News Reporting

Sentai Filmworks Acquires BanG Dream! Anime


Looks like the party’s gonna be poppin’ at Sentai Filmworks next month.

Earlier today, Sentai Filmworks announced that they acquired the rights to the BanG Dream! anime series. Sentai will release the title on digital platforms, followed by a home video edition.

BanG Dream! first entered the world as a manga series in the pages of Monthly Bushiroad magazine. The ongoing series, which is being handled by Kou Nakamura, kicked off in the January 8, 2015 issue.

Poppin’ Party made its début as a band on Apri l8, 2015 in a one-song performance. The group’s first formal single, Yes! BanG_Dream! hit Japanese retailers on February 24.

The cast members for franchise group Poppin’ Party include:

  • Kasumi Toyama (Vocals, Guitar): Aimi
  • Tae Hanazono (Lead Guitar): Sae Ootsuka
  • Rimi Ushigome (Bass): Rimi Nishimoto
  • Saya Yamabuki (Drums): Ayaka Oohashi
  • Arisa Ichigaya (Keyboard): Ayasa Itou

Atsushi Ootsuki (To Love Ru: Darkness, Wagnaria!!2) will helm the anime series at studio Issen and Xebec, with Matsuko Nita providing character designs. Yuniko Ayana (Hello!! KINMOZA, Girls Beyond the Wasteland) is in charge of series composition.

Poppin’ Party will perform opening theme Tokimeki Experience!, as well as closing song Kirakira da toka Yume da toka ~Sing Girls~ (It’s Shining and It’s a Dream ~Sing Girls~).

Other confirmed crew members include:

  • Original Story: Kou Nakamura
  • Original Character Design: Hitowa
  • Music Production: Noriyasu Agematsu & Junpei Fujita

Sentai describes BanG Dream! as:

When she was a child, Kasumi Toyama (played by Poppin’ Party’s lead singer, Aimi) felt a heart-pounding thrill every time she gazed at the stars, and she’s been looking without success for something that could inspire the same feeling ever since. One day, she comes across a star-shaped guitar in a rundown pawnshop and, for the first time, discovers the thrill she’s been searching for. Kasumi becomes determined to form an all-girl band, and her search leads her to four like-minded souls: Saya, Arisa, Rimi, and Tae (all brought to life by the members of Poppin’ Party). Does this band have what it takes to make their dreams of stardom come true?

BanG Dream! will begin airing on January 21. The full brodcast schedule is as follows:

  • AbemaTV: 1/21/2017 at 22:00 (1/21/2017 at 10:00PM)
  • Tokyo MX: 1/21/2017 at 22:30 (1/21/2017 at 10:30PM); Rebroadcasts start 1/22/2017 at 11:00AM
  • Sun TV: 1/21/2017 at 22:30 (1/21/2017 at 10:30PM)
  • KBS Kyoto: 1/21/2017 at 22:30 (1/21/2017 at 10:30PM)
  • AT-X: 1/21/2017 at 22:30 (1/21/2017 at 10:30PM)
  • TV Aichi: 1/22/2017 at 25:05 (1/23/2017 at 1:05AM)
  • Teletama (TV Saitama): 1/23/2017 at 24:30 (1/24/2017 at 12:30AM)
  • BS11: 1/23/2017 at 26:00 (1/24/2017 at 2:00AM)
  • BS Fuji: 1/24/2017 at 24:30 (1/25/2017 at 12:30AM)
  • tvk (TV Kanagawa): 1/25/2017 at 25:00 (1/26/2017 at 1:00AM)
  • Miyagi TV: 1/27/2017 at 26:30 (1/28/2017 at 2:30AM)

Source: Sentai Filmworks

About the author

Samantha Ferreira

Samantha Ferreira is Anime Herald’s founder and editor-in-chief. A Rhode Island native, Samantha has been an anime fan since 1992, and an active member of the anime press since 2002, when she began working as a reviewer for Anime Dream. She launched Anime Herald in 2010, and continues to oversee its operations to this day. Outside of journalism, Samantha actively studies the history of the North American anime fandom and industry, with a particular focus on the 2000s anime boom and bust. She’s a huge fan of all things Sakura Wars, and maintains series fansite Combat Revue Review when she has free time available. When not in the Anime Herald Discord, Samantha can typically be found on Bluesky.

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