4Kids will no longer be dubbing Pokemon

[Water Pokemon Master]

PUSA takes over licensing of merchandise for Pokemon

From PPN:

NEW YORK (December 23, 2005) - 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: KDE) and Pokémon USA, Inc., announced today that they have agreed not to renew the Pokémon representation agreement set to expire on December 31, 2005. Beginning in 2006, Pokémon USA, Inc.’s in-house licensing group will handle all Pokémon licensing outside of Asia.Pokemon USA

“We felt it was in the best interest of the Pokémon property for Pokémon USA, Inc., to assume all aspects of licensing,” said Akira Chiba, President of Pokémon USA, Inc. “This was a brand management decision. We would like to thank 4Kids for all of its great work over the last eight years in helping to establish Pokémon as one of the leading children’s brands in the world.”

“4Kids has had a successful eight-year exclusive relationship with the Pokémon property that will be expiring at year end,” said Alfred R. Kahn, Chairman and CEO of 4Kids Entertainment. “Over the next month, 4Kids will assist Pokémon USA, Inc., in its transition to in-house representation. We wish Pokémon USA much success going forward.”



Under the terms of the expiring Pokémon USA, Inc. - 4Kids representation agreement, 4Kids will continue to receive commissions for the next several years on payments made under existing Pokémon license agreements whose term expires after December 31, 2005. It is expected that commissions earned by 4Kids from the Pokémon property will decline over the course of the next several years. 4Kids will also continue next year to produce the current eighth season of Pokémon television episodes.

4Kids said it will still receive commissions over the next several years from existing Pokemon license deals that will expire after Dec. 31, 2005, but said commissions from Pokemon are expected to decline over the next several years.

Pokemon, first launched in Japan in 1996 on Nintendo's Game Boy video game console, was introduced in North America in 1998. The character has generated over $25 billion in worldwide retail sales, fueled by playing cards, a television show and other merchandise. 4Kids held the Pokemon license for eight years.

----------

EDIT: Nevermind, 4Kids is not losing their license to dub Pokemon. The dub will remain the same. PUSA is just going to take over merchandising, which 4Kids previously did.

 

[Chris]

...This is indeed a Merry Christmas.

Holy hell. Maybe now we'll see an even close to original dub. Let's pray the original music comes back and cuts and censors are next to none existant (since they're small, unnecessary ones to begin with). ;-;

 

[Phantom_Bugsy]

HALL-E-LUJAH!

Now maybe we won't keep hearing the SAME voices over and over. o____o AND maybe it won't suck

 

[Swifty]

I heard this over IRC. I was like "OH SHI-" after reading the press release.

I've grown rather attached to Rachel Lillis and Veronica Taylor. Here's hoping Pokemon USA will finally release subbed dual-track DVDs of Pokemon instead of dub-only volumes.

 

[Magus]

This is for real? Wow, it's about time.

 

[Torchic23]

I heard this over IRC. I was like "OH SHI-" after reading the press release.

I've grown rather attached to Rachel Lillis and Veronica Taylor. Here's hoping Pokemon USA will finally release subbed dual-track DVDs of Pokemon instead of dub-only volumes.

Getting a new company means new voices?!?!?!?!? I am so mad right now. I personally like 4kids. I don't really want anyhting to change! Nobody could possibly replace Veronica Taylor!

 

[Feity]

IS THIS FOR ALL ANIMES?

holy hell, this is ****ing awsome

 

[Gravy]

I doubt they're going to change the voice actors. The voice DIRECTION is most certain, but the actors themselves? Erm...no. We'll still be stuck with Lisa Ortiz ~:FOREVER:~


I'm crossing my fingers, toes and kidneys in hopes that the original score for the show will now remain totally intact. If there's anything about the original version thats great, then its the background music. Apart from the lack of it in the dub, and some of the awful voices 4Kids assigned to some of the pokémon, that was really about the only thing wrong with it.
...though its a shame that they don't seem to be using the theme for Fortree anymore in the japanese version. Seems like that one is never going to make it to the western eardrums :/

Eh, I'm not really sure how to react to the news though. I mean, I'm not as fond of 4Kids work as the next guy, but its not like these people have ever dubbed a show before, correct? So we have absolutely no idea how they plan on handling this.

 

[Chris]

Just Pokémon ones.

Folks, do remember not all of the voices on Pokémon are bound to 4Kids. Veronica Taylor's done anime work OUTSIDE of 4Kids' licenses. As have a few others. There's a chance Nintendo may even rehire the current staff of VAs.

Although this leads to the possibility of better voice direction, original music, less cutting and censoring, NO STUPID ERRORS (I guess they MUST have heard about the "Arbok evolves into Seviper").

 

[RandomCharizard]

GOOD F*CKING GOD.

irw54i650uj5u
u670i76
i67
6i
76ki67
[u8ki76

Erm,this is truly amazing.
Just a question what other anime's has PUSA dubed?

 

[PDL]

this is pretty big...

but as long as they still air it on KidsWB, I wouldn't mind...

