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Animax

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ANIMAX
AvailabilityJapan, South-East Asia, Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, India, Latin America
OwnerSony Pictures Entertainment - Asia, Sony Pictures Latin America & HBO Latin America

ANIMAX is a Cable TV network owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a Subsidary of Sony. ANIMAX operates in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Philippines, Indonesia,Singapore, Thailand, India and Latin America (where it took over Locomotion) and soon in South Korea. Its programming consists of mostly Animé from Japan, though the network has aired other international animation from North America and the United Kingdom, including Men In Black: The Animated Series and Godzilla - The Series.

About ANIMAX Asia

File:Logo ANIMAX.jpg
A Screenshot of One of the Station IDs of ANIMAX.

ANIMAX Asia is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment - Asia, and is based in Singapore where they do their Broadcast Operation. ANIMAX Asia had started it's broadcasts on January 1, 2004 in Taiwan, January 12, 2004 in Hong Kong, January 19, 2004 in Philippines & Indonesia (South-East Asia) and July 5, 2004 in South Asia, particularly in India.

About ANIMAX Latin America

File:ANIMAXLAm.jpg
ANIMAX Logo that been used in Latin America

formerly Locomotion, a Florida-based Spanish-language animation network in Latin America and Spain formerly owned by Hearst Corporation, was bought by Sony Entertainment Pictures Latin America in January 2005. On July 31, Locomotion officially became Animax Latin America.

Animax Latin America, along with Sony Entertainment Television Latin America and AXN latin america, forms the Sony Networks Latin America chain of networks.

Criticism in Latin America

Animax Vs. VTR

After the acquisition of Locomotion by Animax, VTR (the biggest cable operator in Chile) announced in March 2005 that Animax would be available for all it suscribers by November 2005. A few months after the announcement, VTR issued a statement saying the following:

"Due to the fact that almost 150 hours a week of animation are shown both on cable channels and in open television, we have decided not to add Animax to our programming grid... Also, we don't have the technical avaiability to do so..."

As a response, several anime-related communities like "Animeportal.cl" and others started creating petition forms both online and off-line as a way to issue a formal complain about this situation. *Forum thread related to this topic on Animeportal.cl

List of Animé aired by ANIMAX SEAsia (including Philippines)

List of Anime aired by ANIMAX Latin America

For a list of anime airing on Locomotion before July 31, 2005, go to Locomotion's entry:

Criticism in Asia

Dubbing vs. Subtitles in SEAsia & Philippines

From the start of it's broadcast in SEAsia, ANIMAX had shown animés in original Japanese with English subtitles from 19:00 to 24:00 (Phil/SIN). But on August 2, 2004, ANIMAX had changed their programming to English dubbing (except for the 23:00-24:00 "SuperManiax" block), even before it started. It started an outrage between the management of ANIMAX and it's viewers. This is one of the reasons why ANIMAX Asia has not yet open their Forums (or Message Board), because they didn't want to have a forum that was full of complaints.

Most of the complaints came from the Philippines and because of that, from May 02, 2005, ANIMAX had made use of it's Philippine Feed. ANIMAX made a different programming and schedule for Philippine viewers, and made the 18:00 Subtitled Block perhaps in conjunction with AXN Asia to air Saiyuki Reload and Saiyuki Reload Gunlock In Original Audio with English Subtitles, while AXN aired Gensomaden Saiyuki an hour before Saiyuki Reload. This move was billed 'Saiyuki Trilogy' or 'Saiyuki Mania'. The reason for this, apparently is because Asian viewers, especially the Philippines, gave the initial airing of the dubbed version of Saiyuki Reload a cold reception. Perhaps owing to the loyalty the viewers give when they supported Gensomaden Saiyuki AXN asked Animax to air the Saiyuki sequels in subtitled forms exclusively for the Phillipines. Filling in for the 18:30 slot, shows that were aired on the 'Super Maniax' block were placed there, including Samurai 7, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, & Witch Hunter Robin. This give Philippines viewers hope that Animax would eventually return the programmings back to their subtitled forms, but unfortunately, it had ended last September 21, 2005 to give way to new animés. This move caught viewers by surprise since they expected new animes would be in subtitled forms. Even though the 18:00 Subtitled Block had been defunct, the Philippine Feed, named ANIMAX Philippines, still exists.

