Daisuki

Daisuki was a Japanese anime-streaming service created to distribute licensed Japanese animation to international audiences over the internet. The service emerged from a collaboration among advertising and media company Asatsu-DK, major Japanese animation and production businesses, and Dentsu. Its founding participants included Toei Animation, Aniplex, Sunrise, TMS Entertainment, Nihon Ad Systems, and Dentsu. Daisuki Inc. was established on October 17, 2012, and the service launched publicly on May 16, 2013, after an originally planned April launch was delayed. The platform’s proposition was to make selected anime available worldwide, with releases generally intended to be accessible without regional restrictions except where another company already held exclusive territorial rights. At launch, Daisuki offered web streaming and presented a catalog that included Sword Art Online, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, The Prince of Tennis: The National Tournament, Lupin III: Part II, Mobile Suit Z Gundam, and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED. The initial service reportedly carried 30 episodes of content on its first day. Its programming combined current or relatively recent series with established properties from the participating studios and rights holders. Daisuki was designed as more than a single studio’s outlet. The joint-venture structure brought together rights owners, advertising expertise, and distribution interests in an effort to establish a global digital channel for Japanese animation. The service initially operated through the web, while plans called for expansion to mobile devices and game consoles. An iPad application was released in October 2013, followed by an iPhone application in February 2014 and an Android application in January 2015. The original Daisuki corporate entity was folded in 2014, and operation of the website moved to Anime Consortium Japan, an anime-content joint venture. Anime Consortium Japan initially included Bandai Namco Holdings, Asatsu-DK, Aniplex, the Cool Japan Fund, Toei Animation, Sunrise, TMS Entertainment, Nihon Ad Systems, and Dentsu among its shareholders or supporting organizations. Additional industry participants, including Kodansha, Shueisha, Shogakukan, Kadokawa, Bushiroad, and Good Smile Company, joined in 2015. This broader ownership model reflected an attempt to coordinate Japanese publishers, animation studios, merchandising companies, and investors around overseas digital distribution. Despite the breadth of its backing, Daisuki did not remain a long-term standalone streaming destination. On August 1, 2017, the service announced that operations would end on October 31, 2017, at 11:59 p.m. Japan Standard Time. One exception was Dragon Ball Super, which continued to stream through Daisuki until February 22, 2018, before being transferred to the Dragon Ball Super Card Game. Daisuki is therefore best understood as a defunct early international anime-streaming brand and a predecessor within the development of organized Japanese anime distribution platforms, rather than as a current consumer service.

Daisuki developed from an effort by Japanese advertising, media, and animation companies to create a dedicated international outlet for anime. Daisuki Inc. was founded on October 17, 2012, by Asatsu-DK and six production or distribution companies: Toei Animation, Aniplex, Sunrise, TMS Entertainment, Nihon Ad Systems, and Dentsu. The service was initially expected to launch in April 2013, but the release was delayed until May 16, 2013. At launch, Daisuki operated as a web-streaming service and carried an initial selection of anime including Sword Art Online, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, The Prince of Tennis: The National Tournament, Lupin III: Part II, Mobile Suit Z Gundam, and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED. The platform promoted international availability, while recognizing that territorial exclusivity agreements could prevent distribution in particular markets. Its early plans included support for mobile devices and the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles. In practice, applications were subsequently released for iPad in October 2013, iPhone in February 2014, and Android in January 2015. The corporate structure changed in 2014. Daisuki Inc. was folded and the Daisuki.net operation was transferred to Anime Consortium Japan, an anime-content joint venture backed by Bandai Namco, Asatsu-DK, Aniplex, the Cool Japan Fund, Toei Animation, Sunrise, TMS Entertainment, Nihon Ad Systems, and Dentsu. The shareholder and partner base expanded in 2015 to include major Japanese publishing and entertainment companies such as Kodansha, Shueisha, Shogakukan, Kadokawa, Bushiroad, and Good Smile Company. Shin Unozawa, a Bandai Namco Entertainment executive vice president, served as Anime Consortium Japan’s president and representative. Anime Consortium Japan was fully acquired by Bandai Namco in March 2017. Later that year, Daisuki announced that it would terminate its service on October 31 at 11:59 p.m. Japan Standard Time. The shutdown ended the platform’s regular anime-streaming business, although Dragon Ball Super remained available until February 22, 2018. At that point, the title’s distribution moved to the Dragon Ball Super Card Game. Daisuki consequently became a defunct example of the early wave of industry-backed Japanese anime-streaming platforms aimed at global audiences.