I guess the VAs needed a break from it anyway, since they're now dubbing a number of other shows, and being hired by Sega...

 

[+Chaos Blade+]

...This is indeed a Merry Christmas.

Holy hell. Maybe now we'll see an even close to original dub. Let's pray the original music comes back and cuts and censors are next to none existant (since they're small, unnecessary ones to begin with). ;-;

Yes it is, Chris.

And there were censors? You mean Pokémon in Japan is TV-PG or something? *confused*

HALL-E-LUJAH!

Now maybe we won't keep hearing the SAME voices over and over. o____o AND maybe it won't suck

AMEN!

Yes. Hopefully.

 

[Torchic23]

NO STUPID ERRORS (I guess they MUST have heard about the "Arbok evolves into Seviper").

Now that's something I'm not gonna miss

 

[Heracross]

Talk about a Christmas miracle. This is probably the best thing to ever happen to Pokémon's American branch. Maybe without 4Kids messing things up, we can have even some culture back in the original version again.

 

[Chris]

Just a question what other anime's has PUMA dubed?

PUSA is just handling the license. For all we know, they could be hiring a studio group to dub this, similar to how Viz would acquire the license to a show and have Oceans Group dub the voices.

And there were censors? You mean Pokémon in Japan is TV-PG or something? *confused*

Certainly not. However, 4Kids did feel the need to snip away at utterly ridiculous things either for time or just for the hell of it.

And yanno, this is gonna be a problem for 4Kids. All they've got now is YGO! to really bring in merchandise money and probably Sonic games. Without their biggest cash cow and the drop in their stocks, this could present a problem for them.

 

[Swifty]

I mean, I'm not as fond of 4Kids work as the next guy, but its not like these people have ever dubbed a show before, correct? So we have absolutely no idea how they plan on handling this.

It really makes me wonder how Pokemon USA is going to localize and produce a motion picture production in-house when they're primarily a marketing company. :\

Something tells me that they're going to outsource and move production to some outside company while still managing to possess creative control over the project.

 

[Haruka-chan]

From PPN: NEW YORK (December 23, 2005) - 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: KDE) and Pokémon USA, Inc., announced today that they have agreed not to renew the Pokémon representation agreement set to expire on December 31, 2005. Beginning in 2006, Pokémon USA, Inc.’s in-house licensing group will handle all Pokémon licensing outside of Asia.Pokemon USA “We felt it was in the best interest of the Pokémon property for Pokémon USA, Inc., to assume all aspects of licensing,” said Akira Chiba, President of Pokémon USA, Inc. “This was a brand management decision. We would like to thank 4Kids for all of its great work over the last eight years in helping to establish Pokémon as one of the leading children’s brands in the world.” “4Kids has had a successful eight-year exclusive relationship with the Pokémon property that will be expiring at year end,” said Alfred R. Kahn, Chairman and CEO of 4Kids Entertainment. “Over the next month, 4Kids will assist Pokémon USA, Inc., in its transition to in-house representation. We wish Pokémon USA much success going forward.” Under the terms of the expiring Pokémon USA, Inc. - 4Kids representation agreement, 4Kids will continue to receive commissions for the next several years on payments made under existing Pokémon license agreements whose term expires after December 31, 2005. It is expected that commissions earned by 4Kids from the Pokémon property will decline over the course of the next several years. 4Kids will also continue next year to produce the current eighth season of Pokémon television episodes. 4Kids said it will still receive commissions over the next several years from existing Pokemon license deals that will expire after Dec. 31, 2005, but said commissions from Pokemon are expected to decline over the next several years. Pokemon, first launched in Japan in 1996 on Nintendo's Game Boy video game console, was introduced in North America in 1998. The character has generated over $25 billion in worldwide retail sales, fueled by playing cards, a television show and other merchandise. 4Kids held the Pokemon license for eight years. PUSA also is taking control of the TCG on January 1st. Thus, this means PUSA will have control over ALL aspects of Pokemon. This might be a good thing. I hope we will still have the same VAs, but it is probably doubtful.

Thank god! Praise the lord! Hallejuah! This is the greatest present yet. But I have one question. Will Pokemon still be on Kids!WB?

 

[Torchic23]

I'd hope so, where else would they put it?

 

[Swifty]

THank god! Praise the lord! Hallejuah! This is the greatest present yet. But I have one question. Will Pokemon still be on Kids!WB?

Dude, Time Warner is going to kick and scream if PUSA tries to move Pokemon on another network or tries to get it syndicated again.

Honestly, there's only two networks Pokemon can be on so it can be easily accessed by the broadcast Saturday Morning cartoon audience: Fox Studios and Warner Brothers. FoxKids is already dominated by 4Kid's which leaves Pokemon to be on Kid's WB, regardless of who owns it or not.

 

[xXFallenButterflyXx]

THANK YOU LORD! Maybe we'll be able to see rice balls instead of sandwiches now. -_-

~;173; Fallen