YAY

HURRAHZ! My prayers’ been answered!!!! http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/article.php?id=4299.

The October the 28th issue of Nippon Keizai Shimbun (Japan Economy Newswire), announced that Sony Pictures Entertainment of the United States will set up a Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) branch office in Singapore in order to begin the satellite broadcast of Japanese animation shows over Taiwan, Hong Kong and five countries in South-east Asia starting in January.

Animax Asia will be a collaboration between SPTI and Animax Tokyo. The SPTI branch office in Singapore will provide market expertise and operate the network while Animax Tokyo will contribute its expertise on the Animax brand and anime. Animax Tokyo will also provide the programming content.

Shows such as Gundam and Stand Alone Complex will be broadcast in English, Mandarin or Cantonese Chinese depending on the area.

Agreements with basic cable carriers have already been signed to expand availability of Animax Asia to subsequent territories. The channel is expected to have complete coverage of SE Asia in three years time.

A new Website for Animax Asia has been set up at Animax-asia.com.

YAY! Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex! That saved me 50+ episodes of download! Animx Asia is set for January 1st 2004 for Taiwan and 19th for the other chosen countries. MY BIRTHDAY!! YAY!! *celebrates* Here’s more taken from Channel News Asia:

SINGAPORE : Sony Pictures Entertainment has announced it will launch the first 24-hour network outside of Japan dedicated to Japanese anime shows.

The Singapore-based channel, called Animax Asia, is scheduled to start in January 2004 and will target the youth and young adult audience, Sony Pictures Entertainment said in a statement.

It will be broadcast region-wide through three separate, customised feeds for Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia.

Since its launch in June 1998 in Japan, Animax has become the number one Japanese anime channel in Japan, and also the most popular cable and satellite network in Japan, the statement said.

There are some 94 million television viewers of Japanese animation in Asia, according to Sony. – CNA

Young adult audience = good. I’ll hate to have them air things like Digimon… Although the customized versions mean that the Singapore ones will probably be HEAVILY, HEAVILY censored. Have you watched the original Ghost in the Shell on Art Central before? Yeah…

Still, excuse me while I go cry in joy. Screw you, AXN.