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Kitty Films Co., Ltd. (キティフィルム ''Kabushiki-gaisha Kiti Firumu'') was a
production company A production company, production house or production studio is a studio that creates works in the fields of performing arts, new media art, film, television show, television, radio, comics, interactive arts, video games, websites, music, and video ...
established in 1972 in Japan. They were a pioneer in releasing full anime television series in a single set. The sound recording work by Ken'ichi Benitani on their 1979 film, '' Almost Transparent Blue'', was co-nominated (with Benitani's work on another film) for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Recording at the 3rd
Japan Academy Film Prize The , often called the Japan Academy Prize, the Japan Academy Awards, and the Japanese Academy Awards, is a series of awards given annually since 1978 by the Japan Academy Film Prize Association (日本アカデミー賞協会, ''Nippon Akademii- ...
ceremony in 1980.


History

The company was first established in 1972 as Kitty Music Corporation under Hidenori Taga, producing TV drama soundtracks. Their first was for the 1972 film ''Hajimete no Tabi''. By 1979, the company began to branch off into live action with the films '' Almost Transparent Blue'' and '' Lady Oscar'' (a live-action adaptation of the manga ''
The Rose of Versailles also known as ''Lady Oscar'' and ''La Rose de Versailles'', is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Riyoko Ikeda. It was originally serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine ''Margaret'' from 1972 to 1973, while a revival ...
''). ''Almost Transparent Blue'' received a nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Recording for Ken'ichi Benitani at the 3rd
Japan Academy Film Prize The , often called the Japan Academy Prize, the Japan Academy Awards, and the Japanese Academy Awards, is a series of awards given annually since 1978 by the Japan Academy Film Prize Association (日本アカデミー賞協会, ''Nippon Akademii- ...
ceremony in 1980 (shared nomination with Benitani's work on '' The Man Who Stole the Sun''). Kitty's entry into anime production began with the 1981 television anime series '' Urusei Yarsura'', based on
Rumiko Takahashi is a Japanese manga artist. With a career of several commercially successful works, beginning with ''Urusei Yatsura'' in 1978, she is one of Japan's best-known and wealthiest manga artists. Her works are known worldwide, where they have been tra ...
's manga of the same name. They would go on to produce most of the animated versions of '' Maison Ikkoku'' and ''
Ranma ½ is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It was serialized in ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' from August 1987 to March 1996, with the chapters collected in 38 volumes by Shogakukan. The story revolves a ...
'', as well. The actual animation of Kitty's works was handled by several independent anime studios. Studio Pierrot did the animation for the first half of ''
Urusei Yatsura is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It was serialized in Shogakukan's ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' from September 1978 to February 1987. Its 366 individual chapters were collected in 34 ''tankōbon'' volum ...
'',
Studio Deen is a Japanese animation studio founded in 1975 by former Sunrise producer Hiroshi Hasegawa, along with a team of ex-Sunrise animators. The studio owns three subsidiaries: Danny Donghua (), a Chinese sub-contracting studio; Megumi (め組), a di ...
animated the second half (except for several of the OVAs) and all of '' Maison Ikkoku'' and ''Ranma ½'', while Madhouse handled the final ''Urusei Yatsura'' movie, some of the later ''Urusei Yatsura'' OVAs, ''
Legend of the Galactic Heroes , sometimes abbreviated as ''LOTGH'', ''LOGH'', ''LGH'' or in Japanese (and also depicted as ''Heldensagen vom Kosmosinsel'' in the anime intro), is a series of Epic (genre), epic science fiction novels written by Yoshiki Tanak ...
'', and '' YAWARA! a fashionable judo girl!''. Kitty was a pioneer in releasing complete collections of series, beginning with the limited-run 50-disc
laserdisc LaserDisc (LD) is a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. It was developed by Philips, Pioneer Corporation, Pioneer, and the movie studio MCA Inc., MCA. The format was initially marketed in the United State ...
collection of ''Urusei Yatsura'' in May 1987, which sold out quickly and led to many other companies releasing series in laserdisc and (later) DVD box sets. Unfortunately, the company had suffered financial troubles from early on, which started to come to a head towards the end of the ''Ranma'' TV series in 1992. Hidenori Taga had in fact helped finance Kitty's film division by spending money from their music branch, and that year was forced to step down due to an unknown scandal, while Shigekazu Ochiai transferred to Pao House Studios (he died in 1999). Around 1995, Kitty Enterprise was purchased by PolyGram. Kitty continued to produce less well-known shows such as '' Ping Pong Club'' (1995), but their output shrank to almost nothing by the end of the 20th century. Rumiko Takahashi did not work with Kitty again after the last ''Ranma'' OVA was released in 1996;
Sunrise Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning, at the start of the Sun path. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon. Terminology Although the S ...
handled the animation duties on '' Inuyasha'', and TMS animated '' Rumic Theater''. Kitty also had a subsidiary animation studio that produced a few anime series and OVAs. The studio's name was Kitty Film Mitaka Studio and never became as famous or successful as its parent. The studio was eventually disbanded. Kitty Films was eventually reincorporated as Kitty Group and mainly exists as a talent agency, having sold off the rights to most of the Kitty Films library. The Kitty Records library is currently controlled by Universal Music Japan.


