Getting to Know: Robert Napton and Bandai Entertainment Part 1

This is a vintage interview I did with Naption. Unless new historical information has been discovered, I presume some of the information has not changed. Hope you enjoy the interview!!

Introduction

Please welcome the person who oversees publishing and marketing at Bandai Entertainment, the Director of Marketing, Mr. Robert Napton. (Applause) Before joining team Bandai, Napton has worked in the anime industry for 6 years at a company called Books Nippan (Nippan Shuppan Hanbai, USA), which was from 1988 to 1994. “We released the first subtitled VHS of anime in Gunbuster and other anime titles and imported anime books, cds, and other merchandise from Japan for sale in the U.S. I was a part of the team that did that for the company.”

Bandai Entertainment

Before I begin telling you about the company, let me provide you with some clarity about the name Bandai. Yes, I always hear the name Bandai, Bandai, Bandai, but there are differences and the name can represent different aspects of said company. According to Napton, “Namco Bandai is the parent corporation and all the sub-divisions are assets of that corporation.” These assets are economic resources owned by the parent company, which in this case is Namco Bandai. The sub-divisions are as follows: Bandai America, Namco Bandai Games and Bandai Entertainment. Each of these divisions has separate general responsibilities. “Bandai America handles toys, Namco Bandai Games handles video games and Bandai Entertainment handles anime broadcast, online, and DVD release.”

Now lets dive into the details of Bandai Entertainment. In regards to the mission and responsibilities of the company, Bandai Entertainment “is one the premiere distributors of anime and manga in the US releasing anime on DVD, online, and broadcast television and manga to book stores and comic stores in the North American markets.” Bandai Entertainment’s name maybe recognizable because of anime titles such as Lucky Star, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and Mobile Suit Gundam. Not only is Bandai known for anime, but also the company has a few manga titles under its belt, such as Gurren Lagann, Eureka Seven and Code Geass.
© 2010 Linda Thai

Stay tune for Part 2 of the Robert Napton interview!