Toei Animation’s Dragon Ball hits record high for franchise licensing deals

Anime pioneer and industry-leading studio Toei Animation Inc., together with U.S. agent Crunchyroll, has released the latest Dragon Ball franchise report.

This annual report provides a comprehensive look at the success of their collective Dragon Ball licensing efforts, details both new license agreements and license renewals, and spotlights key licensee partnerships in select product categories.

Over the last 14 months, Toei Animation and Crunchyroll executed a record high total of 37 license agreements – consisting of 18 new licenses and 19 license renewals. The 18 new agreements will result in an exciting variety of merchandise for fans of “Dragon Ball,” “Dragon Ball Z”  and “Dragon Ball Super” series as well as, for the first time ever, “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero,” the new feature film scheduled for release this summer.

New branded goods include apparel from Bioworld, Hypland and NTD, statues and games from Oniri Creations and Mattel, plushies from Youtooz, housewares from Just Funky, stationery from Trends International and Insight Editions, and gifts and novelties from Monogram International and Hallmark.

The 19 license renewals provide agreement extensions for “Dragon Ball,” “Dragon Ball Z,” Dragon Ball GT” and “Dragon Ball Super” with a long list of current licensees including Party City, FIGPIN Collect Awesome, Boston America, Uncanny Brands, Bioworld and Trends International.

Apparel and accessories were once again top categories for the franchise. While demand for mass market apparel continues to be strong, streetwear has now become the hot consumer apparel segment – a trend that began in 2018 with Primitive Skateboarding’s highly successful “Primitive X Dragon Ball Z” collection and subsequent second collection “Primitive X Dragon Ball Super” in early 2021.

Closing out 2021, in December, DJ Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak fashion lifestyle brand followed suit with “Dim Mak X Dragon Ball Z,” a limited edition streetwear collection that included t-shirts, hoodies, bomber jackets, hats and tote bags. And now Los Angeles-based streetwear brand Hypland joins this list with a ground-breaking collection showcasing “Dragon Ball,” “Dragon Ball Z” and “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero” and featuring a mix of apparel and merchandise including t-shirts, hoodies, outwear, skateboards, tapestries and bags.

Beyond apparel, in late 2021, FILA launched “Dragon Ball Super X FILA,” a limited footwear collection featuring seven character-inspired styles – a first for the “Dragon Ball Super” series and only the second footwear collection ever for the Dragon Ball franchise.

Created by Akira Toriyama and produced by Toei Animation, the Dragon Ball anime franchise is based on the “Dragon Ball” manga launched in 1984 and encompasses four TV series (“Dragon Ball,” “Dragon Ball Z,” “Dragon Ball GT” and “Dragon Ball Super”), 21 feature films (including the soon-to-be-released “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero”), home video, video games, and an ever-expanding catalogue of licensed merchandise ranging from apparel, accessories, toys, novelties, furniture, housewares and more.

Now, 37 years since the original manga’s launch, Dragon Ball has become an iconic brand with mainstream appeal. In recent years, Dragon Ball’s brand awareness and consumer demand has intensified as a result of major franchise initiatives like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

In March, Dragon Ball franchise series “Dragon Ball,” “Dragon Ball Z” and “Dragon Ball GT” became available on Crunchyroll’s streaming service for the first time.

The list of new licensing agreements includes:

