The Independent Film Channel is adding three new series from Japanese animation distributor FUNimation Entertainment to its line-up, including Witchblade, Speed Grapher and Hell Girl:
IFC has found fan favorites in anime fare before, such as 2007 series Samurai 7, Basilisk and Gunslinger Girl. As the young male-skewing genre’s popularity continues to grow online, on home video and on other cable networks, IFC has joined other cable networks that program the genre in making itself a presence at comic-book convention Comic-Con.
The titles build on other fare the network has programmed outside of independent films, such as infamous R. Kelly rock opera Trapped in the Closet and acquired musical sketch comedy The Whitest Kids U Know, as well as original series The Business and The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman.
“We consider ourselves the voice of independent culture, and we’ve taken that on as our mission,” IFC general manager Evan Shapiro said. “People who come to IFC want different, new things and new cultures, and anime represents the epitome of that kind of world culture.”
Witchblade premieres in January, with Speed Grapher following in March and Hell Girl — which I hadn’t heard of but which sounds the coolest to me — “sometime in 2008.”
December 10th, 2007 at 5:48 am
IFC is becoming more and more annoying in its new quest to become hip.
It was great before. Why change it?
December 10th, 2007 at 9:27 am
I saw Samurai 7 on IFC and loved it, so I’m definitely glad they’re adding more anime to its lineup. Witchblade is a great series–although there’s fanservice aplenty–with a very solid action/horror story, humor, and even warm fuzzy moments. I once heard that Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim might have been interested in the series, but it could have been too sexy for them or something, I dunno…