In light of the 18th anniversary of the highly acclaimed anime series, Samurai Champloo, it is only right to remember the studio behind it. Manglobe Inc., established in 2002, is best known for its production of original anime titles, rather than the adaptation of existing IPs.

Despite its huge impact on anime and production of some highly regarded series, Manglobe struggled to remain afloat, with the company declaring bankruptcy in September 2015. Here is a rundown of the studio's rise and eventual collapse.

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Origin

Manglobe-Logo

Manglobe Inc. was established in 2002 by Sunrise producers Shinichirō Kobayashi and Takashi Kochiyama, with the company based in Suginami, Tokyo. During its short lifespan, Manglobe came to be known for its production of original anime titles, a period that spawned heavy hitters like the aforementioned Samurai Champloo (2004), Ergo Proxy (2006), and Michiko and Hatchin (2008).

While the studio came to be known for the originals, Manglobe adapted several works as well, which includes The World God Only Knows, Deadman Wonderland, and Hayate the Combat Butler: Cuties. The author of The World God Only Knows, Tamaki Wakaki, developed a friendship with Kochiyama, stating that the relationship with Manglobe led to the creation of "a truly fortunate work".

Notable Original Works

Samurai Champloo (2004)

Fuu Samurai Champloo

Directed by the legendary Shinichirō Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop, Carole and Tuesday), Samurai Champloo follows 15-year-old Fū Kasumi, a waitress at a small teahouse whose life changes when she accidentally spills tea on a customer. Incurring the wrath of several samurai, she desperately asks another samurai in the shop for his protection, and he makes quick work of her attackers. The samurai, a man named Mugen, goes on to pick a fight with a rōnin named Jin.

Their bout ends up ruining the entire teashop, not to mention the fact that they end up killing the local magistrate's son. The two are arrested and are set to be executed, but Fū intervenes, hiring the two as her bodyguards. She tells them that she's looking for a samurai who smells of sunflowers. The series is heralded for its hip-hop inspired backdrop, with a soundtrack primarily produced by Shinji "Tsuchie" Tsuchida, Nujabes, Fat Jon and Force of Nature, with Shing02 featuring on the opening theme song, "Battlecry". The opening theme's animation was worked on in collaboration with another famous studio, Madhouse. The word "Champloo" is a rendering of chanpuru, an Okinawan stir-fry dish that incorporates various elements. The series title "Samurai Champloo" is, therefore, a reflection of the series' blending of various influences, from Edo Japan to hip-hop culture, combat sports. The series goes down in history as Manglobe's greatest achievement.

Ergo Proxy (2006)

Ergo Proxy

In a world ruined by ecological collapse, the remnants of humankind live in domed cities, like Romdeau City. Life outside the domes is impossible, and inside the domes, people's lives are made easier through the existence of humanoid robots called Auto-Reivs.

However, the robots begin contracting a strange virus called the "Cogito Virus", which grants them self-awareness, which leads some of them to commit acts of violence against humans. A young woman named Re-l Mayer, granddaughter of the ruler of Romdeau, is assigned to investigate the Cogito Virus phenomenon, but Re-l is not prepared for what she is about to uncover regarding the truth of the world.

Michiko & Hatchin (2008)

X Best Anime With Female Protagonists Michiko and Hatchin

Michiko & Hatchin follows Michiko Malandro, a hardened criminal who is breaking out of a C-Max prison in the fictional South American country of Diamandra, for the fourth time. She is looking for someone from her past. Her only clue is Hana Morenos, a 10-year-old girl living in the care of an abusive foster family, who dreams of the day that she is able to escape from them and finally be happy. Her escape comes in the form of Michiko herself, who one day crashes a family breakfast claiming to be Hana's mother.

Together they go in search of a man who Michiko claims to be Hana's biological father, an enigmatic man named Hiroshi Morenos, but are exposed to the dark underbelly of Diamandra, with the criminal organization known as Monstro Preto pulling all the strings. The series exhibited the studio's tendency towards unconventional characters and protagonists for anime, and Michiko & Hatchin stands out in particular for the relationship that develops between its main characters, as well as the various influences that went into it, such as the use of late musical artist Aaliyah's likeness in the design of Michiko.

The Decline

Genocidal Organ

Despite being responsible for the production of various anime titles that continue to have an impact to this day; Manglobe experienced a host of financial difficulties in its relatively short life. The company filed for bankruptcy on 29 September 2015, just five days after the final episode of the studio's adaptation of the author Kohske's Gangsta. Towards the latter end of its life, Manglobe saw the production of more adaptations of existing works rather than original anime titles.

The company had been insolvent for quite some time leading up to the end, with an estimated debt of 350 million yen. Manglobe was also set for the production and release of the Genocidal Organ in November that year, but that was halted due to the studio's financial collapse. The studio had also experienced a set of particularly unsuccessful productions, like the infamous Samurai Flamenco, and a less than satisfactory adaptation of Jinsei Kataoka and Kazuma Kondō's Deadman Wonderland (2007-2013). How or why Manglobe incurred such massive debt remains a complete mystery, as most of the decisions leading up to the end were simply not disclosed to the public; however, the precarity of the industry for the various levels of labour and the companies themselves remains a major issue.

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