FUNimation Entertainment Acquires Baka and Test and Dance in the Vampire Bund

FUNimation Entertainment Acquires
Baka and Test and Dance in the Vampire Bund
for North American Release
Anime Leader to Stream Episodes of Series
within Days of Japanese Television Debut

Flower Mound, TX – March 4, 2010 -- FUNimation® Entertainment has acquired digital, broadcast, home video and merchandise rights to the fantasy anime series “Baka and Test -- Summon the Beasts” (known in Japan as Baka to Test to Shokanju) and the supernatural action anime series “Dance in the Vampire Bund” and the from Media Factory. The agreement gives the American anime leader exclusive rights to the online streaming and simulcast of both series in the U.S.

Starting this month, FUNimation will deliver high-quality, free, original Japanese dialogue accompanied by English subtitles, streaming episodes of “Baka and Test – Summon the Beasts” and “Dance in the Vampire Bund” via www.funimation.com, just days after airing on Japan’s TV Tokyo and Chiba TV, respectively.

This week on Friday, March 5 at 10:00 a.m. CST FUNimation will stream the first two episodes of “Baka to Test – Summon the Beasts” and episodes 1-4 of “Dance in the Vampire Bund.” In addition to the episodes already aired in Japan, starting March 10 and 12 a new episode will be rolled out weekly as both series continue their television run.

FUNimation will also offer a download-to-own option for these episodes through www.funimation.com at $1.99 per episode.

“Baka and Test -- Summon the Beasts” is a 13 episode series produced by Silver Lake and directed by Shin Oonuma (Pani Poni Dash, Negima! OVA’s) and adapted from the light novel series written by Kenju Inoue and illustrated by Yui Haga.

About Baka and Test -- Summon the Beasts
Fumizuki Academy’s students can summon Avatars, pint-sized versions of themselves that battle using special powers. The students are grouped by skill level, and those in Class A are the brightest. Then there’s Akihisa Yoshii’s group – lowly Class F. They’re the worst on campus, and they’re about to take on the school’s best.

“Dance in the Vampire Bund” is a 12 episode series produced by the Japanese studio SHAFT and directed by Masahiro Sonada (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood) and based on the manga by Nozomu Tamaki.

About Dance in the Vampire Bund
When Mina Tepes – queen of the vampires – suddenly appears in Japan to establish a colony for her blood-sucking brethren, Akira Kaburagi’s world will never be the same. As a boy, Akira vowed to serve the ruler of the night, and now he must fulfill his destiny by protecting Mina from those who would dethrone her!

Visit the Baka and Test – Summon the Beasts and Dance in the Vampire Bund official web sites for updates.

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FUNimation Entertainment Press Release