Online media distributor Crunchyroll has acquired digital distribution rights to multiple GDH K.K. titles including Kaleido Star and Peacemaker Kurogane. Crunchyroll, which has built a large anime community on the web, will begin streaming the programs for free with a download-to-own option at the end of August. Purchase prices will range from $2 to $3 U. depending on the distribution platform.
Kaleido Star centers on Sora Naegino, an ordinary girl with a dream of joining the Kaleido Stage, an extravagant circus show comparable to lavish Broadway entertainment. Sora’s life takes a dramatic turn when the owner of Kaleido Stage recognizes her potential and lets her join the troupe of beautiful and unique performers. He showbiz life soon consists of acrobatic stunts, romance, rivalry and friendship.
Peacemaker Kurogane is set in ancient Edo-period Japan, a time of social chaos and constant sword battle. The story follows the life of a young boy named Tetsu, who is driven to join the Shinsengumi, a sort of samurai S.W.A.T. force, in order to avenge his father’s murder. Along the way, he faces the complexities of life in the Shinsengumi and learns that perhaps his destiny, as his father once told him, is to be the Peacemaker.
Headquartered in San Francisco, Calif., Crunchyroll is a leading online entertainment brand focused on Asian entertainment including anime, drama and music. The company’s distribution channel and partnership program delivers content to more than four million viewers worldwide. Crunchyroll is funded by the group Venrock. More information can be found at www.crunchyroll.com
