Funimation

Background

Funimation Global Group, LLC (formerly known as "Funimation Entertainment" and "Funimation Productions") was an anime dubbing, licensing, and distribution company based in Fort Worth, Texas that was founded in 1994 by Gen Fukunaga. It was acquired by Navarre Corporation, a computer products distribution and publishing company, on May 11, 2005 for $100.4 million. In April 2011, Navarre sold Funimation to a group of investors including Gen Fukunaga for $24 million. The company consolidated its divisions under the new holding company Group 1200 Media in May 2013. On October 27, 2017, 95% of the company was acquired by Sony Pictures Television, while Fukunaga retains 5% of the company. Notable anime dubbed by this company include the Dragon Ball series, Fullmetal Alchemist, and One Piece. It also previously released a handful of Nelvana and Alliance Atlantis series in the past. On December 9, 2020, Sony announced they had acquired rival anime streaming service Crunchyroll from WarnerMedia (now part of Warner Bros. Discovery). Two years later on March 1, Sony announced that Funimation Global Group, the service's parent company, was rebranded as Crunchyroll, LLC and a large majority of its catalog was moved to Crunchyroll altogether, though the Funimation streaming service remained active and continued to distribute titles that were originally licensed by the Funimation company before the merger. However, on February 7, 2024, it was announced that the Funimation app and website would be shut down completely on April 2, 2024, and that all Funimation subscribers could choose to migrate their account data to Crunchyroll until then.

Contents

1st Logo (May 9-December 15, 1994)	2nd Logo (September 9-December 2, 1995)	3rd Logo (September 13, 1996-2005)	4th Logo (late 2003-2005)	5th Logo (6th logo placeholder) (2005?)


6th Logo (2005-2010)	7th Logo (2009-2011)	8th Logo (2011-2016)	9th Logo (20th anniversary variant) (2014)	10th Logo (January 7, 2016-May 31, 2022)

1st Logo (May 9-December 15, 1994)

Visuals: On a silver background, a blue rectangle, a red circle and a white star (resembling the state flag of Texas) all fly in. "FUNimation Productions Inc." then fades in below.

Trivia: The logo is meant to homage the Lone Star, referencing the studio being based in Texas. However, the logo bears a distinct resemblance to a Dragon Ball (a mystic orb with a star engraved on it), which was one of Funimation's most iconic dubs.

Technique: Computer animation.

Audio: A low synth note, then a 17 note twinkling jingle, and a whoosh.

Availability: Only seen on both the original 1994 and 1995 masters of the BLT dub of Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies.

2nd Logo (September 9-December 2, 1995)

Standard logo
Prototype variant

Visuals: On a light brown-water background with ripples is some 3D shapes: a blue rectangle jumping, a red ball bouncing, and a star walking. They later jump and flatten and turn 2D on the middle-left, but the star wiggles, then jumps, and a flash occurs, making the text "FUNimation™ Productions Inc." appear.

Variant: There is a prototype version, where the shapes are above the "FUNimation Productions Inc." text. The shapes appear one by one, and the text forms by integration. A copyright notice also appears below the logo.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Same as the previous logo.

Availability: Seen on the BLT dub of Dragon Ball. The prototype is only seen on the North American world premiere of the dub.

3rd Logo (September 13, 1996-2005)

Standard logo
With URL
Print variant on a black background
Print variant on a white background

Visuals: On a brownish, dimly lit background, a star flies across the screen and sets down on a red circle on top of a blue rectangle. The words:

FUNimation
Productions

are seen to the right of the logo. Starting a few years after, the URL "www.funimation.net" appears below.

Variants: On Funimation games, the logo can appear on a black or white background.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A low whooshing sound for when the star flies across, followed by a "ding" when the star sets atop the circle.

Audio Variants:

On Dragon Ball, different versions of the sound effects are used.
On one occasion, the only sound is a different ding.
On some occasions, it's silent or the show's closing theme plays over.

Availability:

Seen most often on old TV episodes of the original dub of Dragon Ball Z (followed straight after by the 1996 Saban "Twirly-Doo" logo).
Also seen on the original dubs of the first episodes of Dragon Ball and the Dragon Ball GT series, as well as the first two sagas of Yu Yu Hakusho.
It's also used as a de-facto home video logo on many releases such as the direct-to-video movie Chuck E. Cheese in the Galaxy 5000, home video releases of 4Kids Entertainment material from 2002-2005 like earlier Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Sonic X volumes, and the first DVD volume of Fruits Basket.
It also appears on several early Nelvana releases. However, pre-school oriented releases would have the Our Time Family Entertainment logo instead.

