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Gonzo to Reduce Annual Anime Output from 8 to 4
posted on by Egan Loo
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 Shinichirō Ishikawa, director/chief financial officer Fumiaki Goto, and executive vice president/chief operating officer Yasushi Uchida left the company.
Source: Moon Phase Comments
