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Urban Vision Entertainment Inc. was an American-based production/distribution company created in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
,
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
formed in July 1996 by Mataichiro Yamamoto to help introduce the animation medium known as
anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
to the American mainstream.


History

Urban Vision Entertainment was formed in July 1996 by Mataichiro Yamamoto to help introduce the alternative animation genre known as
anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
to mainstream media. The company primarily produced and acquired Japanese animation for direct-to-home video release. Urban Vision founder Mataichiro Yamamoto helped pioneer the anime genre in the US with the computer-generated theatrical release, Golgo 13: The Professional in 1983. Urban Vision worked closely with the world-renowned Studio Madhouse animation studio in Tokyo, Japan ( Wicked City, Ninja Scroll,
Vampire Hunter D is a series of novels written by Japanese author Hideyuki Kikuchi and illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano since 1983. As of April 2022, 40 novels have been published in the main series, with some novels comprising as many as four volumes. They ha ...
). The company's initial release, another Madhouse project, was Bio Hunter, released on home video in July 1997. Additional Urban Vision releases included
Gatchaman is a Japanese animated franchise about a five-member superhero ninja team created by Tatsuo Yoshida and produced by Tatsunoko Productions. The original anime series, which debuted in 1972, was eponymously entitled ''Kagaku Ninja-tai Gatcham ...
,
Twilight of the Dark Master is a Japanese manga by Saki Okuse, and an OVA adaptation. The OVA was produced by Masao Maruyama, directed by Akiyuki Shinbo, and the screenplay was written by Duane Dell'Amico and Tatsuhiko Urahata. It was distributed and licensed in 1997 b ...
, Dragon Slayer, Psycho Diver: Soul Siren and Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals. In the mid-2000s Urban Vision shifted its focus from anime to live-action movies with the launch of two sub-labels, Ciudad for
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
-language films and AsiaVision for Japanese-language films.


Decline

Urban Vision became inactive since the late 00's, not acquiring any more titles. On September 7, 2010, the online retailer Right Stuf removed all of their Urban Vision catalog due to the distributor not shipping out orders to them. The following day, Urban Vision released a statement saying that the company had been restructuring itself and were halting their home video production unit and focusing on digital distribution. In November 2016, the company was shut down. Currently, a majority of their titles have since been re-licensed and re-released by
Discotek Media Discotek Media is an American entertainment company based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, focused on distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series. Formed in 2005, Discotek primarily focuses on licensing retro titles fr ...
and
Sentai Filmworks Sentai Filmworks, LLC or just Sentai, is an American entertainment company owned by AMC Networks. Located in Houston, the company specializes in the dubbing and distribution of Japanese animation and Asian cinema. Its post-production arm is S ...
.