4th Logo (late 2003-2005)

Visuals: On a sky blue background, loads of bubbles can be seen floating across the screen, each reflecting the FUNimation logo. The FUNimation logo comes in from the left and middle of the screen, as a voice-over says the company name.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Starts with a whoosh, which then turns into the 1st logo jingle as a male announcer whispers "FUNimation". The jingle culminates with the sound of a child laughing (the same stock "Diddy laugh" heard in the ImaginEngine and Double Hemm logos).

Availability: Seen on Dragon Ball GT, later seasons of Dragon Ball, the first half of Fullmetal Alchemist, Fruits Basket and Yu Yu Hakusho. Appears on a small amount of Nelvana releases as well.

5th Logo (6th logo placeholder) (2005?)

Visuals: On a black background, 2 silver rings quickly swirl around and intersect, creating lights and the new Funimation logo. The shapes are the same, but the rectangle is horizontal and crooked, with the circle to the left of it, and the star on the being on the lower-right corner of the logo. "FUNIMATION" is now seen is a jumbled, bold font with blue "afterimages" on the circle. "ENTERTAINMENT" is in the same font, but not jumbled. Under it is "A N/\\//\RR三 CORPORATION COMPANY", with Navarre's corporate logo in place. The logo is dark at first, but brightens up and zooms in after the rings leave. After a bit, the logo gets engulfed by the 2 blue lights and disappears.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A shining sound is heard when the rings are seen, follow by a sound that sounds like a radar. A humming noise is then heard throughout the rest of the logo with an announcer saying "Funimation!".

Availability: Seen on various Sonic X DVDs, as well as the English dub of Panadalian. Used in tandem with the 4th logo.

Legacy: Likely used as a placeholder due to its simplicity.

6th Logo (2005-2010)

Standard logo
Video game logo

Visuals: The screen fades in to see a chrome/silver Funimation logo angled on its side. A glowing light appears from the far side, wiping over the logo and coloring it in as the logo faces frontward, a huge flash engulfing the screen. The flash dies down, revealing the fully colored logo from before, except in 3D. The logo zooms back a little bit, before suddenly erupting in a flash of light, briefly turning the screen white before going black.

Variants:

On Fullmetal Alchemist, the logo is quite different. The screen flashes blue for a split second, followed by a split second clip of Alphonse Elric with markings on his armor and a red glow emanating from the bottom of the screen. Another blue flash follows, and this is followed by a split second clip of Edward Elric with a gun attached to his auto-mail arm, aimed towards the screen. One last flash, and this is followed by a slightly darker and more metallic Funimation logo, which stays on screen for half a second.
On Nintendo DS games, the print version is used.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A fizzling/sparking noise as the light colors the logo in, and a low "whoosh" as the logo flashes the first time. A voice-over whispers "Funimation!" at the same time. This is followed by a low whistling noise that starts quietly, but after a few seconds suddenly gets louder and higher, followed by a loud whoosh as the logo erupts in light. The FMA variant starts with a loud whoosh with a sound that sounds similar to a laser gun being fired, followed by the "Funimation!" voice-over, the latter of which, ironically, is played over a black screen.

Availability: The normal variant is seen on pretty much all Funimation DVDs made around and after this time such as Dragon Ball Z DVDs and U.S. DVDs of Make Way for Noddy, and is also shown at the end of televised showings of One Piece. The Fullmetal Alchemist variant is exclusive to Fullmetal Alchemist: The Transmutation of a Phenomenon, which is a bonus feature on the show's 13th (and final) DVD volume of the show.

7th Logo (2009-2011)

Standard logo
Video game logo

Visuals: On a white background, the 2005-2011 Funimation logo is drawn in. From the left and right sides of the screen, red and blue paints enter and start filling in the logo. Once the logo is completely filled in, the letters in "FUNIMATION" pop out one-by-one and the whole logo flashes and shines, and the web address "www.funimation.com" appears below. The logo (which is from the FMA variant of the previous logo) stays on screen for a few seconds, then it disappears, and the text "YOU SHOULD BE WATCHING" takes its place, with the web address still on screen. About a second later, "YOU SHOULD BE WATCHING" and the web address zoom towards the screen.

Variants:

There's a shorter version of the logo. The web address appears at the same time the paints appear, and disappears at the same time the FUNimation logo disappears; when "YOU SHOULD BE WATCHING" appears, it's the only thing on screen. The Funimation logo also stays on screen for a shorter period of time.
There's another version of the logo. It's the same as the short version, except, rather than disappearing along with the Funimation logo, the web address shifts up, so that "YOU SHOULD BE WATCHING" and the web address are sandwiched together.
A still logo appears on Dragon Ball Origins 2 for NDS.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Drawing sounds when the logo is being drawn in, a small "whoosh" when the paints appear, numerous people talking as the paints fill in the logo, several whooshes and then a loud "slam" when the logo flashes, two voices (a computerized female voice and a male voice) saying "Funimation Entertainment" after the web address appears, another small "whoosh" when the logo disappears, a whispering voice saying "You should be watching" when "YOU SHOULD BE WATCHING" appears, and a "click" when "YOU SHOULD BE WATCHING" and the web address zoom towards the screen. A peaceful synth note plays throughout. Composed by Jim Welch at Welch Compositions.

