TV Bros.

TV Bros. (テレビブロス) is a Japanese magazine and web media brand published by Tokyo News Service (東京ニュース通信社). It was launched on July 1, 1987, as a lower-priced, sub-brand companion to the publisher's flagship TV listings magazine, Weekly TV Guide. The first issue was the July 4, 1987 issue. Its catchphrases have included "the TV magazine of the future" and "ありえないテレビ誌" (an impossible TV magazine). From its inception, TV Bros. deliberately differentiated itself from mainstream TV magazines. While other TV magazines moved to full color, TV Bros. kept its program listings in red-and-black two-color printing and the rest of the magazine in monochrome for 26 years, until the September 14, 2013 issue, when feature pages became full color. Its editorial content favored niche topics such as tokusatsu DVDs and late-night programs, and its music and film sections covered overseas rock, techno, hip-hop, Asian underground music, mini-theater films, and minor foreign works. It was known for sharp, sometimes harsh criticism of TV programs and for its reader-submission corner "Pipipi Club," which allowed extreme parody and criticism of programs and performers. Because of this strong personality, it was sometimes regarded not as a TV magazine but as a subculture magazine. The magazine was published biweekly for most of its life, with regional editions for Hokkaido, Kanto, Chubu, Kansai, and Kyushu; editions for Miyagi/Fukushima, Nagano/Niigata, Shizuoka, and Hiroshima/Okayama/Kagawa were discontinued in 2006. In 2012 it celebrated its 25th anniversary. In 2013 it announced cumulative sales of 100 million copies. In 2018 it changed from biweekly to monthly, ending program listings and regional editions, becoming a national publication. In 2020, with the April issue, it ended regular monthly publication, shifting to irregular special issues such as "Bessatsu TV Bros." and "Bros.BOOKS," and to digital media. In May 2020 it launched "TV Bros. note版" on note, and as of 2024 a paid note content service "TvBros.note" (500 yen per month) is offered. The official website TV Bros. WEB carries articles, serial columns, and features; a notice on the site states that TV Bros. WEB will close on June 30, 2026. TV Bros. is also known for its long-running "Bros Comic Award" (ブロスコミックアワード), launched in 2013 with an added "Anime Adaptation Comic" category, and for columns by a wide range of writers including Matsuo Suzuki, Bakusho Mondai, and musicians such as Denki Groove. In 2012 it was adapted into a WOWOW TV program, "Otona Bangumi League TV Bros. TV," which later became a regular monthly program.

TV Bros. was founded on July 1, 1987, by Tokyo News Service as a cheaper, sub-brand companion to its main TV listings magazine, Weekly TV Guide. The first issue was the July 4, 1987 issue. From the start, it took an editorial stance distinct from other TV magazines, with catchphrases such as "the TV magazine of the future" and "ありえないテレビ誌." It maintained red-and-black two-color program listings and monochrome pages for 26 years, until the September 14, 2013 issue, when feature pages became full color. Its content focused on niche areas like tokusatsu DVDs and late-night shows, and its music and film sections covered overseas rock, techno, hip-hop, Asian underground music, mini-theater films, and minor foreign works. It was known for harsh criticism of TV programs and for the reader-submission corner "Pipipi Club," which permitted extreme parody and criticism. Because of this, it was sometimes considered a subculture magazine rather than a TV magazine. For most of its history it was published biweekly, with regional editions for Hokkaido, Kanto, Chubu, Kansai, and Kyushu; editions for Miyagi/Fukushima, Nagano/Niigata, Shizuoka, and Hiroshima/Okayama/Kagawa were discontinued in 2006. In 2012 it celebrated its 25th anniversary with special issues, including a "Pipipi Club" best-of extra and a July 7 issue featuring a 25-year retrospective. In 2013 it announced cumulative sales of 100 million copies in the July 20 issue. In 2018, with the March 24 issue, it announced a change to monthly publication (on the 24th of each month), ended program listings, and ended regional editions, becoming a national publication. In 2020, with the April issue released on February 22, it ended regular monthly publication, shifting to irregular special issues such as "Bessatsu TV Bros." and "Bros.BOOKS," and to digital media. A June issue was released on April 22, 2020 as a "总集编特大号," followed by an October issue on August 24 and a December issue on October 23, making it effectively bimonthly at that point. On May 13, 2020, it launched "TV Bros. note版" on note. As of 2024, a paid note content service "TvBros.note" (500 yen per month) is offered. The official website TV Bros. WEB carries articles and features; a notice states it will close on June 30, 2026. TV Bros. has also been known for its "Bros Comic Award," launched in 2013 with an added "Anime Adaptation Comic" category, and for a wide range of columnists including Matsuo Suzuki, Bakusho Mondai, and musicians such as Denki Groove. In 2012 it was adapted into a WOWOW TV program, "Otona Bangumi League TV Bros. TV," which later became a regular monthly program.

• TV Bros. founded by Tokyo News Service; first issue dated July 4, 1987.

• Regional editions for Miyagi/Fukushima, Nagano/Niigata, Shizuoka, and Hiroshima/Okayama/Kagawa discontinued.

• 25th anniversary; special issues including a "Pipipi Club" best-of extra and a 25-year retrospective.

• Adapted into WOWOW TV program "Otona Bangumi League TV Bros. TV."

• Announced cumulative sales of 100 million copies in the July 20 issue.

• Feature pages became full color starting with the September 14 issue.

• Announced change to monthly publication, end of program listings and regional editions, becoming national.

• April issue released; regular monthly publication ended.

• Launched "TV Bros. note版" on note.

• TV Bros. WEB scheduled to close.

A subculture-leaning, alternative TV magazine and web media brand known for niche coverage, sharp criticism, and distinctive columns.

• TV Bros. magazine

  Biweekly then monthly TV magazine, later irregular special issues.

• TV Bros. WEB

  Official website with articles, columns, and features.

• TvBros.note

  Paid note content service (500 yen/month).

• Bessatsu TV Bros.

  Irregular special issues.

• Bros.BOOKS

  Irregular book/mook publications.

• 2020-10-22

  My Broken Mariko wins Bros. Comic Award 2020[4]《My Broken Mariko》获Bros. Comic Award 2020animenewsnetwork.com

  TV Bros. magazine awarded Waka Hirako's manga My Broken Mariko the Bros. Comic Award 2020.

1. 1TOP - 【TV Bros. WEB】tvbros.jp
2. 2テレビブロス - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org
3. 3TV Bros - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4《My Broken Mariko》获Bros. Comic Award 2020animenewsnetwork.com