Cowboy Bebop and Gundam Studio Is Getting a Big Name Change
If you have been in the anime fandom for a while, you will know Sunrise. The studio might not be buzzed about like MAPPA or ufotable, but it has churned out hits like Inuyasha and the Gundam franchise. Now, the studio behind Cowboy Bebop is ready to take on a new name, but fans are far from sold on the surprising shift.
The report was shared by IT Media as a company meeting confirmed Sunrise is being turned into Bandai Namco Filmworks. The change is happening on April 1st overseas as Bandai Namco Arts and Bandai Namco Marketing are merging with Sunrise. The new entity will retain Sunrise's president Makoto Asanuma for now.
This change has taken fans by surprise, and some are admittedly unhappy with the new name. Sunrise is an iconic name in the anime industry, and it has a better ring than Bandai Namco Filmworks. The most recent report regarding this merger suggests the new entity will still market its production house as Sunrise, so fans shouldn't despair yet. The company might be known as Bandai Namco Filmworks behind the scenes, but it seems Sunrise will still be used for branding and marketing.
Of course, this is hardly surprising. Sunrise was founded in September 1972, so it has been around for a long time. It has undergone name changes before as Sunrise was first called Nippon Sunrise before moving to Sunrise Studio. Either way, its names up until now have been similar, so rebranding the studio to Bandai Namco Filmworks would be a huge change. So for now, let's keep our fingers crossed that Sunrise sticks around even if it shares the spotlight with this new name.
Currently, it doesn't seem like this merger will have any impact on the studio's slate of projects. Sunrise has been busy working on Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon this season as Inuyasha's sequel just welcomed back some major characters. Sunrise is also working on a new Love Live! anime and Gundam series as well as assisting with Hollywood's live-action adaptation of Mobile Suit Gundam.
What do you make of this big change? Do you care for Sunrise's new name or...? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.