Funimation Licenses Drifters, Show By Rock!! Short!! Anime

FUNimation Entertainment announced at its Anime Expo panel on Sunday that it has acquired the home video,video on demand, broadcast distribution, and streaming rights for the Drifters anime from NBCUniversal. In addition, the company announced that it will stream the Show By Rock!! Short!! spinoff series of anime shorts starting on Monday.

The company also announced that it will release seasons one and two of Code Geass in a Blu-ray Disc collector's edition and in two Blu-ray Disc/DVD combo pack standard editions. In addition, Funimation's release of The Vision of Escaflowne and Escaflowne: The Movie is slated for October 18. Funimation will release the series in a collector's edition on Blu-ray Disc as well as on individual Blu-ray Disc/DVD combo packs for part one, part two, and the movie. The Kickstarter exclusive edition will ship on the same day.

Drifters, based on a manga by Kouta Hirano, will premiere in October and Funimation will stream the series in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland as it airs.

The story of the manga centers around Shimazu Toyohisa, the real-life samurai who fought in the pivotal Battle of Sekigahara. In his dying moments, Shimazu is transported to a world of magic with other famous warriors throughout history. These warriors are forced to fight each other in an endless battle.

The anime celebrates the 70th anniversary of Shonengahosha, the publisher of the original manga. Kenichi Suzuki (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders series director) is directing the anime. Hideyuki Kurata (The World God Only Knows, Tokyo Ravens, Maria the Virgin Witch) is handling the series composition and writing the scripts. Yousuke Kuroda (Hellsing Ultimate, Gungrave) is also writing the scripts along with Kurata. Ryoji Nakamori (Hellsing Ultimate) is designing the characters and also serving as chief animation director.

The manga already inspired a short that was bundled with the 10th and final volume of the Hellsing Ultimate video anime series in 2012. (Hirano created the original Hellsing action manga, just as he did for Drifters.)

Show By Rock!! Short!! will debut on Tokyo MX on July 4 at 25:00 (technically July 5 at 1:00 a.m.) and will also air on Yomiuri TV and other channels.

Takahiro Ikezoe is returning from the original Show By Rock!! series to again direct Show By Rock!! Short!! at BONES. Touko Machida, who wrote the scripts for the first eight episodes of the original anime, is handling the series composition. Geechs is credited with production cooperation.

The anime will center on the band members of Plasmagica, ShinganCrimsonz, and other bands from the original anime series. Each episode will introduce and feature a different band. The anime will be a "carefree enjoyable" series that shares the worldview of the original TV anime series.

Show By Rock!! will also get a full television anime sequel series, but it does not yet have a premiere date.​