Unstable Programming

Since January of 2005, ANIMAX had shifted and change programming schedules of various series without notice. Such as the case of Detective School Q, in SEAsia feed, after airing 9 episodes, it was taken Off-the-Air, only to continue airing in March. But in the Philippine Feed, it is only to be shown in Early Mornings (06:00 to 06:30). Also, usually replays were aired from 24:00 to 16:00 while new and debuting series were aired from 16:00 to 24:00. What happened was the opposite. Series that aired from 16:00 - 18:30 were also aired later at 19:00 to 21:30, while returning shows, such as UFO Baby and DT Eightron, were aired in the morning when replays were supposedly aired in that timeslot, and no replays in the afternoon. And, perhaps intentionally, ANIMAX Asia aired English-dubbed animés on the SuperManiax Timeslots, in the Philippines. Ghost in the Shell SAC, Texhnolyze, and Wolf's Rain were aired in dubbed form (mostly at 23:00 slot)while leaving the 23:30 slot intact (in subtitled form), but in the Philippines, when the 18:00 Subtitled Block is Existing, the said programs had been shown in Original Japanese with English Subtitles form. Also, the airing of dubbed animes on the SuperManiax block happened several times, yet Animax remained ignorant of this screw-up. The reason for this is unknown. Another example is inserting two shows in one timeslot. In the Philippine feed, The Adventures of Tweeny Witches is aired on Monday and Tuesday while Cardcaptor Sakura is aired on Wednesday to Friday. This move appeared to be unconscionable, because Tweeny Witches has 40 episodes while Cardcaptor Sakura has 35. It seems that ANIMAX has become disorganized in their handling their programs.

INITIAL D Dispute

Aside from scrapping the 18:00 subtitled block and inserting Dubbed Animés on the SuperManiax block (both ANIMAX SEAsia & Philippines), ANIMAX Philippines aired Initial D: 4th Stage in "TAGLISH" Dubbing (short for Mixed Tagalog and English Dubbing). Some of the viewers and the Hardcore fans of Initial D Series had been outraged because of the dubbing.

ANIMAX accused of...

Many viewers of ANIMAX Asia had been accusing them of many things, but ANIMAX Asia management are had been mostly accused of...

Betrayal of Public Trust

Perhaps because Otakus in Asia prefers the Original Japanese, ANIMAX Asia had been accused by its viewers of Betrayal of Public Trust. it's because its viewers had been requesting to bring back its programming to Subtitles, but they don't answer to this matter., maybe one of the reasons why some of Otakus had moved to HERO.

Treating "Animé" for Kids

Because ANIMAX Asia had changed their programming to English Dubbing... Viewers are thought that ANIMAX Asia is focusing on viewers 10-below, a contradiction to their motto "Animé for Everyone!"

Super Maniac Screw-Up

From December 2005 up to February 2006, the 23:00 slot of Super Maniac was aired filled with english dubbed version of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Wolf's Rain. Only GTO was aired ,in it's original form, on the 23:00 slot. Last February 21, Yukikaze made it's debut in a shocking fashion - - - english dubbed. This further infuriated Super Maniac fans in the Philippines, since the Super maniac block was now overrun with english dubbed animes. This sends a chilling signal that ANIMAX is HELL-BENT on removing subtitled animes on their channel. Even though Wolf's Rain and Yukikaze will end its run this month, it is unclear which animes will fill the Super Maniac block on March 2006 and whether it will be in original audio with subtitles.

Complaints in Hong Kong

Shortly after the forums opened, ANIMAX Hong kong had received complainments through the forums, email, and telephone from the viewers of ANIMAX Hong Kong,(mostly users of HK Cable TV and NOW Broadband TV because of the programming, low quality video and dubbed shows. Two users has been banned because of complaining programming issues.

Low-Quality In-house Dubbers

Like ANIMAX SEAsia & Philippines, ANIMAX HK had been criticised because of their use of In-house Dubbers and the viewers became furious when they show those kind of dubbing in Some Famous Programmes.

Cantonese Soundtracks (OP & ED)

ANIMAX HK Viewers also got furious when the Animé Soundtracks or their Opening (OP) and their Ending (ED) Themes had been changed from Original Japanese to Cantonese

Technical Changes in Timeslots

Some viewers accused NOW Broadband TV & HK Cable TV of abusing the timeslot of ANIMAX HK. One particular example is Moving the program Detective Conan (New Episodes) from February 1 to February 28.

Availability in Malaysia

Even though ANIMAX Asia is already available in some parts of SEAsia, like Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore & Thailand, ANIMAX is not yet available in Malaysia but some of it's programs are available in ASTRO, a satellite company, on Channel 15 named "ASTRO @15"... but Malaysian "Viewers" of ANIMAX wants to have ANIMAX, because "ASTRO @15" only shows ANIMAX Programmes when the program Akademi Fantasia(Academy Fantasia), a reality show, is not around.

Animax in the United States

Sony Pictures Entertainment has provided some original titles from Animax to the North American audiences, particularly the 2000s version of Astro Boy. Sony has also sponsored several anime events in the United States under the Animax brand.

After the acquisition of MGM/UA by a group of investors led by Sony and Comcast, the two entertainment companies have formed a joint venture that will launch several cable networks in the United States. Media observers have repeatedly suggested that Sony and Comcast will launch an American version of Animax, though Comcast currently owns a competing network, G4. If Animax launches, its primary competitors in the United States would be ADV's The Anime Network, The Funimation Channel, and Cartoon Network.

Official Sites

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