  • Bioworld: Global manufacturer of licensed apparel and accessories for a collection of apparel and fashion accessories based on “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero”, including t-shirts, fashion cut-and-sew tops, bottoms, leggings, sleepwear, vests, jackets, joggers, headwear, bags and accessories.
  • Dim Mak: DJ Steve Aoki’s fashion lifestyle brand for a limited edition collection of apparel based on “Dragon Ball Z” including t-shirts, long sleeve t-shirts, hoodies, sweatpants, fleece bottoms, crew neck sweatshirts, denim, bomber jackets, hats and tote bags.
  • FILA: Global apparel and footwear manufacturer for a limited-edition collection of footwear based on “Dragon Ball Super.”
  • Hallmark Ornaments: Leading manufacturer of keepsake ornaments for a collection of ornaments based on “Dragon Ball Z.”
  • Hypland: Leading manufacturer of streetwear fashion and accessories for three collections of apparel and merchandise based on “Dragon Ball,” “Dragon Ball Z” and “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero” including t-shirts, shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, outerwear, pants, shorts, bags, headwear, rugs, blankets, skateboards, inflatables, and keychains.
  • Insight Editions: Bestselling publisher of books and unique licensed products for a collection of merchandise based on “Dragon Ball Z”, including advent calendars, notebooks, journals, notecards, stationery and stationery sets.
  • Just Funky: Premiere manufacturer of licensed and private label merchandise for a collection of drinkware and homewares based on “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.”
  • Mattel: Leading global toy and entertainment company for a special edition UNO deck based on “Dragon Ball Z.”
  • Monogram International: Leading manufacturer of licensed giftware, toys, collectibles and souvenirs for a collection of merchandise based on “Dragon Ball Super”, including figural banks, 3D foam keychains, bag clips and magnets, pewter and novelty key rings, lanyards and enamel pins.
  • NTD Apparel: Canadian manufacturer of retail apparel for a collection of apparel based on “Dragon Ball Z”, including dresses, swimwear, sleepwear, underwear, athletic wear, outerwear and facewear.
  • Oniri Creations: French designer and manufacturer of collector’s statues for two collections of quarter-scale resin statues based on “Dragon Ball Z” and “Dragon Ball.”
  • RhinoShield: Manufacturer of ultra-impact protective accessories for two collections of consumer electronic cases based on “Dragon Ball Super” and “Dragon Ball Z.”
  • Surreal Entertainment: Leading manufacturer of fan-driven licensed merchandise for a collection of PAL-O pillows and candy based on “Dragon Ball Z.”
  • Trends International: Leading supplier of licensed posters, calendars, stickers and social stationary products for a collection of merchandise based on “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero”, including posters, calendars, bookmarks, mobile wallets, writing instruments and decals.
  • Youtooz: Manufacturer of high-quality collectibles for a collection of plush figures based on “Dragon Ball Z.”
  • Y.H.B Biotech: Taiwanese beverage manufacturer for a collection of sodas based on “Dragon Ball Super.”

 

Bandai celebrates 40 years in business

With its 40th anniversary coming up on 29 April, Bandai UK is celebrating four decades of bringing some of the world’s most iconic brands to the UK market.

Having successfully set up as a UK arm in 1982 for its Japanese parent company, Bandai UK launched trading with its foundations steeped firmly in the boys’ action figure market, gaining significant success with the likes of big-name properties such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers.  Over recent years, however, the business has undertaken a period of realignment to establish itself as a top multi-category player within the toy industry.

Forty years on and Bandai UK possesses an enviable portfolio of leading brands and ranges within its key divisions – Toy, Collector, Own IP, and Third-Party Distribution – all equally fundamental to the company’s early and ongoing success. Primary IPs include the best-selling Tamagotchi, Pac-Man and hit anime series Dragon Ball, while distribution lines such as CoComelon, Miraculous, McFarlane, and National Geographic are proving to be hugely successful inclusively within their associated categories and the overall toy market.

“It’s a massively exciting time to be at Bandai UK,” says Nic Aldridge, Bandai UK’s Managing Director. “Our approach is to continually challenge and evolve to remain relevant, and innovative, especially as the market becomes increasingly competitive. We are now well-established as a multi-category toy company and our recent positioning as the No.15 toy company (February 2022 NPD) assures us that this is the right approach for growth and driving forward the business. We’re looking forward to celebrating with our partners, retailers, and consumers, and planning ahead to thrive for years to come.”

 

Bandai celebrates 40 years in business

With its 40th anniversary coming up on 29 April, Bandai UK is celebrating four decades of bringing some of the world’s most iconic brands to the UK market.

Having successfully set up as a UK arm in 1982 for its Japanese parent company, Bandai UK launched trading with its foundations steeped firmly in the boys’ action figure market, gaining significant success with the likes of big-name properties such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers.  Over recent years, however, the business has undertaken a period of realignment to establish itself as a top multi-category player within the toy industry.

