Cloverway Inc.

Cloverway Inc., commonly branded as Cloverway and abbreviated as CWi, was a media licensing agency headquartered in Long Beach, California. Founded in 1991, the company specialized in bringing Japanese animation, manga, live-action properties, and related entertainment rights to broadcasters, publishers, home-video companies, and other local partners in the United States and Latin America. The company became particularly important as a regional intermediary between Japanese rights holders and North and Latin American entertainment businesses. Its activities included negotiating licenses, arranging television syndication, coordinating home-video distribution, facilitating manga-publishing agreements, and commissioning or organizing dubbed versions in Spanish, Portuguese, and, for selected titles, English. Rather than functioning solely as a conventional distributor, Cloverway often connected Japanese producers and publishers with local companies such as VIZ, Tokyopop, Pioneer Entertainment, ADV Films, Bandai Entertainment, Televisa, TV Azteca, Cisneros Media, Cartoon Network, Fox Kids, PlayTV, and other regional broadcasters and licensors. Cloverway’s early Latin American anime business included Saint Seiya, which began airing through its arrangements in Mexico and Brazil in 1992. The company later handled or facilitated major titles including Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, Digimon, Cardcaptor Sakura, Gundam Wing, Ranma ½, Yu Yu Hakusho, Trigun, Samurai Champloo, and numerous other Japanese animated series. Its work frequently involved more than the sale of an existing program: Cloverway arranged local-language dubbing, coordinated regional rights, and assembled packages suitable for individual countries or pan-regional television networks. Toei Animation was one of Cloverway’s most significant relationships. For much of the 1990s and early 2000s, Cloverway served as Toei Animation’s representative in the Americas, helping place Toei properties in television, home video, and related markets. The Toei catalog gave Cloverway access to some of the most commercially successful anime of the period, especially Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, and Saint Seiya. Toei’s decision to establish its own offices and license directly in the Americas changed Cloverway’s position. Toei Animation Inc. began operating in Los Angeles in 2004, and Cloverway’s remaining Toei arrangements were transferred in 2005. The company also lost important publishing-representation responsibilities after changes involving Shueisha, Shogakukan, VIZ, and ShoPro. Shueisha became a joint owner of VIZ in 2002, and VIZ’s later combination with ShoPro Entertainment reduced the need for Cloverway to act as an external representative for those publishing rights in the Americas. These developments narrowed Cloverway’s catalog and weakened its former intermediary role. After the loss of Toei’s catalog, Cloverway continued licensing anime from other Japanese producers and selling programming to Cartoon Network Latin America and local stations in Brazil and Spanish-speaking markets. In 2006 it licensed the Otacraze free-to-air anime block to Brazilian broadcaster PlayTV; the block began airing in March 2007 with titles including Ranma ½, Samurai Champloo, Trigun, and Love Hina. Cloverway ultimately closed its operations in August 2007 amid economic difficulties. It is therefore best understood as a now-defunct specialist rights agency whose importance lay in the localization and cross-border circulation of Japanese popular culture during the expansion of anime television and home video in the Americas.

Cloverway Inc. was established in 1991 in the United States as a licensing and distribution agency focused on Japanese entertainment properties. Its business model depended on representing Japanese studios and publishers, negotiating rights in the Americas, and placing content with regional broadcasters, publishers, home-video companies, and other entertainment partners. Its Latin American activities began prominently in 1992, when Cloverway distributed Saint Seiya in Mexico and Brazil. The company subsequently worked with major anime properties such as Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball. In 1995 it arranged a new Dragon Ball dub after an earlier release attempt had not succeeded, helping establish the franchise in Spanish-speaking markets. Cloverway generally coordinated Spanish-language dubbing in Mexico and Portuguese-language dubbing in Brazil, working with specialist dubbing and production companies. In some cases it also collaborated with broadcasters or regional distributors to produce or adapt localized versions. Cloverway’s role extended beyond Latin America. In the United States, it attempted to distribute some of the same titles but often delegated English localization and distribution to local licensees because of market and regulatory requirements. Sailor Moon S and Sailor Moon SuperS were notable exceptions for which Cloverway participated directly in the production of English versions with a Canadian production partner. The company also syndicated selected programs to U.S. Hispanic networks, including Tenchi Universe to Univision outlets and Dragon Ball Z to Telemundo networks. A central part of Cloverway’s identity was its representation of Toei Animation in the Americas. Through this relationship, it helped distribute and license commercially important Toei properties, including Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, and Saint Seiya. The arrangement ended when Toei decided to license and distribute directly, opening Toei Animation Europe in Paris and Toei Animation Inc. in Los Angeles in 2004. In 2005, Toei-related licenses arranged by Cloverway were transferred to Toei Animation Inc. The transition reportedly created continuity problems for parts of the former catalog, including issues concerning the location or preservation of master materials for some localized versions. Cloverway also represented or intermediated rights for Japanese companies including Shueisha, Shogakukan, Nippon Animation, and others. Its publishing role weakened after Shueisha became a joint owner of VIZ in 2002 and after VIZ combined with ShoPro Entertainment in 2005. These corporate and rights changes reduced Cloverway’s role in North American and Latin American manga licensing. Following the loss of Toei’s catalog, Cloverway continued to represent other Japanese producers and distribute titles to Cartoon Network Latin America, Brazilian broadcasters, and stations serving Spanish-speaking markets. Its later catalog included titles such as Trigun, Samurai Champloo, Ranma ½, Love Hina, Gundam Wing, Yu Yu Hakusho, and various newer or previously underrepresented properties. In 2006 the company licensed Otacraze, an anime free-to-air programming block, to PlayTV in Brazil. PlayTV began broadcasting the block in March 2007. Cloverway closed its operations in August 2007 amid economic problems. Its history reflects the transitional period when anime licensing in the Americas moved from independent regional agents toward direct studio offices, larger multinational distributors, specialized television networks, and more consolidated publishing groups.