Films licensed by Urban Vision Entertainment


Anime

* '' Bio Hunter'' * '' Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes'' * '' DNA Sights 999.9'' * '' Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals'' * ''
Gatchaman is a Japanese animated franchise about a five-member superhero ninja team created by Tatsuo Yoshida and produced by Tatsunoko Productions. The original anime series, which debuted in 1972, was eponymously entitled ''Kagaku Ninja-tai Gatcham ...
'' (1994) (now licensed by
Sentai Filmworks Sentai Filmworks, LLC or just Sentai, is an American entertainment company owned by AMC Networks. Located in Houston, the company specializes in the dubbing and distribution of Japanese animation and Asian cinema. Its post-production arm is S ...
) * '' Golgo 13: Queen Bee'' * '' Hurricane Polymar'' (now licensed by
Discotek Media Discotek Media is an American entertainment company based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, focused on distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series. Formed in 2005, Discotek primarily focuses on licensing retro titles fr ...
) * '' Ninja Scroll: The Series'' (now licensed by
Discotek Media Discotek Media is an American entertainment company based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, focused on distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series. Formed in 2005, Discotek primarily focuses on licensing retro titles fr ...
) * ''
Pet Shop of Horrors ''Pet Shop of Horrors'' is a Japanese horror manga created by Matsuri Akino. The series focuses on the eccentric Count D, proprietor of a mysterious pet shop located in the heart of Chinatown, and the numerous patrons who visit his shop. T ...
'' (now licensed by
Sentai Filmworks Sentai Filmworks, LLC or just Sentai, is an American entertainment company owned by AMC Networks. Located in Houston, the company specializes in the dubbing and distribution of Japanese animation and Asian cinema. Its post-production arm is S ...
) * '' The Professional: Golgo 13'' (from Streamline Pictures, now licensed by
Discotek Media Discotek Media is an American entertainment company based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, focused on distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series. Formed in 2005, Discotek primarily focuses on licensing retro titles fr ...
) * '' Psycho Diver: Soul Siren'' * ''
Strange Dawn is a 13-episode anime television series created by Hal Film Maker for Pioneer LDC (now Geneon) in 2000. The series follows the adventures of Eri and Yuko after they are transported to a strange world where all the people are very short. The ...
'' (Lil' Vision) * '' Space Adventure Cobra'' (from Streamline Pictures, now licensed by
Discotek Media Discotek Media is an American entertainment company based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, focused on distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series. Formed in 2005, Discotek primarily focuses on licensing retro titles fr ...
) * ''
Tekkaman Blade II is a 1992 Japanese anime television series produced by Tatsunoko Production and Sotsu Agency. The series was directed by Hiroshi Negishi and written by Mayori Sekijima and Satoru Akahori. The story follows an organization called the Spac ...
'' (now licensed by
Discotek Media Discotek Media is an American entertainment company based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, focused on distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series. Formed in 2005, Discotek primarily focuses on licensing retro titles fr ...
) * ''
Twilight of the Dark Master is a Japanese manga by Saki Okuse, and an OVA adaptation. The OVA was produced by Masao Maruyama, directed by Akiyuki Shinbo, and the screenplay was written by Duane Dell'Amico and Tatsuhiko Urahata. It was distributed and licensed in 1997 b ...
'' * ''
Goku Midnight Eye is a manga series by Buichi Terasawa about a detective named who gains a cybernetic eye implant that can control any computer system on the planet. The manga has been published in English by ComicsOne and DrMaster. Reception Helen McCarthy ...
'' (now licensed by
Discotek Media Discotek Media is an American entertainment company based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, focused on distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series. Formed in 2005, Discotek primarily focuses on licensing retro titles fr ...
) * ''
The Cockpit The Cockpit can refer to: * Cockpit Theatre, a 17th-century theatre in London (also known as the Phoenix) that opened in 1616 * The Cockpit Theatre (Marylebone), Cockpit, a theatre in London, England that opened in 1970 * The Cockpit (OVA), ''The C ...
'' * '' Wild 7'' (from
Enoki Films was a Japanese studio based in the Enoki Building in Shinjuku, Tokyo.Company Profile
. Enoki Films U ...
) * ''
Vampire Hunter D is a series of novels written by Japanese author Hideyuki Kikuchi and illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano since 1983. As of April 2022, 40 novels have been published in the main series, with some novels comprising as many as four volumes. They ha ...
'' (from Streamline Pictures, now licensed by
Sentai Filmworks Sentai Filmworks, LLC or just Sentai, is an American entertainment company owned by AMC Networks. Located in Houston, the company specializes in the dubbing and distribution of Japanese animation and Asian cinema. Its post-production arm is S ...
) * '' Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust'' (now licensed by
Discotek Media Discotek Media is an American entertainment company based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, focused on distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series. Formed in 2005, Discotek primarily focuses on licensing retro titles fr ...
) * '' Wicked City'' (from Streamline Pictures, now licensed by
Discotek Media Discotek Media is an American entertainment company based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, focused on distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series. Formed in 2005, Discotek primarily focuses on licensing retro titles fr ...
)


Live action (AsiaVision)

* '' Azumi'' * '' Azumi 2: Death or Love'' * '' Curse, Death & Spirit'' * ''
Kill Devil is a 2003 Japanese film about a group of juvenile delinquent Juvenile delinquency, also known as juvenile offending, is the act of participating in unlawful behavior as a minor or individual younger than the statutory age of majority. In ...
'' * '' Kokkuri''


Live action (Ciudad)

* '' Black Wind'' * '' By My Side Again'' * ''
Doña Bárbara ''Doña Bárbara (Lady Bárbara)'' is a novel by Venezuelan author Rómulo Gallegos, first published in 1929. It was described in 1974 as "possibly the most widely known Latin American novel".Shaw, Donald, "Gallegos' Revision of Doña Bárbara ...
'' * ''Espaldas Mojadas'' * ''Fugitives'' * '' Glue Sniffer'' * '' Oro Diablo'' * '' Siciaro'' * '' Survive'' * ''
The Hidden One ''The Hidden One'' ( es, La escondida) is a 1956 Mexican drama film directed by Roberto Gavaldón. It was entered into the 1956 Cannes Film Festival. Cast * María Félix - Gabriela * Pedro Armendáriz - Felipe Rojano * Andrés Soler - General ...
''


Miscellaneous

* ''Slammin' Sammy: The Sammy Sosa Story'' (American animation; Lil' Vision)


References


External links

* {{Authority control Anime companies Defunct film and television production companies of the United States Entertainment companies based in California Companies based in Los Angeles Mass media companies established in 1996 Mass media companies disestablished in 2016 1996 establishments in California 2016 disestablishments in California Defunct companies based in Greater Los Angeles