVD.

Press Release: Santa Ana, CA – NIS America is excited to announce today its plans to release Japanese anime titles to North America beginning mid 2010. As an entertainment publisher NIS America has focused on releasing video games; however, with the growing demand for Japanese pop culture, NIS America will provide quality anime contents along side with video games. Initially a selected number of titles will be released on a scheduled basis and will expand its offerings over time. Like its video game offerings, anime titles will be available with collector's items.

Toradora
Despite Ryuji Takasu's gentle personality, his eyes make him look like an intimidating delinquent. Class rearrangements on his second high school year put him together with his best friend, Yusaku Kitamura, and his hidden crush, Minori Kushieda. Along with these two comes Kushieda's best friend, Taiga Aisaka. Her delicate appearance contrasts with her brutal personality. Secretly in love with Kitamura, Taiga agrees to help Ryuji with his love interest as long as he helps her get closer to hers. It’s a new school year and Ryuuji Takasu discovers not only is he in the same class as his best friend, Yusaku Kitamura, but also Minori Kukshieda whom he's had an undisclosed crush on for quite some time. Along with Kitamura and Minori is Minori's best friend, the “Palmtop Tiger”, tiny Taiga Aisaka whom, despite her small stature, takes nothing from nobody. (When unflattering pictures of her in a bathing suit were circulated, “Of course, I made it rain blood in the photography club.”) Taiga is secretly in love with Kitamura and she and Ryuuji, despite an oil and water relationship, agree to mutually support each other in their quests for their heart’s desire.

Pandora Hearts
Oz Bezarius, heir to one of the duke houses, has just turned fifteen. His life is rich and carefree, darkened only by the constant absence of his father. At his coming-of-age ceremony, however, everything changes. For no reason that he can discern, he's cast into the prison known as the "Abyss", only to be saved by a "chain" known as Alice, the bloodstained black rabbit. It is unknown why was he cast into Abyss, how does Alice factor into it all, and what does the organization known as "Pandora" want with him.

Persona 'trinity soul'
The stage is Ayanagi City, a city near the Japan Sea. It is a futuristic city that was built to carry out the recovery from the calamity caused by the "Apathy Syndrome" ten years previous. High school student Shin Kanzato with his little brother Jun, meet with their elder brother Ryō, who is the chief of the Ayanagi City Police, again after ten years. At that time, a series of strange incidents happen in Ayanagi City such as the crew of a submarine that suddenly disappears while in their submarine, or a spiritless symptom which disturbs the world after ten years, or the case of the inside out corpse where a student took on a cruel appearance. Ryō tracks down the organization behind the string of incidents, and having become involved in the incidents, Shin awakens the "Persona".

Wagaya no Oinarisama (Our Home's Fox Deity)
Noboru and Toru are two brothers that have grown away from their family's secret. The fact that their family can use the Water ki and can ward off demons. But when a demon is after Toru's life, in order for the family to keep him safe they need to awaken the fox-spirit Kūgen. Kūgen will not help for the sake of the family but only for the sake of the children's late mother.



If you mess up these releases NIS, the fan base WILL come back to bite you...
Consider yourselves warned!