Audio Variant: The short versions of the logo have 2 different voices say only the company name, "Funimation." The peaceful tune is also shortened.

Availability: Can be seen on Funimation Entertainment releases from the time. The short versions can be seen before several anime on Funimation's official YouTube channel. It was last seen on Dragon Ball Z Kai and Dragon Ball GT on Nicktoons.

8th Logo (2011-2016)

Standard logo
With URL

Visuals: The Funimation logo shifts through three backgrounds. The first is a mech-styled logo set in a background of space and stars, with the logo carrying mech engines and wings and gears. The second is a ninja/samurai-themed logo with ninja and samurai weaponry and stylized Japanese text, set against a wooden board. The third and last background is a baby blue background is now surrounded by lots of cute, colorful little things that have popped up; stars, hearts, cute emoticons, a cartoon-like maneki-neko (lucky cat figurine), more stylized Japanese text, blue bubble text that reads "100%", and more. Behind all of this is a hazy purple/pink/blue "cloud". Inside the word "FUNIMATION", colorful circles move about. This flashes out to reveal black shards that quickly form the standard Funimation logo, the word "FUNIMATION" in black letters on a grey-and-white background. This quickly cuts away to the words "YOU SHOULD BE WATCHING" and the web address, "www.funimation.com". The logo finally fades out to black.

Variants:

There is a short version of this logo. The animation is the same, but sped up a bit. The "YOU SHOULD BE WATCHING" and the web address aren't featured at all.
There is also a slightly longer version, where the animation from the full version is slightly slower-paced.

Technique: Computer animation by Kris Pierce.

Audio: A quick and fast-paced IDM theme. The music and sound design by Austin Black (this is the first FUNimation logo in a while without a voice-over). The short version has shortened music, which cuts out most of the last note.

Availability: Seen on Funimation's works at the time, such as Noragami, Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt, Attack on Titan, Space Dandy, Future Diary, the first season of My Hero Academia, and many more, which can be found on FUNimation's official YouTube channel. The short version can be seen on Attack on Titan and Space Dandy on Adult Swim. It also plastered the fifth logo on Tenchi Muyo GXP and appears on newer prints of Serial Experiments Lain as well as Hulu prints of Akira. It's also available on Kris Pierce's Vimeo account, as well as his 2015 demo reel which includes this logo.

9th Logo (20th anniversary variant) (2014)

Visuals: Two streaks colored red and blue are crashing into each other on a white background. This repeatedly happens multiple times in different spots, until those two streaks explode into the center, forming the number 20, with the 2 being blue in a stylized fashion with grooves on it, and the 0 being red, representing the "red circle w/ star" that was used in the former Funimation logo. Arms (a homage to Monkey D. Luffy's stretching arm powers from One Piece) come out of the 20, carrying the "F" and the "N" of Funimation with them. They punch the letters on the ground, thus signaling the rest of the letters to appear. Pink blossoms appear under the 20, eventually being blown away by the wind, which carries the words, "YOU SHOULD BE WATCHING", the current slogan of Funimation. The blossoms, being blown away, reveals "YEARS" under the 20, and the red circle turns into a Dragon Ball, a symbolic homage to the show of the same name where the company had its first success. The 20 then briefly beams up in blue before burning up into an all blue color. After a brief pause, the "20" then disappears into a vortex, the rest of the logo is sliced up into pieces, and the company's web address appears.

Technique: 2D computer animation, which was also done by Kris Pierce.

Audio: Various sound effects corresponding with the action, all with a soothing tune (reminiscent of the one from the previous logo).

Availability: This logo was used during FUNimation's 20th anniversary. It can be found on a trailer for the North American release of the Japanese animated film Hal and a clip from FUNimation's 20th Anniversary panel (both in which are on FUNimation's YouTube channel). It's also available on Kris Pierce's Vimeo account, as well as his 2015 demo reel which includes this logo.