Forty years on and Bandai UK possesses an enviable portfolio of leading brands and ranges within its key divisions – Toy, Collector, Own IP, and Third-Party Distribution – all equally fundamental to the company’s early and ongoing success. Primary IPs include the best-selling Tamagotchi, Pac-Man and hit anime series Dragon Ball, while distribution lines such as CoComelon, Miraculous, McFarlane, and National Geographic are proving to be hugely successful inclusively within their associated categories and the overall toy market.

“It’s a massively exciting time to be at Bandai UK,” says Nic Aldridge, Bandai UK’s Managing Director. “Our approach is to continually challenge and evolve to remain relevant, and innovative, especially as the market becomes increasingly competitive. We are now well-established as a multi-category toy company and our recent positioning as the No.15 toy company (February 2022 NPD) assures us that this is the right approach for growth and driving forward the business. We’re looking forward to celebrating with our partners, retailers, and consumers, and planning ahead to thrive for years to come.”

 

Toei Animation celebrates Goku Day with new Dragon Ball Super movie announcement

Fans worldwide received a special surprise this Goku Day –  the annual Dragon Ball celebration – when Toei Animation revealed that a new Dragon Ball Super film will be released in 2022, marking the second film based on the Dragon Ball Super manga title and anime series launched in 2015.

The Dragon Ball phenomena began in 1984 when Japan’s well-known manga from Akira Toriyama premiered in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump, becoming a top ranked title throughout its 10 and a half years of publication. Since then, the manga’s popularity has continued to grow with a record of 260 million copies sold worldwide and counting.

Dragon Ball’s ever-increasing popularity has seen it has expand beyond manga to include TV animation, movies, games and merchandising. Now, 37 years after the launch of the original manga, Dragon Ball continues to evolve.

The 2022 film follows the success of its first movie release in 2018, Dragon Ball Super: Broly, which achieved over $120 million at the worldwide box office.

Planning for the new film project was kicked-off in 2018, before the release of Dragon Ball Super: Broly, with the goal of telling a large-scale story that would build on the enthusiastic response for the previous theatrical series and the current global fervor for Broly.

Akira Toriyama himself has picked up his pen to deliver a story ‘for the fans.’ From the story composition to character design to the lines of the script, Toriyama has ‘worked with the greatest attention to detail and highest quality standards’ to create what Toei has billed as a ‘Dragon Ball movie unlike any other in its history and one that will surely be a blockbuster with fans.’

Akira Toriyama, creator of the original story, screenplay, and character design, wrote a special message to Dragon Ball fans. A signed copy of this message is available here.

Reemsborko named UK and Eire licensing agent for Dragon Ball

Reemsborko Ltd, the pop culture licensing specialist run by the industry’s own Max Arguile, has been named the exclusive licensing agent for the whole of the Dragon Ball franchise across the UK and Eire.

The appointment was made by Toei Animation Europe, the EMEA media company in charge of the distribution and exploitation of Toei Animation’s Japanese animated series in Europe. The deal encompasses the Dragon Ball brand, including Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball Super.

The new partnership arrives at an interesting time for animé brands here in the UK, a sector that has been steadily increasing in popularity with mainstream audiences over the last few years. Dragon Ball now joins the likes of other popular animé properties, including Cannon Busters and Hatsune Miku – the popular holographic animé character – that sit within Reemsborko’s growing brand portfolio.

With a 30 year heritage, Dragon Ball now boasts a fanbase of millions across the globe.

Max Arguile of Reemsborko, said: “I have worked on Dragon Ball many times over the years – what a great property. It is the single most widely recognised animé, with a demonstrable success at UK retail over the past 12 months.

“This year saw the launch of a new series, Dragon Ball Super, on kids TV channel Pop, which will grow a whole new generation of fans. I am very pleased to be able to represent this for Toei Animation Europe in the UK.”

Hélène Virenque of Toei, added: “We have been very happy with our past collaborations with Max, and we’re looking forward to working with him to grow the Dragon Ball licensing and retail opportunities even further in the UK and Eire.”

Max Arguile can be contacted for licensing opportunities around the Dragon Ball franchise via max@reemsborko.com