On Sept. 29, 2015, the Japanese animation studio Manglobe filed for bankruptcy. The studio, which was founded by Takashi Kochiyama and Shinichiro Kobayashi in 2002, and has produced various titles throughout its active years in the animation industry, has been the subject of much speculation as of late. Rumors of Manglobe’s insolvency have been circulating for some time now, with reports of a debt so great (according to Teikoku Databank, Manglobe’s debt racked up to an estimated 350 million yen) that the studio would be unable to maintain its current business. The exact cause of this debt has yet to be fully disclosed to the public.
Scott Green, a writer at Crunchyroll, a popular online anime streaming and manga hosting website, addressed the rumors in a post on Sept. 30, 2015: “ A disappearing website and sometimes deleted series [of] Tweets about unpaid salary and related worries from creators such as animators Toshio ‘SNIPES’ Kobayashi, Hideto Komori and Yoshitaka Kouno as well as writer Shigeru Morita have spawned a wave of rumors that anime studio Manglobe is set to declare bankruptcy.”
While Manglobe has now been confirmed as having declared bankruptcy, this does not mean that the anime that the studio has produced over 13 active years in the animation industry should be dismissed.
With the finishing of the airing of Gangsta (an action packed drama that involves a mafia run city, organized crime and dirty cops) on Sept. 27, 2015, and Manglobe’s final film production of Genocidal Organ, which was originally slated for a November release but has been understandably delayed, now appears to be the perfect time to kick back and reminisce on the studio’s past animated works.
Here is a brief glimpse at just two of Manglobe’s past anime:
Samurai Champloo (2004-2005)
Set in an alternate version of Japan during the Edo era, Samurai Champloo follows the travels of a trio of mismatched companions, each of which have uniquely interesting personalities. Two of the main characters are swordsmen, with the first introduced being Mugen—a brazen vagrant whose unorthodox fighting style brings break dancing to mind—and the second being Jin—a stoic rōnin (a wandering samurai with no master). Mugen and Jin are joined by Fuu, a sometimes ditzy but brave young woman who ropes them into accompanying her on a quest across Japan in search of “the samurai who smells of sunflowers.”
The soundtrack and key theme songs are most notably produced by Nujabes, a well known Japanese hip hop producer and DJ, and provides a distinct anachronistic feel that sets Samurai Champloo apart from other anime set within the same time period. Music from the anime was also worked on in collaboration with Tsutchie, a noted producer and DJ, as well as American hip hop producer, Fat Jon. The animated series spans over 26 episodes and is classified by genre as being a comedic mixture of action, adventure, chanbara (sword fighting), and drama. Its style of animation is reflective of the time in which it was produced, but the artwork is done in a way that the series can still be easily enjoyed today.
Ergo Proxy (2006)
Consisting of 23 episodes, Ergo Proxy is a suspenseful science fiction series of anime that is set in a dystopian future. Surviving members of mankind are forced to live in domed cities scattered across the planet, which was made inhospitable outside of these enclosed cities due to a major, global ecological disaster that took place years before the series starts. These isolated societies can be found under the control of AutoReivs, autonomous robots with whom humans coexist alongside peacefully until a mysterious virus turns the androids against humanity in a way that is reminiscent of I, Robot.
The show follows Re-L Mayer, an inspector assigned to investigate a series of brutal murders supposedly done by AutoReivs. She makes a number of discoveries that reveal the presence of a plot behind the murder cases that is more complicated than originally thought, and leads to the hinted involvement of a humanoid species—known as “Proxy”—that the government had been conducting secret experiments upon.
Interesting fact: Ergo Proxy is heavily influenced by philosophy, and arguably maintains a series of parallels with The Matrix. French philosopher René Descartes once said “Cogito Ergo Sum” which translates from Latin to “I think, therefore I am,” which is arguably relevant to the central theme of the anime. In addition, the virus which affects the AutoReivs is known as the “Cogito” virus. Coincidence? I think not.
Other notable anime produced by the now defunct Manglobe that are worth watching: Witch Hunter Robin (2002), Deadman Wonderland (2011), Karneval (2013), The World God Only Knows franchise (2010-2013), and the Hayate the Combat Butler! franchise (2009-2013).