It has been announced that several popular shōnen anime, like JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Naruto, Bleach and more are headed to Funimation.
The anime streaming service announced that the shows will be available from April 15. Because of its partnership with American anime and manga distributor VIZ Media, Funimation has now acquired the rights to distribute and broadcast a number of VIZ Media's classic shōnen anime. This new lineup of anime further expands both companies' partnerships and further deepens Funimation’s ever-growing library.
In addition to these three shōnen series, Funimation announced that it has also acquired the rights to stream several other popular anime. Video game-based fantasy anime Accel World, written by Reki Kawahara of Sword Art Online fame, and film Accel World: Infinite Burst will be available to Funimation subscribers as well. Other additions include Vampire Knight and Vampire Knight: Guilty, Infini-T Force, K Season 1, Mazinger Z: Infinity and Hunter x Hunter: Phantom Rogue. All of these anime will be available on Funimation in both Canada and the United States.
The Western pop culture-inspired JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is one of the best-selling ongoing manga, having sold over 100 million volumes. Divided into separate parts that each focus on a different character, the manga tells the complicated and fantastical history of the Joestar family and their run-ins with the villainous Dio Brando. The first 48 episodes of the anime, which adapt parts 1-3 of the manga, are now available on Funimation in the United States and Canada.
Renowned as one of The Big Three manga during its original run, Bleach's story of teenage Soul Reaper Ichigo's fight against Hollows and spirits is one of the most well-known, albeit controversial, narratives in anime. The manga sold over 120 million volumes, and its anime ran for 366 episodes. Of those 366, episodes 1-109 are now available on Funimation in the United States, and episodes 1-209 are available for Canadian viewers. Both long-term Bleach fans and those unfamiliar with the series can experience the beginnings of one of anime's biggest phenomena.
Another member of The Big Three, Naruto's manga ran sold over 250 million volumes in its impressive fifteen year run. The manga's story of underdog ninja Naruto Uzumaki's struggle to become the Hokage, his village's leader, inspired a 720-episode anime adaptation, as well as a number of both canon and filler films. While 170 episodes of the Naruto anime were already on Funimation, this new deal with VIZ Media will add films Naruto Shippuden the Movie: The Will of Fire, Naruto Shippuden the Movie: The Lost Tower, Naruto Shippuden the Movie: Blood Prison, Naruto the Movie: Road to Ninja and The Last: Naruto the Movie to the streaming service's catalog. Each of these films will be available to both American and Canadian viewers.