• 2007

  Operations end

  [1]Cloverway Inc.en.wikipedia.org

  Cloverway closes in August after economic difficulties.

• 2006

  Otacraze is licensed to PlayTV

  [1]Cloverway Inc.en.wikipedia.org

  Cloverway licenses an anime programming block to Brazilian broadcaster PlayTV.

• 2005

  Toei licenses are transferred

  [1]Cloverway Inc.en.wikipedia.org

  Cloverway’s Toei-related licenses are transferred to Toei Animation Inc.; the company continues with other Japanese catalogs.

• 2004

  Toei begins direct American operations

  [1]Cloverway Inc.en.wikipedia.org

  Toei establishes its own American office and ends its prior representative arrangement with Cloverway.

• 2002

  Shueisha becomes a joint owner of VIZ

  [1]Cloverway Inc.en.wikipedia.org

  The change in VIZ ownership begins to reduce Cloverway’s role representing Shueisha and related publishing rights in the Americas.

• 1995

  New Dragon Ball localization

  [1]Cloverway Inc.en.wikipedia.org

  Cloverway commissions a new Dragon Ball dub for Latin American distribution after an earlier release effort had failed.

• 1992

  Saint Seiya enters Latin American distribution

  [1]Cloverway Inc.en.wikipedia.org

  Cloverway distributes Saint Seiya in Mexico and Brazil, marking its first reported Latin American anime distribution activity.

• 1991

  Cloverway is founded

  [1]Cloverway Inc.en.wikipedia.org

  Cloverway Inc. is established as a media licensing and distribution agency serving Japanese entertainment rights in the Americas.

A specialist cross-border licensing intermediary connecting Japanese animation and publishing rights holders with broadcasters, publishers, distributors, and localization companies in the Americas.

• Media rights · 1991

  Anime licensing and distribution

  Cloverway negotiated and distributed Japanese animated television series, films, and related properties throughout the Americas. Its work could include regional rights sales, broadcaster placement, home-video arrangements, localization coordination, and syndication packages. Major catalog examples included Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, Saint Seiya, Digimon, Cardcaptor Sakura, Gundam Wing, Ranma ½, Trigun, and Yu Yu Hakusho.

• Publishing rights

  Manga and publishing representation

  The company acted as an intermediary for Japanese publishers and rights holders, arranging manga-publishing agreements in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. It connected companies including Shueisha, Shogakukan, and other Japanese content owners with publishers and licensees in North and Latin America.

• Localization services

  Localization and dubbing coordination

  Cloverway frequently commissioned or coordinated Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese versions of licensed programs. Production partners varied by title and market, and some programs involved co-production arrangements with broadcasters or regional distributors. Selected Sailor Moon seasons also received English versions produced with Cloverway’s participation.

• Television programming block · 2007

  Otacraze

  Otacraze was an anime free-to-air programming block licensed by Cloverway to Brazilian broadcaster PlayTV. It began airing in March 2007 and included titles such as Ranma ½, Samurai Champloo, Trigun, and Love Hina.

• 2007Otacraze

  Brazil

  Cloverway packaged and licensed an anime block for PlayTV, combining several catalog titles for free-to-air Brazilian television.

  Outcome. The block began broadcasting in March 2007, shortly before Cloverway ceased operations.

  Source

• 2007

  Operations are closedOther

  Background

  The company faced economic difficulties after losing major representation and distribution relationships.

  Action taken

  Cloverway closed its operations in August 2007.

  Aftermath

  Its former licensing activities and catalog relationships were no longer managed by an operating Cloverway business.

  Source

• 2005

  Cloverway continues with non-Toei catalogsStrategy

  Background

  The transfer of Toei properties materially reduced Cloverway’s catalog and regional leverage.

  Action taken

  The company continued representing other Japanese producers and selling anime packages to Cartoon Network Latin America and local broadcasters.

  Aftermath

  Cloverway remained active for a limited period, adding properties and arranging later programming deals such as Otacraze.

  Source

• 2004

  Toei representation endsStrategy

  Background

  Toei Animation decided to establish direct licensing and distribution operations in the Americas rather than continue relying on external representatives.

  Action taken

  Toei opened Toei Animation Inc. in Los Angeles and ended its American representation arrangement with Cloverway.

  Aftermath

  Cloverway lost its most commercially important catalog relationship, and remaining Toei licenses were transferred to Toei Animation Inc. in 2005.

  Source

1. 1Cloverway Inc.en.wikipedia.org