Toei Names Spanish/Portuguese Merchandising Broker

TOKYO, May 8: Toei
Animation has appointed Biplano as the merchandising broker for Dragon Ball and Saint Saiya, to handle select rights for the brands in Spain
and Portugal.

Biplano is responsible for
all merchandising rights except toy, video game and publishing categories for
both series. Saint Saiya is one
of Japan’s longest-running anime series, and deals with classic mythology
stories and themes. Dragon Ball is
an adaptation of the Japanese comics of the same name by Akira Toriyama. The
series, which consists of 508 episodes, is currently aired in Spain on Cuatro.

“Biplano ranks among one
of the international market’s most prolific licensing organizations and brings
to its representation of Dragon Ball and Saint Saiya an
outstanding track record of licensing success, and deep commitment to our
brands,” said Kanji Kazahaya, the director of the international department of
Toei Animation.

“We are excited to be
working with Toei Animation, one of the most respected names in animation
production,” said Jordi Rey, the general manager of Biplano. “The company’s Dragon
Ball continues to rank
among the world’s most powerful brands, while Saint Saiya is generating excitement throughout the world on
the heels of its stellar two-decade success in Japan.”

—By Kristin
Brzoznowski