Gonzo Works to be Streamed Simultaneously with Airing
Worldwide, same-day streaming of new titles on YouTube, Crunchyroll, BOST
The Japanese media company GDH has announced that the YouTube, CrunchyRoll, and BOST online video services will be streaming new titles from GDH's Gonzo animation studio — worldwide and on the same day as their Japanese broadcast. The video streams, which will be in Japanese with English subtitles, will start with The Tower of Druaga: the Aegis of Uruk (pictured at right) and Blassreiter anime series. Druaga premieres on April 4, and Blassreiter premieres on April 5.
All three video services offer their content via streaming, although GDH also mentioned "fee-based download of high-resolution movie files" in its press release. America's Viz Media offered NTV's Death Note episodes for download within half a year of their Japanese broadcast, but GDH's new initiative is the first global, simultaneous streaming of multiple series from a major anime studio. GDH added that its "decision to provide its content globally in parallel with Japanese broadcast is an effort to offer equal accessibility and new viewing opportunities to fans around the world, while at the same time showcasing a legal online alternative to illegal file-sharing and downloading." GDH also emphasized that the services are for foreign viewers only; the company already has deals in place to stream its content through services within Japan.
Image of Blassreiter, which is airing in Japan on April 5th 2008