• 2018

  Dragon Ball Super streaming ends

  [1]Daisuki (website)en.wikipedia.org

  Dragon Ball Super remained available after the general shutdown until February 22, when its distribution moved to the Dragon Ball Super Card Game.

• 2017

  Anime Consortium Japan acquired by Bandai Namco

  [1]Daisuki (website)en.wikipedia.org

  Bandai Namco purchased all of Anime Consortium Japan, the joint venture operating Daisuki.

• 2017

  General service discontinued

  [1]Daisuki (website)en.wikipedia.org

  Daisuki ended its regular operations on October 31 at 11:59 p.m. Japan Standard Time.

• 2015

  Android application released

  [1]Daisuki (website)en.wikipedia.org

  Daisuki extended its mobile availability to Android devices in January.

• 2014

  iPhone application released and operations transferred

  [1]Daisuki (website)en.wikipedia.org

  An iPhone application launched in February, while the original Daisuki Inc. was folded and Anime Consortium Japan took over operation of the website.

• 2013

  Daisuki launches

  [1]Daisuki (website)en.wikipedia.org

  After a delay from the planned April release, Daisuki began web-based anime streaming on May 16, 2013.

• 2013

  iPad application released

  [1]Daisuki (website)en.wikipedia.org

  Daisuki expanded beyond its web service with an iPad application released in October.

• 2012

  Daisuki Inc. established

  [1]Daisuki (website)en.wikipedia.org

  Daisuki Inc. was founded as a joint venture involving Asatsu-DK, Dentsu, and six major anime production or distribution companies.

A cross-industry Japanese platform intended to deliver licensed anime to viewers worldwide through web and mobile streaming, subject to existing territorial rights.

• Anime streaming · 2013

  Daisuki web streaming service

  The core Daisuki offering was a browser-based video service for licensed Japanese animation. Its catalog combined current and library titles from participating studios and rights holders. The platform sought broad international availability, although existing exclusive licenses could limit access by territory. The initial lineup included Sword Art Online, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, The Prince of Tennis: The National Tournament, Lupin III: Part II, Mobile Suit Z Gundam, and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED.

• Mobile streaming applications · 2013

  Daisuki mobile applications

  Daisuki extended its web-based service to mobile devices through an iPad application released in October 2013, an iPhone application released in February 2014, and an Android application released in January 2015. These applications were intended to make the same international anime-distribution proposition available beyond desktop web browsers.

• Anime streaming

  Dragon Ball Super distribution

  Dragon Ball Super was one of the final notable properties associated with Daisuki. Unlike the general catalog, which ended when the service shut down in October 2017, the series remained available on Daisuki until February 22, 2018. Its distribution was then transferred to the Dragon Ball Super Card Game.

• 2017

  Bandai Namco acquires Anime Consortium JapanM&A

  Background

  Anime Consortium Japan had operated Daisuki after the original Daisuki Inc. was folded and had expanded its shareholder base across the Japanese entertainment industry.

  Action taken

  Bandai Namco purchased the entirety of Anime Consortium Japan in March 2017.

  Aftermath

  Bandai Namco became the sole owner of the joint venture shortly before Daisuki announced the closure of its streaming operations.

  Acquisition price. 2.1 billion yen (March 2017)

  Source

• 2017

  Shutdown of Daisuki operationsStrategy

  Background

  Daisuki announced that its international anime-streaming service would no longer continue as a general platform.

  Action taken

  The service was scheduled to terminate on October 31, 2017, at 11:59 p.m. Japan Standard Time.

  Aftermath

  Most Daisuki streaming ended on the announced date. Dragon Ball Super continued temporarily and left the service on February 22, 2018.

  Source

• 2014

  Transfer of operations to Anime Consortium JapanStrategy

  Background

  Daisuki Inc. was folded after the initial phase of the service, requiring a new operating structure for the Daisuki.net website.

  Action taken

  Anime Consortium Japan assumed responsibility for operating the Daisuki service and became the platform’s principal joint-venture structure.

  Aftermath

  The service continued under a broader consortium involving Bandai Namco, Japanese animation companies, publishers, and other entertainment businesses.

  Source

1. 1Daisuki (website)en.wikipedia.org