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Studio Gonzo to reduce annual anime output from 8 to 4

by Last Exile » Tue Nov 11, 2008 5:26 pm

GDH, the corporate parent of the Gonzo anime company, has announced that it will be restructuring, and therefore reducing its annual output of anime from about eight projects to four in the next fiscal year. The decision was made during the board of directors' meeting that was held on Monday. The company currently produces anime through its four internal studios and outsourcing to other companies. It plans to combine its internal studios under one division and "carefully" winnow its output from eight to four titles.

GDH did not specify which titles will still go forward in production. Gonzo had already announced that it would be working on The Tower of DRUAGA -the Sword of URUK-, Slap Up Party -Arad Senki-, Shangri-La, and Alive - Saishū Shinka teki Shōnen in 2009. It is also producing the Afro Samurai: Resurrection television movie, but that is scheduled to run in the United States next January, before the next fiscal year. Earlier in 2008, Gonzo produced Rosario + Vampire, S.A, Blassreiter, The Tower of Druaga: the Aegis of Uruk, and Strike Witches. It is also producing the ongoing television series Linebarrels of Iron and Rosario + Vampire Capu2.

Besides its reduction in anime output, GDH plans to reduce its representative director's compensation by half, its board of directors' head count by two (or 30%), and its executive and managerial staff's head count by eight (or 10 to 20%). By consolidating its operations, it plans to save 40 to 120 million yen (about US$400,000 to US$1.2 million) in rent, 40 to 50 million yen (US$400,000 to US$500,000) in system costs, and 50 to 100 million yen (US$500,000 to US$1 million) in possible managerial expenses.

The Japanese investment company Iwakaze Capital had taken over GDH by acquiring more shares in GDH earlier this fall. At the time, CEO Shinichiro Ishikawa, director/chief financial officer Fumiaki Goto, and executive vice president/chief operating officer Yasushi Uchida left the company.

Source: Moon Phase Comments


I guess 2009 will be a year with a lot less to go around if the other companies react like Gonzo have.
Disgusting...
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Re: Studio Gonzo to reduce annual anime output from 8 to 4

by Mappy » Wed Nov 12, 2008 4:13 am

The problem in recent years has been too many studios producing too little of worth. What Gonzo is likely to produce, next year, doesn't exactly fill me with joy, but at least they'll spend more of their time and resources on them. Because the last couple of years has not seen all that much that is good emanate from the good folks at Gonzo, almost as if their standard Gonzoification of shows (come up with awesome idea, then drain the life and soul out of it by the end) had started effecting things before the shows, themselves, had even begun. The shows they are producing atm, Rosario + Vampire Capu2 and Kurogane no Linebarrels are farking awful. And I know this isn't the case for the R+V manga, because it is farking awesome.
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GDH's Ishikawa, Goto, Uchida Remain with Company

by Mappy » Wed Nov 12, 2008 8:32 am

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/20 ... th-company

Former CEO, CFO, COO take new positions at Gonzo's corporate parent

The Variety entertainment news source reported in September that CEO Shinichiro Ishikawa, director/chief financial officer Fumiaki Goto, and executive vice president/chief operating officer Yasushi Uchida would depart from GDH, the corporate parent of the Gonzo anime production company, by October 1. GDH has informed ANN that Ishikawa will remain with the company as a vice-president. Goto will also remain as a director, and Uchida will now be an executive director.
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