Productions

*'' 10 Tokyo Warriors'' *'' The Adventures of T-Rex'' (1992 U.S./Japan coproduction with Gunther-Wahl Productions and C&D (Créativité et Développement); Hidenori Taga and Shigekazu Ochiai are credited as producers) *'' Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel'' *'' F'' *'' Hanaukyo Maid Team: La Verite'' *'' Ike! Inachū Takkyūbu'' *''Karuizawa Syndrome'' *'' Kiteretsu Daihyakka'' *''
Legend of the Galactic Heroes , sometimes abbreviated as ''LOTGH'', ''LOGH'', ''LGH'' or in Japanese (and also depicted as ''Heldensagen vom Kosmosinsel'' in the anime intro), is a series of Epic (genre), epic science fiction novels written by Yoshiki Tanak ...
'' (rights transferred to K Factory) *'' Maison Ikkoku'' (sold to
Pony Canyon , also known by the shorthand form , is a Japanese company, established on October 1, 1966, which distributes music, films, home video, and video games. It is affiliated with the Japanese media group Fujisankei Communications Group. Pony Canyo ...
, Blu-ray release sub-licensed to Warner Bros. Japan) *''
Megazone 23 is a Japanese animated mecha cyberpunk film series created by Noboru Ishiguro, written by Hiroyuki Hoshiyama and Emu Arii, and directed by Ishiguro, Ichiro Itano, Kenichi Yatagai, and Shinji Aramaki. The three-part original video anima ...
'' *'' Miyuki'' *'' Pastel Yumi, the Magic Idol'' *'' Radio City Fantasy'' *''
Ranma ½ is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It was serialized in ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' from August 1987 to March 1996, with the chapters collected in 38 volumes by Shogakukan. The story revolves a ...
'' (sold to
Pony Canyon , also known by the shorthand form , is a Japanese company, established on October 1, 1966, which distributes music, films, home video, and video games. It is affiliated with the Japanese media group Fujisankei Communications Group. Pony Canyo ...
) *''
Sakura Diaries is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by U-Jin. It was serialized in Shogakukan's ''seinen'' manga magazine '' Weekly Young Sunday'' from 1995 to 2000, with its chapters collected in twenty ''tankōbon'' volumes. It follows th ...
'' *''Sena Keiko Obake Movies'' series *''Sengoku Eiyū Densetsu Shinshaku: Sanada Jūyūshi the Animation'' *'' Sohryuden: Legend of the Dragon Kings'' *''Super Zugan'' *'' The Enemy's the Pirates!'' *'' They Were 11'' *''Tobira wo Akete'' *''Tokyo Jusshōden'' *''
Touch The somatosensory system, or somatic sensory system is a subset of the sensory nervous system. The main functions of the somatosensory system are the perception of external stimuli, the perception of internal stimuli, and the regulation of bo ...
'' *'' Twilight of the Cockroaches'' *''
Urusei Yatsura is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It was serialized in Shogakukan's ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' from September 1978 to February 1987. Its 366 individual chapters were collected in 34 ''tankōbon'' volum ...
'' (sold to
Pony Canyon , also known by the shorthand form , is a Japanese company, established on October 1, 1966, which distributes music, films, home video, and video games. It is affiliated with the Japanese media group Fujisankei Communications Group. Pony Canyo ...
, Blu-ray release sub-licensed Warner Bros. Japan) *'' YAWARA! a fashionable judo girl!'' (sold to VAP) *'' Kishin Douji Zenki'' (rights transferred to K Factory) *'' What's Michael'' (OVA's) *'' Zenki''


References


External links

* Acres, Harley
"The Rise and Fall of Kitty Films"
March 3, 2007
Rumic World
Accessed 11 April 2007. {{Authority control Mass media companies established in 1972 Mass media companies disestablished in 1996 Anime companies Mass media companies of Japan Japanese record labels Universal Music Japan Japanese companies established in 1972 Japanese companies disestablished in 1996