10th Logo (January 7, 2016-May 31, 2022)

Standard logo
Later variant
Funimation Now variant
Funimation Films variant

Visuals: A set of rings appear with different colors, backgrounds and animation: a red ring against a white background that displays Mt Fuji, smoke and ninja shruikens, a blue ring set against a yellow/pink background that displays an anime schoolgirl giving an idol peace sign alongside other cute symbols, and a white ring set against a black background that displays a mech alongside pulses and warning messages. Them more messages and a triangle appear and rotate as pink and yellow rings then emerge from the center and swirl around. A CGI version of the new logo than appears in the center of the screen and rotates into place. Lines of light blue, pink, and yellow and then swirl around as CGI letters of various emerge and the logo shrinks, releasing a white ring along with teal, purple, pink, then purple again, with the latter becoming the background. The logo then moves to the left as the letters settle into place, forming "fUnImaTIOn" in a jumble of uppercase and lowercase in white. Various cubes, a blue kunai, a red heart, and a yellow plus shape also appear briefly before flying off into the background.

Trivia:

The schoolgirl was made by Jonathan Castleman, nicknamed Funiko, loosely based on his OC, Seisei. The pictures can be shown on his Facebook, X (Twitter) and Instagram pages here and here. Upon the Funimation brand being retired as the Funimation app and website, he created an illustration to say goodbye to Funimation, which can be shown here.
The logo pays tribute to the previous logo's shifting between different backgrounds (mech, ninja, kawaii).

Variants:

A long version of the logo exists. It is shown at the start of DVDs and Blu-ray releases.
A "short" version exists. On a purple background, the Funimation logo quickly flips in and lands on the background, moving to the right as it does. A pulse of white is created, followed by the letters drawing in with red, red, yellow, and white in that order. The shapes then come out as usual. This is used as a closing version. It is also used when the app is launched. However, when the app is first launched, it shows the logo, then the words "Anime. Anytime. Anywhere." appear along with the logo before the animation plays out. Both versions can be viewed in both portrait and landscape views in the app. It is also used in various Funimation-related promos and videos in the logo's first few years. It's animation is also used in a number of refreshes without any shapes. In the Summer 2020 refresh, unlike the normal "short" version, the logo's color is in white, just like the normal "short" version, but the outline of the logo is in the background. In the Fall 2020 refresh, it was in a transperant white square, with the logo's color is in black, then it zooms out after the logo forms. After that, it swipes to the left, showing the words, "ANIME'S ON. DIG IN.". In the Winter 2020 refresh, unlike the normal "short" version, the logo's is in white, but the background shows the outline of the logo in the background. In the Spring 2021 refresh, the logo's color is in purple, in a window called "F:\UNIMATION\Logo_2016.swf" after a bunch of windows with the formed logo in low quality before the animation is played outside of the window. It was in low quality before it went high quality when the logo is formed, in which it zooms out after the logo forms, just like the last refresh. After that, it is covered in multiple windows called "F:\UNIMATION\Launch_App.exe", which shows a three-dimensional globe and the words, "OUR WORLD IS YOURS".
The Funimation Now variant variant is the same as the "short" version, except the logo stays in the center as a line appears and wipes in "NOW". The same animation mentioned before was also used when the app is first launched before the app was rebranded to just "Funimation". Just like the regular logo, it can be viewed in portrait and landscape views in the app.
The Films variant has various circles and shapes of red, blue, white, and yellow appearing and rotating, with a lens flare in the corner. It then converges to the logo, which is the same as the "Now" variant, but with "FILMS" instead. The logo also shines when it hits the background.
4:3 and CinemaScope versions of all logos described above exist.

Technique: A mix of CGI and 2D computer animation.

Audio: The long version uses a soft 5-note bell tune with various sound effects in the background, which is also extended in the very long version, the short and Now variants use a 2-note theme, and the Films variant uses an extended version of the 2-note theme. A more extended version was used when the app is first launched. For Funimation-related promos and videos in the logo's first few years, as well as the seasonal refreshes, lo-fi music was used. In the Funimation + Bigscreen trailer, it is silent on the Funimation Films logo. However, that logo's music can audibly be heard after it.

Availability: Seen on most of Funimation's newer releases, such as Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, The Helpful Fox Senko-San, Endro!, and later seasons of My Hero Academia. Some releases however, might have the 7th logo despite this logo being shown on the box; like the DVD release of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. The short version is seen at the end of TV broadcasts, the "Now" variant is seen on Funimation Now before rebranding to just "Funimation", and the Films variant is seen on theatrical releases such as Shin Godzilla (the American prints and dubs include this logo), One Piece Film: Gold, and Your Name. Appears on the animated Dragon Ball films preceding the two final 20th Century Fox logos. This is also seen on older releases like Basilisk, Afro Samurai, Death Parade, The Future Diary, Psycho Pass, and Samurai Champloo on Sony Crackle. The logo made its final appearance on the Blu-ray releases of Kemono Jihen and Kageki Shojo!!.

Legacy: The multiple controversies the company had throughout the years this logo was used gave it a bad reputation.

Funimation

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